>Whitewashing the truth and keeping women "ignorant" in fear of
>discouraging them from trying is - to say the least - dishonest IMO.

I'm hearing this more and more from clients.  As one of them very eloquently
put it:

"Where were the stories that could have prepared me for this ordeal?
Everyone had told me their labor stories, so I knew my labor, while
difficult, was "normal".  But my friends didn't tell me their nursing
troubles because, they said, if I knew how hard it could be sometimes, I'd
never have tried.  Yet more stories would have kept me from feeling so alone
in my journey."

I agree that mothers-to-be do need to know that there may be problems,
especially
because of the way we handle birth and early breastfeeding in this culture,
*and they need to know where to get informed help*.  Another former client
is working on a book - a compendium of lots and lots of first-hand bfing
experiences, good, bad, and indifferent.  When it's finished, I expect I'll
loan it to every client.  Until then, I rely heavily on copies of stories
from New Beginnings - which is a real treasure trove.  Too bad they get
these stories from me *after* they're in trouble.

One of my clients drew the most help from the negative-outcome stories at
the back of Bestfeeding;  she said they helped her put her woes in
perspective, and helped her realize that not breastfeeding wouldn't be the
end of the world.  She's still nursing several years later...

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY

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