To all of you wondering about family physicians and their role in this
mess:  It was gratifying to hear the glowing reports about family
physicians and their supportiveness.  The questions about AAFP have
already been addressed.  Deena said that I have had negative experiences
in breastfeeding issues in my Family Practice residency.  It's actually
been quite a mixed bag.  My faculty wholeheartedly support my efforts (in
fact, when I wanted to write to an HMO about their horrible treatment of
breastfeeding in their prenatal booklets, the clinical faculty
unanimously supported me and let me use all their names in the letter --
this is remarkable because there is rare unanimity in this group!);
however, with a few exceptions, they leave it up to me as the
"breastfeeding person", at best they patients and residents to me when
confronted with a problem, at worst they continue to give out incorrect
information.  The residents have been receptive, and I recently was asked
to officially incorporate my lactation curriculum into their didactic
schedule (previously, I would corner the chief resident and ask when they
needed a speaker, and they would put me in when someone cancelled).
Family practitioners are overall more interested in health promotion, but
again one can't generalize.  There are many who adamantly cling to their
ignorance just like those in other disciplines.  Alicia.  [log in to unmask]