I agree whole-heartedly with Gonneke on this one!  

I realize this brings us (*sigh*...once again...) to the debate of whether or 
not breastfeeding is a mother's CHOICE or a baby's RIGHT.

I'm in the camp that it is a baby's RIGHT.  But, that is not why I post today...

I'm here to discuss the notion of 'helping a mother achieve her goals'.  I mean 
no disrespect to lactation professionals practicing in the manner, but I must 
tell you all that I think this is a ridiculous notion.

What mother on the face of this earth gives birth KNOWING what all her 
parenting goals are or will be?!?  Show me one woman for whom this process 
is NOT a journey, is not a road she must travel down picking one fork in the 
road over another again and again and again?  Tell me who, of ANY of the 
mothers we help, truly knew exactly what she was going to do, when she was 
going to do it, and how she was going to go about it with respect to 
breastfeeding, parenting philosphies, and family life.

Sure, many mothers actually set goals and think they will follow them.  But, in 
general, they set these goals when they are pregnant BEFORE THEIR BABY 
HAS EVEN BEEN BORN.  How can such goals be considered paramount in how 
we help and counsel mothers and in how we ensure that babies needs are 
being best served?

Think about your own journey through motherhood:  Did you know before you 
had your baby that you would breastfeed?  Did you know it would be easy or 
difficult?  Did you know what type of help and support you would need?  Did 
you ever change your mind?  Did you find "a better way"?  If you could do it 
again, would you do anything differently?  Did you LEARN?  Did your goals ever 
change?

Blessings!

Karyn-grace Clarke, IBCLC, LLLL
Gulf Islands, BC, Canada
www.breastfeedingwithkg.com

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