>OR...have you planted the seed of the idea that mom could decide to stay
>home with this baby for a while?

OK... now it's my turn to chime in with an objection.  :-)  Ya know how
several people said we shouldn't be telling moms what they should and
should not do re: alcohol consumption while breastfeeding because that
might discourage moms from continuing to breastfeed?  Well, I think a
similar argument can and must be made re: working outside the home.

As a mom who returned to work out of necessity when my infant was only 10
weeks old, I can tell you that the last thing I wanted to hear when I
sought help for a breastfeeding issue was, "Is there any way you can stay
home?"  And, yes, I did hear that from a couple of local LLL leaders when
I had questions right before I returned to work.  Sadly enough, I
discovered that they knew next to nothing about the issues surrounding
working and breastfeeding.  As a single mother, I had no choice but to
work to support my family.  I had to look around and find my answers
elsewhere (thank you, Gale Pryor, Diane Mason and Anne Price).  It was
discouraging to feel so alone.

Now, because of my Breastfeeding and the Working Mother website, I am
contacted at least a dozen times a week by breastfeeding mothers who are
working or preparing to return to work.  I always assume that these
mothers have given all reasonable options considerable thought, and I know
how hard it is when a breastfeeding mother has to return to work.  It is
not my place to question them about their lifestyle choices, IMO.  If a
mother came to me and said, "I need some help deciding whether I should go
back to work or not," then I'd be happy to help her discover the pros and
cons.

But that's not what this mother asked of Dr. T.  In fact, Dr. T's original
email said, "This mom is quite sad thinking about her baby being so
unhappy without her, but not working is not an option right now."  Why,
then, would anyone want to add to this mother's anxiety by discussing
something she has clearly already considered and discarded as a viable
option for her circumstances?

Cee

Cecilia Miller, AAHCC, CD(DONA)
Jacksonville, FL
http://www.kjsl.com/~cee

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