X-WebTV-Signature: 1 ETAsAhQ7mq9pwDK24TnD2MmqpJWCKKowLwIUCbo4oEjgWARA/e7rqZqlPJ5w2ec= From: [log in to unmask] (Laura Wright) Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 00:22:40 -0500 (CDT) To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Bottlefeeding ABM Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Content-Disposition: Inline Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit MIME-Version: 1.0 (WebTV) Judi, This one I do not know. I do see a lot of mothers pumping bottles for a quick trip to the store...I keep a mirror handy for practicing dscreet nursing, or demonstrate with my clinic doll. Many are very surprised that they don't have to "bare it all". But he women I was referring to are the ones who like to top each others birth-horror and breastfeeding-failure stories. My theory is that in Civil-War era when all the "genteel" ladies were wearing corsettes and fainting all over the place, we Sotherners, became a little warped. We now have some distorted image of "fine, genteel" women as being "delicate" and therefore NOT "hardy". Many many of us compare illnesses and frailties as if they were desirable things. The harder it was for you to give birth, the more "feminine" you are, and truly "feminine" women can not possibly produce enough milk, or a good quality milk. "My doctor said my milk was too weak for my baby", "I knew my baby wasn't getting enough because he wanted to nurse every 2 hours! I did keep trying for 2 weeks!" Somewhere along that line being hardy and healthy and able to nurse twins or tandem nurse became "common". I guess that makes me VERY common. My mom tells stories of her cousin running up on the porch at 6 to "nurse a minute". In some ways I think the childbirth policies in the US feed this phenoenom...Wealthy women can afford to have epidurals, or shop around for Drs who will perform scheduled unecessary sections....Those of us who are on a budget have to "tough it out". Recently overheard a woman telling her friend how she "passed-out" during her delivery. I sometimes wonder if I should actively listen and sympathize over her hardship, or just be impressed and move on. Please, no flaming now, this is my personal theory about my own sub-culture. I may have a Yankee Grandma, but I was born and raised right here in cotton country! (Never could understand that woman anyway!) Laura Wright Mississippi, USA