1. Depending upon how the situation is presented to me I often work two
short comments into the conversation around co-sleeping.  I love the quote
from James McKenna that children need to sleep 'within arms reach of a
sober adult'. that gives plenty of leeway for a variety of solutions and I
also mention that we practised what was then called the family bed with all
three of my now adult sons and none of them continue to sleep with their
mother....although they may not all sleep alone either.

  I STRONGLY encourage everyone to read Dr McKenna's research and if you
have a chance to hear him in person it is worth the time and money (as of
course goes without saying about Kathleen D. too)

2. Our community has breastfeeding initiation rates well in excess of 90%.
We often manage 60% some breastfeeding at 6 months and have plenty of
toddlers nursing (our aim to get 90% at 6 months and beyond).  In one of
the new parent support groups I facilitate a mom came in with a story that
left me with very mixed feelings. She is pumping and bottlefeeding her 8
week old baby due to a complicated situation for which her LCs have not yet
found a solution. This is a much desired baby born after years of expensive
fertility treatment so she is quite emotionally vulnerable.
        The mom and babe were visiting a local coffee and doughnut shop (Tim
Hortons for those of you who know Canada). While she was bottle feeding the
baby a man approached her and gave her a very loud lecture about choosing
to bottle feed. Didn't she know the risks of formula? How COULD she treat
her baby like that etc etc. You get the picture. She was HORRIBLY
embarrassed and managed to stammer out that she was feeding human milk not
formula. He humphed off and she slunk out of the shop!
        At the group she fortunately was able to link with a mom who did not
develop a milk supply at all (despite heroic efforts) and has had to
formula feed due to our lack of banked milk. They discussed the
embarrassment and guilt and the process of coming to forgiveness of their
bodies.  I was both extremely sad for the mom and struck that it is bottle
feeding in public that gets the nasty criticism now.  So is this a
breastfeeding culture? or just a parent intolerant one.
Rhoda Taylor, B.A., IBCLC
Vancouver Island, British Colombia, Canada

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