Hi All,
    I find the most distressing issue on 'insufficient milk syndrome'
and the 5% figure, is exactly what has happened. While Dr. Neifert's
original intent - to establish that indeed there are women who are
unable to produce sufficient milk for their infant - was good and does
help dispel the myth that all women can breastfeed. (Anyone with any
sense should shy away from any statement with all, none, everything,
etc. in it as it is bound to be false).
   The danger, however, is that now too many women are fearing that they
are among that limited number of women and by virture of their fears are
proving themselves true. Not enough milk, has been used time and again,
since the advent of formula as a reason to either supplement or wean to
formula. Personally, I think - that it is the advent of formula that has
forced this issue into the public eye and will continue to keep it
there. You cannot tell me that such a vast number of infants dehydrated,
starved or just died without formula. I believe those mothers turned to
other choices and solutions. But of course, prior to that time, there
was much more general knowledge concerning breastfeeding and less
intervention into the birth and breastfeeding process.
   When you study the whole issue and weed out those who for whatever
personal/social reasons do not really want to breastfeed, those who are
true management issues (not enough time at breast or frequently enough
nursings, or using too much supplementation which reduces milk
production, etc.), is the real number of women who cannot produce milk
or enough milk for the infant, really close to 5%?
   This issue also shows, what Lawrence states in her book, the real
problem with breastfeeding, trying to narrow down and weed out all the
variables to get a relible answer/conclusion. There are just so many
facets that need to be addressed - the actual breastfeeding situation,
pregnancy and past issues that may or may not impact on breastfeeding
that it is indeed hard to get to the real answer. Or is it.
  My belief is that human history itself, shows that many, if not most
of the problems with breastfeeding are not as common as we are now led
to believe, just common sense would say that evolution would weed out
those traits for the sheer survival of the species. Simply put we have
delivered babies without epidurals (or other drugs of choice) and then
breastfed those infants at a pretty great statistical rate. I am
constantly confounded by the need to 'fix what isn't broken' in our
society. But more so, I want to cry at the number of young women who
believe that they cannot deliver without drugs or breastfeeding without
problems. And to me that is the real danger and damage done by that
pesky 5% figure.

   Getting down from the soap box now. . . I've wanted to vent those
thoughts for a while now, thanks for listening.

Leslie Ward
Vine Grove, KY