Dear Lactnetters,

An uplifting anecdote:  my middle daughter, a senior in high school,
participated in a discussion on breastfeeding duration in one of her classes
prompted by her male teacher who brought up an article about a mother of six
whose oldest was eight yrs old and who was supposed to be breastfeeding all
of her children (real or tabloid?; I don't know.)  Poor child was in the
minority (of one!) in defense of breastfeeding amid "How disgusting!"
comments.  Quick to rise to the defense she stated that babies should be
exclusively breastfed for 9-12 mos (raising the bar a bit, but appropos of
her own breastfeeding experience) and it was not at all unusual for children
to breastfeed past toddlerhood in different parts of the world, (also her own
experience in her world).  She discussed how breasts are sexualized and
that's why breastfeeding rates and duration are low in our country.

I'm sure her teacher was sorry he brought this up, but then asked her how she
knew all this.  My mild-mannered daughter said she was sorry but that's just
the way she was raised and it was her mother's business afterall and proceded
to explain that I  was an LC.

When relating her clasroom experience she expressed how frustrating it was
and how "peoople just don't get" and "are so used to doing just what they
always have."
Sound familar?  If she weren't so shy, I'd bring her to my next BF class!

Barbara Latterner, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Brewster, NY

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