I've been going through the summers' lactnet digests. Morgan's  
thoughts on *doing one's best* versus *good enough* really gave me  
something to think about. I haven't really liked the "good enough"  
say (or, its Swedish equivalent, of course) because I have seen that  
as an excuse for not searching further, finding facts - i.e not doing  
ones' "best". When mothers have been feeling guilty for not  
breastfeeding I have often objected "but you did your best during the  
given circumstances. You could not have done anything different  
without knowing how to and without support". To me, that's more  
honest than a smoothing-over "but you're a good enough mother even if  
you formula-feed". The underlying message is as I see it very much  
the same - it is not the mothers "fault" if her breastfeedig fails in  
a breastfeeding hostile environment - we have to put the guilt on the  
social structure level where it belongs.
Thoughts?
And something related - When women talk to me about failed  
breastfeeding many say "I/She tried EVERYTHING - but still it didn't  
work." It provokes me, as I wouldn't be so sure that all that they  
have tried really is everything there is to try. But how does one  
communicate that without insulting the woman who "did her best"?

Marit Olanders
breastfeeding counsellor and editor of the Swedish bf magazine  
Amningsnytt

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask]
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]