Dear Judy re: doula/professional role-
Right ON!  Doula stance means supporting the subjective, intuitive,
right-brain side of BF.  It works, as witness all the mother-support-groups
worldwide and Step Ten.  Professional stance means providing the objective,
rational, logical, left-brain side of BF.  It too works, as witness all the
great docs and nurses that now do BF right.  BF care has two roots, both of
which need to be acknowledged, for BF to thrive. When one root is dismissed
or denigrated, babies and mothers can get into trouble.  Professionals are
more likely to leave out the soul; MSG leaders tend to leave out the science.
 Soul and science are supposed to work together.  In theory, LC work springs
from both roots - that's the strength of this profession.  Pulling this off
with any individual mother is the tricky part, as she might be suspicious of
one or the other root.  Sorry, no solutions - that's why this work is so
interesting, because it's both art and science.  Some days more of one; other
days or other moms the other.

Linda Smith, balancing everyday.