I enjoyed reading Virginia Thorley's "Printed Advice on Initiating and
Maintaining Breastfeeding in Mid-20th Century Queensland" in the February
2003 issue of JHL.

I reread parts of it last night to refresh my mind. Even better the
second reading! I picked up on some phrases I thought were quite
catching.

"Regularity and measurement masqueraded as science . . . . . " Still very
true in many places today!

" . . . to discuss the lack of impact on the established system of
contrary views provided by medical research and other experts during the
period studied."

Again, very reminiscent of today, but at least we have progressed a
little bit! Cultural lag I think they call it, despite electronic
immediacy, partially because it leads to information overload!

" . .this proviso appears to be merely a disclaimer to ensure that his
colleagues would recommend his book." Dr. Spock was almost "before his
time" in his sensitivity to infants.

Thank heaven he arrived on the scene when I was just beginning my family
or I would have been more strict on my eldest than I was, "real Truby
King baby" that my grandmother advised my mother to raise me to be!

It's a little like a historical novel, with background info that
influenced my own grandmother and mother in their mothering, even though
from afar in a different country. Word traveled, even then!

Her article reports on the post-World War II period from 1945-1965,
during which I was training to be a nurse, working in OB and then having
the first 4 of my own babies and going through what I remember as
nightmarish pain and a very pinched ego when I felt no choice but to give
up attempting to nurse them.

Fortunately for me LLL was also established here in the US during this
time period, and they helped me embark on a different, more satisfying
path with that fourth one that has led me to where I am today.

It's enjoyable sometimes to reflect on one's past and appreciate a longer
view of personal and cultural lactation progress. And makes me more
sensitive to the womanly stuggles of some of my personal "giants upon
whose shoulders I am now able to stand".

With that, I must sign off on LN for a while. Its a real sacrifice,
believe me, but otherwise my "addiction" won't allow me to "hyper-focus"
on some writing projects that I feel passionate about completing.

Jean
************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio

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