As my e.mail address might imply to you astute lactnetters I am a lactation
consultant-mother of 4. I have had occasion to hear my husband who is a
concrete contractor try to calm the frayed nerves of some moms when they are
trying to reach me. (this is of course the parts I hear as I walk in from the
grocery store,etc). I am always proud to hear him be encouraging to people to
hang in there and that it is the very best thing that they can do for their
offspring. I have heard him talk to subcontractors and clients who tell him
they are expecting that they need to consider BF and can rattle off a good
number of the benefits (after 20 years of marriage- I dare not tell him I'm
too proud of him- but I do smile inside to know that he believes in what I
do). He sounds like- how could anyone want to do anything BUT breastfeed!?
Our business phone line doubles not only for his concrete company but also
has a message about my pump/consulting co. We sure get some interesting
comments about the combination of careers!:)
  Now where my kids are concerned. All four were of course breastfed and they
are proud of it. I have heard them innocently use this as reason to their
friends why they score better on their Stanford tests!  My youngest son was a
failure to thrive/breastfeed (also my most difficult birth). It took us a
month to get the feeding thing going. When I use his history and reasons to
hang in there in public interviews he will say things like "you hung in there
for me?" My oldest son though has given the real GEM of a remark- He has sat
at the dinner table before and said things such as "MY wife WILL breastfeed!"
I have explained that a woman has a right to choose how she deals with her
own body, but that he has a right to choose a woman with the right plan for
his children. I have told him that as he gets older (he was about 13 when he
made this original remark) that as he continues to court a girl that he will
have to make it known to her that this is one of the desires he will have for
his intended. In his case I think that religion and breastfeeding will be two
of his prerequisites!
  Well, that is all from this corner of the world. I have truly enjoyed
reading the different descriptions provided by you'all. Hope mine can be of
benefit to others.

Gloria DeHaven BSN, ICCE, IBCLC

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