I want to clarify my opinion about nurse-ins. I am ethically supportive of moms who want to take whatever approach makes sense to them. That does not mean we should not be able to have a discussion about whether or not such a tactic is effective and it does not mean that it is effective. I would also think that anyone who reads this board regularly knows that I have been personally labeled "radical" on a regular basis. I don't think going quietly about our business is effective or even ethical. I remember when my oldest two children were very little hearing Peggy O'Mara speak--she said that we all have an obligation to speak the truth on behalf of children. I believe she is correct. I think the physical and psycho-emotional well-being of children is so important that all HCPs have an obligation to behave like radicals and activists in the service or normal physiology and breastfeeding. I would rather see someone err on the side of passion than hide under a rock in the service of the status quo, the institutional hierarchy or perhaps even their own jobs. Still I do not think nurse-ins such as this are an effective tactic and I think that the combined intelligence and passion of these women, who, thanks to the internet cannot be silenced or divided any longer can be far more effective when directed in other ways. Pressure needs to be placed on policy-makers, corporations and the health care system--repeatedly. Accurate information needs to be disseminated--there is so much more useless and even harmful information on the internet and elsewhere than there is accurate info. It is much easier to respond to a crisis than it is to be persisitent is demanding and creating change. On another note--a Lactnetter said she felt there was a relationship between this issue and those of us who are opposed to another professional certification lower than IBCLC. I am opposed to a lower certification and I am very much a radical on health care issues. I agree that we need more women to help other women breastfeed, but this is just more and more institutionalization of breastfeeding. I would rather see more peer counselors and an end to the medicalization of birth. Right now I find it apalling that women are having the depth of breastfeeding difficulties that they are--because of signifant birth trauma to mother and baby. IMO, we are trying harder and harder to put out fires and accepting that the fires are inevitable. Well, if that is the direction we are going in--we are going to need more skill, not less skill to get these babies to breastfeed. So, again, I would rather see the energy going into changing the system--not tweaking it, but turning it upside down. Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free. *********************************************** 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