Dear Tina:

I introduced myself a day or so ago...and am also studying like mad for the
July 31st exam which I'll be sitting in Phoenix. If you read my 'story'
you'll see that I have also been doing the 'seat of my pants' bit,
too....but as the years and experiences accumulate, somehow we begin to
have tools at our fingertips with which to assist other moms - tools that
we hadn't realized were a part of our equipment...but which are built on
many factors.(our own successful breastfeeding experience, what we've read,
etc.)

 I have meditated on how in heavens I am even *daring* to join the likes of
people like Kathleen A. and all the other VERY EXPERIENCED AND SCHOLARLY
LC's, etc. who have years on us...and yet if we are all honest with each
other - all of us start at ZERO. We just all begin at different moments in
time.

I studied music in college, and also am a Tour Operator her  in Mexico -
your an M.D. with an enormous amount of experience....talk about coming
from different paths! Yet I suspect that there is a tremendous variety of
backgrounds among LC's.

The beauty of this LACTNET, and of contact in general with others involved
in this spiritual field of Breastfeeding is that we are all working toward
a common goal - helping human beings attain the full flowering of their
potential.
   And in our case, specifically, contributing to the realization in all
its glory of the mother-child relationship as it was conceived way back
when - you know, Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, and all that!

During Christmas, on a weekly radio program that I had the good fortune to
participate in on BF, I commented on the AIR to the ladies listening:

 Can anyone imagine the Virgen Maria stuffing a baby bottle into the
Christ-child's mouth?  (remember that I live in a 95% Catholic country)

Naturally, the response was, OF COURSE NOT!  And so, I encouraged all those
mommies listening in during the Christmas season to follow the example of
the Virgen Mary.....After all, all us LC's know that Jesus was a breastfed
baby, you can be your bottom dollar on that!  He probably nursed for at
least 2 years, too!

Good luck on your exam - see you in Phoenix in July!

Roberta