The different impressions different people have posted on Indian
grandmas/doctors, etc.  shows that, among other things, India is a huge
country with many very different regions, etc., not to mention individual
differences like anywhere else.

For some reason, at the small hospital where I work, we have in the past month
had an unusually large number of Indian families delivering.  I think the
support of mothers and mothers-in-law can be wonderful; also, like many
immigrant groups, I think cultural practices that are basically very good have
been distorted by Western/colonial influences, etc.

One family I have worked with a lot - baby was readmitted for jaundice, so
spent more time than usual.  Mom, dad, baby and grandma came to my drop-in
breastfeeding group yesterday, and since they were the only ones who showed
up, I spent a very intensive time with them.  Dad especially has lots of
questions on every little detail.  Grandma thinks baby is too skinny (he looks
great!)  I think she is probably remembering fat babies and forgetting that
they don't look like that at 17 days.  But the interesting part of the
discussion was when they were asking about introducing solid foods.  The
mother (not the grandma) was asking things like "But won't he be stronger if I
give him rice cereal?" (I had said that although that was what most doctors
recommended as a first food, it wasn't really recessary, etc.)  and "But won't
he be stronger if I give him formula as well as my milk?"  She admitted that
she had received information at home from a formula company addressed to the
breastfeeding mother ("I don't know how they got my name and knew I was
breastfeeding").  We talked about the differences between human milk and
formula, the sneaky methods of the formula companies, and how their
advertising plants that little seed of doubt in the parents' mind, etc.  She
acknowledged that this was so.  We talked about how everything American isn't
necessarily better, etc.  I think (hope) they got the message.  The point is,
it was unusual for the role of formula advertising in establishing this kind
of doubt rarely comes out this explicitly, but I think it's a large factor, of
course for many women, but especially for immigrants of all ethnic groups.  My
thoughts for the day.  Miriam <[log in to unmask]>