The recent string regarding "support of the bottle-feeding mother"
struck a cord.  I teach lamaze, breastfeeding, and parenting at a
local hospital.  My philosophy has always been to "assume" all the
moms are going to breastfeed, regardless which class I'm teaching
(after all, breastfeeding is the normal thing to do, right?).  I feel
this attitude really has an impact on those moms still sitting on the
fence and have found women from lamaze who were going to bottlefeed in
my breastfeeding classes because "everyone else is doing it".  The
nutrition section of my parenting class begins with "the risks of
formula".  This discussion has ALWAYS sparked more interest in
breastfeeding and usually goes over very well in the class until the
day I had a woman with a double mastecomy.  Of course I had no idea of
her circumstances and our discussion only made her feel absolutely
terrible (notice I didn't say "guilty").  This was a hard lesson for
me.  As Heather stated, some women have reasons for using ABM and they
should not feel obligated to share them with us.  I have tempered my
nutrition talk somewhat and I try to review charts ahead of time to
hopefully become aware of special concerns.

As far as trying to assuage guilt among those women who choose use ABM
after having been given complete information on it's risks, IMHO I can
not MAKE someone feel guilty.  Guilt comes from knowing you are not
doing what is best, whether it be breastfeeding or eating too much of
that beloved chocolate.  It'a called having a concience.

Thanks for listening,
Theresa Chmiel, CLC, ICCE
in sunny Florida