I've been using an introduction that has helped set the tone when providing education about breastfeeding to people who really weren't all that interested in it. In our county the different agencies in contact with mothers - from Child Protective Services to Welfare - are being required to attend breastfeeding inservices. Needless to say, I get lots of staff who want to know why they should be there (we explain it is so "we all sing the same song" - not because we want them to be LC's) and then the usual defensiveness intervenes "does this mean I was a bad parent?" I describe how I used to nurse my first son, born only 6 months after my niece had died of SIDS. I would nurse him, then lay him down on his tummy - which is what I thought would be the best. NOW I teach moms the "back to sleep" and would not consider saying "well, my son is just fine, so you can just put the baby on his/her tummy." However, if at that time doctors had KNOWN that putting my baby on his back would have reduced his risk of SIDS and not told me - I would not feel guilty - I would feel MAD. This seems to reduce the defensiveness considerably - though I must admit that there are still some who are pretty upset at being required to attend the training. But many others go away surprised at the new information. In fact one participant came the next day to tell us she'd sat her daughters down and TOLD them they were going to breastfeed her grand-babies!!! Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC Vacaville, CA mailto:[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(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html