How often do people throw their pillows on the floor? Is this
something I've missed? Granted, I've had pillows drop off the
side. But even if they had really been babies they would've
survived with a bump or two. Of course, if the cats came
along and sucked the breath out of the baby/pillow, that
would've been a different story (is this myth used in your part
of the world?)

I agree that these stories are the stuff of urban legend/myth.
Too bad they are so seductive when someone wants to
"prove" a point. The oft repeated (on Lactnet) admonition to
"ask for the references" is worthwhile here. If there are bona
fide stories they must be fewer than generally believed, and
likely easy to poke holes in once the facts are known.

A few years ago I had a lovely new mother sitting at my side
crying her eyes out. Her neurologist had just told her that,
since she had a history of epilepsy, she mustn't breastfeed
her two week old baby. I had given this mother a sheaf of
references; there was no medical or logical reason she could
not continue the breastfeeding relationship she had started.
"Well, if you keep this up don't come crying to me when you
have a seizure and kill your baby by throwing him against the
wall!" the doctor had replied when shown the information.
And, since the doctor made it clear she considered
breastfeeding to be an indication of patient non-compliance
with treatment she suggested the patient not continue in her
care. Guess how long this woman continued breastfeeding?
(Hint: the neurologist, armed with urban mythology, "won").

Margery Wilson, IBCLC
Cambridge, Massachusetts