" use the plastic spoons that come with the food trays to catch the drops of pregnancy milk (I hate using the word 'colostrum' with new mothers, because it reinforces the popular notion that there is no milk yet,<snip>. warmly, Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE" "I use the phrase "newborn milk" for the same reason :-). -Claire Bloodgood, IBCLC" What is wrong with teaching your new moms the truth? Colostrum is Awesome!! It is a truly magical, and yes, a filling fluid! How about educating them on its' qualities, which are custom-made, uniquely designed for their very own newborns? Educate them on how the quantity is perfect for their babies' marble sized tummy. " A little bit goes a long way!" Let them know that the reason their 2 day old baby is nursing almost constantly is NOT because moms' milk isn't in yet and he is starving, but rather because he simply wants more and this behavior encourages his tummy to become larger, in order to accommodate the soon-to-be onslaught of breastmilk. This cluster feeding behavior also encourages the milk to 'come in' quicker and in adequate proportions. Mother Nature has designed all this for the survival of our species. By NOT educating them, by not using "the dirty little word", YOU are reinforcing the notion that colostrum is not valuable and therefore, not worth mentioning. But, by educating them about the importance of colostrum, you are giving them a better understanding of the amazing world of breastfeeding and the unsurpassed advantages of human milk, in ALL its' variations. If we, as LCs, choose not to educate new moms on the importance of colostrum and the natural process of the first 3 days (until the "real" milk comes in), WHO will??? Pediatricians? OB/GYNs? RNS? PLEASE rethink your position, your terminology and use the word COLOSTRUM when speaking with new parents. Ellen Penchuk, IBCLC, RLC *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html