Hey Lactnetters,

Went to the library the other day to check out The Midwife's 
Apprentice.  I was interested in re-reading this book because I was 
told that it won the Newberry Award for 1996.  While I was there, the 
library didn't have the book so I was browsing and came across another 
book by the same author Karen Cushman titled, Catherine, Called Birdy.  
This book won the Newberry Award in 1994.
Well what does all this have to do with breastfeeding?  Karen 
Cushman's books take place during medieval times.  In one scene, page 
10 of Catherine, Called Birdy,
        ³My father's clerk suffers today from an inflammation of his eyes, 
caused, no doubt, by his spying on our serving maids as they wash 
under their arms at the millpond.  I did not have the mother's milk 
necessary for the ointment for the eyes, so I used garlic and goose 
fat left from doctoring Morwenna's boils yesterweek.²

I decided to post the announcement that it was World Breastfeeding 
Week on some of the other lists I belong to.  There have beeen some 
very interesting responses that I am hoping I can post on Lactnet 
soon.

Assunta Osterholt, IBCLC
http://www.earthlink.net/~oster 6/