Just wanted to say thank you Katherine D and Diane W. for your once
again wonderful "way of putting things".  If only I could speak so
eloquently! However, I still feel the need to add my .02 and hope I
offend no one - as is intended. When I first read Elisheva's response
post, subject: "what mothers feel"  to Jennifer T's. post, I must admit
I was very surprised.  It seemed to me that Elisheva may have possibly
read too much into Jennifer's post.  Perhaps this is a good example how
mentioned recently our conversations via computer are sometimes taken
wrong, thereby causing one to hesitate posting on Lactnet and to remain
a "lurker".  I'm re-reading Jennifer's post in her response to my post
regarding the roll of LLL and am asking Elisheva,  where did Jennifer
imply that it is a "fault of character" if women chose to not attend bf
support groups (in this case LLL)?   As Diane said so well, LC's &
LLLL's working together form a wonderful safety net.  I was saddened to
read that Elisheva, as a breastfeeding counselor remains "at most a
distant friend" to her local LLL group. There are times as a Leader, I
need the advice of my co-leader who is also IBCLC for the more
"technical stuff" or my LLL  Area Professional Liaison (I'm learning!)
when working with a particular mother and her baby who is attending
meetings and experiencing serious/complicated difficulties. - And for
their help I am always grateful. When I think back over 21 years ago
when pregnant with my first of 4 breastfed children and my midwife asked
me how I was planning on feeding my baby during a prenatal visit, I was
surprised and confused.  I remember asking her what she meant, for I
knew no one who had breastfed, nor had I ever seen anyone breastfeed
that I could recall, but knew a lot about bottle feeding (after all the
baby sitting I did as a teenager), so I figured I'd do what I know.
Bottle feed.  My midwife encouraged me to attend LaLeche League meetings
to learn about breastfeeding before I decided definitely on the bottle.
I went and the rest is history. For me and many, many other
breastfeeding women who have attended meetings, there's nothing like
SEEING other women breastfeed, receiving their support, encouragement,
knowledge and friendship, hence being a part of a "breastfeeding
sub-culture" which in a way could describe a bf support group. Taken
from this old Webster Dictionary on my desk, culture is:  "the
integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech,
action, and artifacts and depends upon man's capacity for learning and
transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations..."
      I feel that regardless of differences of opinion in some areas,
all "breastfeeding support persons" working together in this sometimes
uphill climb to see breastfeeding as our cultural norm (here in the
States), can only make this climb that much easier - for us - and the
breastfeeding Moms and Babies.  Wow, am I nervous about this post coming
across wrong....and too long!
     Warmly,  Mary Coutts, LaLeche League Leader, aspiring IBCLC whose
Co-Leader is IBCLC, CNM

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