Marie,
I think you have brought up an absolutely essential 21st century topic - you
should NOT feel like we are flaming or blaming. We are just going at it in
what I think of as typical Lactnet style (think....dog with a bone, and all
very interested in that bone!).
My post really I think comes from my OWN prejudices and laziness - after
all, it's a pain in the neck to be ethical and responsible and actually
ASSESS what is going with a mom and baby -- how much easier to say, "Oh,
she's obese, of course she has  --------- (fill in the blank)."
In addition, I've struggled with body image and weight issues all my life,
and having recently lost some weight (thanks, Weight Watchers) I now have
people at work saying, Oh don't you dare lost more weight, you'll be too
skinny - this when I just got my BMI down to normal! So we have societal and
personal and community work to do on this topic.
There is however very cautionary research, about obese women and their
decision to breastfeed. We're kind of back to Nommsen-Rivers and Diane
Weissinger - "can I see myself breastfeeding? Will I feel comfortable?"
 I need to read Lisa Amir's research ("when the community norm is to
breastfeed so do obese women") because I don't think I've seen that one, and
breastfeeding-is-normal community is one of my passions.
Dawn Kersula in Vermont

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