Heather wrote that

<< Bf can happen, and happen happily and
 effectively and to the great satisfaction of all, even after
 institutionalised birth, and even after horrible birth experiences. I
 have seen it heal these experiences. Bf is powerful enough to survive
 intact - as long as the right support is there. >>

Yes.  This is what I learn from the study at Evergreen Hospital (at least at
it was reported on this list -- I confess to not having read the underlying
report) about comparing epidural rates to bf rates there.   They had lots of
epidurals but great bf rates.   Lots of us were incredulous about this, but
from what I heard their numbers were pretty clear.

I understand this to indicate that the connection so many of us see between
birth interventions and bf trouble is mostly correlative, rather than
causative.  Disempower birthing mothers and model the unnaturalness of
women's bodies, and you will tend to get both lots of birth interventions and
also lousy bf rates.  But the big problem is the attitudes of the people
doing those interventions, rather than only the interventions themselves.

Elisheva

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