Karen, may your soapbox never splinter! This may not be popular, but I have my buttons, too, and bf experience in an LC is one of them. Of course, Karen and Dr. Williams are right in that a negative experience will influence advocacy. Shades again of the getting-into-the-baby's-booties. I would give some thoughtful pause, though, to encouraging people who have never breastfed to enter the field of hands-on counselling. I believe it not to the point to compare caring for a diabetic with caring for a bf mom for the following reason. Childbirth and lactation are EMOTIONAL- laden issues for many women. Someone with experience vividly remembers the awful fatigue of the first weeks, the attacks on one's self-confidence, the pain of a plugged duct, the anxiety of a mother-in-law nagging to give-her-grandson-a-bottle-for- Pete's-sake, and so on. I know that I find myself valuing empathy (someone who's been there) over sympathy during my life crises. Look at mushrooming support groups. Yet, I would hate to "bar" people simply because they are not personally experienced, since I honestly believe that many could make valuable contributions and possess wonderful counselling skills in certain situations. No hard and fast rules, are there? I myself would definitely prefer an LC with bf experience (and a midwife who has given birth and, yes, a surgeon who has been under the knife). But that's me. I also think that most moms I see really bond with me (maybe leading to "compliance"?, sorry, Karen) when I roll my eyes and tell them, yes, the first few weeks are HARD, and they can see that I am REMEMBERING and not mouthing book-learning. Off the soapbox. Regards and apologies, Judy Knopf