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Subject:
From:
Jennifer Tow <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 26 Dec 2006 00:40:13 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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When my first baby were born at home, the midwives counseled us about  
time for ourselves. Since we had a many-months long relationship with  
them, had just been through a very intimate experience with them and  
trusted them,  their opinions carried great deal of weight with us.  
They left a letter on our front door--to friends and family,  
explaining the importance of bonding and what visitors could do to be  
helpful--including being very brief in their stay, bringing food,  
helping out with siblings (applied with later births), etc. The  
letter was signed by the midwives, so it took the pressure off of us.  
All of the midwives in my community used this same letter and it was  
very effective, although with my third, I went to e Blessingway about  
6 hours after he was born--he was happy in his sling and I felt  
fabulous.

As to the issue of boycotts--I agree that silent boycotts are  
generally pretty ineffective. OTOH, living as ethically as possible  
and treading as lightly as we can on our collective Mother is never a  
wasted effort. And, as has been said before, it is a simple matter to  
avoid most of the "illicit" products--just eat whole foods and you're  
most of the way there. I do think we would have a much bigger impact  
from a marketing perspective if we actively boycotted a particular  
product, but I personally would rather avoid the whole lot.

Last year, my 13 yr old daughter and her homeschool literary club  
wrote and performed a play about sweatshops. This was after they had  
spent many months researching the connection between child slavery  
and cheap chocolate, worker's rights and fair trade.  None of this  
was foreign to these kids whose parents have made similar purchasing  
choices since before they were born. My daughter plans to be a  
fashion designer and is currently a theater student at a high school  
for the arts. One of the other girls is a writing major there. Those  
are careers where such awareness is likely to have quite an impact. I  
have to think that the consciousness of their parents has made a  
difference in the issues they have chosen and acted upon. So, I   
disagree with Betsy when she states that time spent on boycotts is  
wasted--it may actually be very far-reaching. And, to say that ,
"If those who spend large amounts of time boycotting spent that time  
helping out in the breastfeeding arena somewhere, I would expect a  
whole lot more good would be done and far more would be accomplished  
all around."

is kind of silly, since those us us writing about this are spending a  
whole lot of time helping out in the breastfeeding arena. IMO,  
nothing matters more than how we live every day, including our  
purchasing choices.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

"

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