Excellent post, Nancy.

As I sit as the "Consumer Representative" on both Breastfeeding Committee
for Canada, and the Breastfeeding Committee for Saskatchewan for the past 3
years, I have thought about this issue.

I can represent the mom who has successfully breastfed (my life experience),
but I also worry about how to represent the woman who has NOT breastfed, or
had a very negative experience, since there is only ONE consumer rep. on
these committees.

One way I tried to educate myself about the life experience of these other
women, was through joining the email list run by MOBI.
http://www.internetbabies.com/mobi/default.asp

"MOBI is for women who are/were unable to breastfeed, feel unsuccessful in
breastfeeding, are/were experiencing severe breastfeeding problems, or
experienced untimely weaning."

I didn't really participate on the list, I just lurked for several months.
I really should go and rejoin, and this time introduce myself, as I remember
there were several times that I could have steered these women to better
resources.  A few were educated on the issues, but most knew little about
the effects of advertising, the code, the issues of breastfeeding guilt.  I
just felt at the time I couldn't really post to the list without taking the
time to make a careful and committed introduction to the list, and I didn't
have the time for that commitment at that point.

Interestingly, at one point in my lurking, a list member from Canada was
interviewed by CBC TV for an item on the  "pressures to breastfeed".  I
entered this woman's email address into my database for future reference.
The item ran on CBC and I sent out one of my media alerts to my database,
and the interviewed woman then got a copy of my email!  She emailed me, and
I had to explain who I was and what I was doing.  We ended up having a good
conversation, and she as for some post-event anlysis of why her
breastfeeding went wrong.  I connected her by email to an LC on the
Breastfeeding Committee for Canada.  So I think we were able to turn an
angry formula feeder to someone who will certianly try again at
breastfeeding, with some information and compassion.

This list would certainly benefit from an LC or 2 to help educate, if anyone
had the time.  If would sure be good public relations for the lactation
community, too.  These women are not slamming breastfeeding, but they are
quite dissappointed with it.

Janice Reynolds
Nokomis, Saskatchewan, Canada

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