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 *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html