Mother-to-mother support groups utilize a methodology that follows an organized, yet flexible format with guided discussion, rather than a formal class where "experts" teach. Each meeting has a different topic for discussion. The facilitator briefly introduces the topic and then encourage others to share their experiences and thoughts.

One form of mother-to-mother support is the "support group." A mother-to-mother support group is initiated and operated by a mother who facilitates the meeting. She may have received training, but her primary qualification is that she is a mother with breastfeeding experience. At the meetings new, as well as experienced mothers, share information and are encouraged to voice their doubts and concerns.

Mother-to-mother support for breastfeeding means women helping women breastfeed their babies. Experienced breastfeeding mothers model optimal breastfeeding practices, share information and experiences, and offer support to other women in an atmosphere of trust and respect. In this setting, pregnant women and mothers who are breastfeeding explore options that result in a satisfying breastfeeding experience.

Many traditional societies have recognized that a new mother is often vulnerable and sensitive and needs encouragement and support. The informal, traditional support system that positively reinforced breastfeeding in the past may no longer be in place where modernization and bottle-feeding have become the norm. Mother-to-mother support helps fill this gap, as usually it is easier for mothers to share their concerns with other mothers.

Babies, mothers, family members, and health care providers all benefit from mother-to-mother support. Pregnant women gain knowledge in preparation for breastfeeding, and mothers receive support and learn from the wisdom of more experienced mothers. Babies get their choice food as well as a healthy start in life. Husbands and other family members benefit because a new mother who is well supported has greater confidence and can cope better with the adjustments of motherhood.

There is no set time limit for a mother's participation, though a mother may move on to different types of involvement as time passes. For example, women may make contact and/or attend meetings during pregnancy or while breastfeeding and may continue with subsequent children. A mother may choose to stay on and become one of the "experienced" mothers, or she may undergo training and become a telephone counselor, peer counselor, or facilitator for a mother support group in her community.

The Wellness Community offers the Virtual Wellness Community which gives free online support services for people with cancer and their loved ones. This service is led by trained professionals and is secure and password protected. www.thewellnesscommunity.org.

Mother-to-mother support takes place one-on-one or in groups, informally or formally, anytime, anywhere: in the market place, at the bus stop, at church meetings, in a community hall, at maternity clinics-wherever pregnant or breastfeeding mothers are found. Mother-to-mother support occurs in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, the following:

Some of the challenges to sustainability are the shortage and turn-over of volunteers as well as financial constraints. Turn-over is often the result of family responsibilities and a lack of recognition and acceptance of the volunteers by health care providers. These challenges can be addressed by focusing on one or two activities, matching tasks to available time, and providing incentives.

There were both qualitative research - 10 focus groups in three cities: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago - and quantitative research, conducted through over 1200 phone interviews with a national, statistically representative sample of Americans throughout the United States (during March 1-14).

Mother-to-mother support is not about giving medical advice but about sharing information. Information is provided on topics such as breastmilk production, latch-on and positioning, the resolution of common breastfeeding difficulties, how to tell if the baby is receiving enough breastmilk, and how to breastfeed discreetly (if this is a concern). Mothers returning to work or in difficult medical circumstances receive support and information on how to continue breastfeeding in these situations.

A sense of self-accomplishment is a strong motivation in and of itself. Volunteers work best if they enjoy what they are doing. Individual talents need to be tapped; volunteers need ongoing nurturing and support.

Commonly used material for joint replacement is either stainless steel called Cobalt Chrome alloy or a metal known as Titanium and a Plastic called Ultra high Molecular Weight High Density Polyethylene.

The community may not perceive the need for establishing a support group. The prevailing attitude in society may be an obstacle. People may think that breastfeeding is a common practice, old fashioned, difficult, embarrassing, or inconvenient. Countering these attitudes is difficult. News releases in print and on radio, posters, and leaflets can help raise awareness of breastfeeding in general and the benefits of support groups.

ASTM F679: Standard Specification for Poly(Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) Large-Diameter Plastic Gravity Sewer Pipe and Fittings ASTM F789: Standard Specifications for Type PS-46 and Type PS-115 Poly(Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) Plastic Gravity Flow Sewer Pipe and Fittings ASTM F794: Standard Specification for Poly(Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) Profile Gravity Sewer Pipe and Fittings Based on Controlled Inside Diameter ASTM F949: Standard Specification for Poly(Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) Corrugated Sewer Pipe With a Smooth .

Based on the standard of 996 points fitting into 35 centimeters, and 2.54 centimeters per inch, we have 72 points equal to 0.9961104 inch. Taking a number of commonly used values (including fractional points for calculating the true sizes of 3-in-em, 4-in-em, and 5-in-em spacing) we can produce the following table:

First, we'll lead off this section with an excellent introduction, written by Joy Ikelman (parrot@frii.com) , with additions by Dr. Ivan Goldberg (psydoc@netcom.com): We bipolars know how it feels to be on these drugs--despite what the docs might say about how we "should" feel. Side effects are often more complex and difficult than the drug companies/PDR say they are.

Blood transfusions are used to treat anemia as a last resort. The physican first identifies the cause of the anemia and corrects the cause, if possible. With concern over the safety of the blood supply, more attention is being given to anemia management. Most blood transfusions are given because of excessive bleeding at the time of surgery, with trauma, or because of bone marrow suppression, in patients with cancer or leukemia on chemotherapy.

middot; The KGS program is based on the OG methodology however, we try to be flexible enough to provide alternate methods as required.

The best place to look for more information on the methodology used is to refer to the publication in Ecological Monographs. An on-line version of the paper is available.