Hi Y'all, I've been remiss in not introducing myself though I've posted a few times. It feels a little wacky to introduce oneself to 2000+ people. Suddenly I feel myself internet-shy. Working backwards, I am currently a LLL Leader in West Los Angeles, ground zero for global pop-entertainment: all those lousy television depictions of bf and parenting? That's coming from moms and/or parents on "my" watch. SORRY!!!!! Unfortunately I'm afraid I'm unlikely to ever be able to reach them as well-enough as another who is more culturally similar. I am undoubtedly not cut of the SoCal/Hollywood cloth and while it's sort of OK for one's LLL Leader to be "different", the influence of a strange stranger only goes so far. And hence the preponderance of mind-numbingly ignorant depictions of detached mothering coming from the imaginative depths of single and obsessively-employed 20-somethings. Before-kids I was a PhD candidate in epidemiology, MS(s) in biostatistics and (environmental) molecular biochemistry. My husband is a geologist/evolutionary biologist, during the mutual study of which we met way-long ago in Chicago. Signing on to lactnet is my way of exploring the world of bf advocacy a little more closely as I enter the "non-lactating" phase of life. Prior to kids, as an academic it had *never occurred* to me that 'lactation' could ever be considered one of life's significant inflection points. Now, from the other side, I'm trying to decide whether to carry on acknowledging this reality or sink blithely away into a world dedicated to other concerns. Some of those might include local politics, cancer research, or various other life-long hobbies (fiber-arts, "traditional" music and dance). I am enjoying reading the wealth of knowledge posted here daily. And I'm still very unclear about the intersection of ILCA, LLL, IBCLCs and beyond. The political pullings going on here are rather bewildering and I find the implications a little hard to fathom in terms of my own position in LLL. But this too, I'm sure, will pass. Thanks for so much forthright fact-flinging and opinionating. -- -Sara in West L.A., USA. *********************************************** 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