It has occured to me that perhaps my views on the idea of women being encouraged to breastfeed despite not liking it might be influenced with my experience with adopted children. Many adopted children have experienced profound abuse and neglect prior to placement. For this reason they are commonly afraid of any intimacy with their adoptive mother, they have been too badly hurt by adults to trust easily. In such circumstances it is routine for children not to be able to contemplate closeness, including the closeness associated with breastfeeding. In the text "Breastfeeding and Human Lactation" a case history is presented in which a woman offers breastfeeding to her newly adopted child and the child reject breastfeeding and it is determined that this means that breastfeeding is not appropriate. However, my personal experience and the experience of the many mothers I have supported and conversed with is that this initial reaction is to be expected....breastfeeding is something to work towards...slowly and with respect for the child...it is something that once achieved becomes of immense value, enjoyment, peace and safety to the child (and the mother)....perhaps there is some relevence here for mothers who also have a history that makes the intimacy and physicality of breastfeeding difficult.
Karleen Gribble
Australia

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