To everyone on Lactnet I have been on Lactnet for a week now ,reading and saving all these very interesting posts. So now I jump in! I think I am the first one on Lactnet from France . I have been an LLL leader for 15 years and an IBCLC since 87. I live in a suburb of Paris . I have been and am still very much involved in creating and implementing the Continuing Education department for Health Profesionnals in LLLfrance. I have also worked with UNICEF for the implementation of BFHI in French-speaking developing countries. I would appreciate receiving some information on how BFHI is doing in industrialised countries . France is very backwards in the whole process . We ( a number of "activists" from mothers'support groups and Ibfan and a few health professionals) haven't been able to get any health authority interested , we get some support from the French Committee for UNICEF but most of its members see their role only for developing countries and resent doing something in France.Meanwhile the situation of breastfeeding in France is a near catastrophy,with only 43% initiation at birth and no reliable statistics afterwards . But there are some bright spots ,Mothers support groups are thriving, and we have a great demand for training from maternity wards and hospitals . If any of you have experience getting health authorities or National Committees for UNICEF involved in the BFHI process I would appreciate their input perhaps on private Email as this may not be of interest to everybody. Thanks Gisele Laviolle [log in to unmask]