Debi writes:
<< I'd love to hear any suggestions for tackling this issue in a manner
that is fresh and less likely to be met with defensiveness and derision. It
seems that as breastfeeding rates inch up, but exclusive breastfeeding slides
down, the "mixed" feeding is becoming more and more prevalent. >>
I confess that I too often rush in like gangbusters, trying to persuade
pre-natal couples that formula is the devil, and just pissing them off --
this, needless to say, is a bad tack.
However, when I am more level headed, I have a better approach, which is to
make the smallest case first, strongly, and then build the larger case on
that firm base.
In other words, first I start with benefits of bf (hey, don't weissinger me
about the head yet, I'm getting there, OK?). Mom's milk is better than
anything else is or could be because [fill in the many blanks, you know 'em
here].
Then, once they have pretty much necessarily agreed that of course your baby
should get SOME of your milk, take step two: "In fact, the more of you milk
he gets..."
And then finally step three: actually, anything BUT mom's milk is a deficit.
"In fact this relationship goes as far as we can measure it. A number of
studies suggest serious ill effects from even one bottle... Really who
would imagine that even one day of dialysis is as healthy as using your own
kidneys"etc.
But this presumes that you have enough time to let them think about each
stage one at a time.
Elisheva
just bumped into an old college classmate, last seen two years ago when his
wife was pregnant with their first and "hoping to try to bf for a while" --
she got the full spiel from me then, and he ran across the room to find me
this week to tell me that she's still bf that baby now! Yay!
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