Here's a heartwarming story to add to the mix (apologies if I've already told this on 
lactnet):

I was born in 1968, and during her pregnancy, my mother assumed that she could not 
breastfeed because she thought her nipples were too flat.  My dad, however, encouraged 
her to at least try; he was in a "War on Poverty" graduate programs in a wildly idealistic 
field called Vocational Rehabilitation, and the curriculum included some courses at the 
University of Iowa Medical School, one of which, believe it or not, drove home the 
importance of human milk for human babies.  

Not only that, but his mother, who died only a couple of years ago, was an enthusiastic 
breastfeeder back in the 1940s.  She was an unabashed farm girl who, throughout her 
life, based a stunning array of her life decisions on the Farmers' Almanac.  She weaned 
my father from the breast at about 8 months, but admitted to me with some 
embarrassment that she didn't wean my uncle until he was 10 months old because, 
according to the Farmer's Almanac, the moon wasn't right for weaning until then. She 
could never countenance my refusal to wean my babies during infancy, and when my son 
was turning three, she called to let me know that the moon was good for weaning, in 
case I was interested... 

Anyway, encouraged by my dad and my grandma, my mom approached a La Leche 
League leader who had spoken at a prenatal class she attended, and asked her if it would 
be possible to breastfeed with such flat nipples.  The leader said, "Of course!  Your baby 
will pull them right out!"  My mom went on to breastfeed me for 8.5 months, and though 
she never went to an LLL meeting, she called her local leader a couple of times for advice 
about a plugged duct and breastfeeding while she was ill.  Both times got stellar advice 
and encouragement.  My mom was not breastfed, and didn't have much personal 
experience with it, and to this day credits LLL with her success breastfeeding both of her 
children.  

I credit the fact that I was breastfed with my very positive attitude toward breastfeeding 
my own children, which, as is obvious, turned into a passion for all things lactation. 

So for all of you who are doing either paid or volunteer work (or both) helping mothers 
breastfeed, there's a good chance that you have been more influential than you will ever 
know in the lives of many families.

Kerry Ose

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