I refuse to admit defeat!

We have not lost the birth battle yet. Not completely. I was at a birth
yesterday - baby born at home, with midwives, baby crawled up and took the
breast within half an hour of birth and nursed happily for probably twenty
minutes before he fell into a contented sleep in his mother's arms.

Yes, home births are still in the minority. But we're seeing a lot more of
them in Ontario in the past few years, since midwifery started to be covered
under the provincial health insurance plan. Not that things are perfect - I
personally worry that midwives are being somewhat taken over by the medical
system.

And more women are having hospital births with midwives as well, now that
midwives have hospital privileges.

So I don't think the war is lost yet.

And neither is the breastfeeding battle. They thought they had us beaten
forty years ago, when breastfeeding rates were incredibly low. Most women
didn't even consider breastfeeding. You weren't allowed to nurse in public
places.  It's better today than it was then. Now at least most mothers plan
to breastfeed, want to breastfeed, start off breastfeeding. That's an
improvement. Of course, the formula companies and others are fighting back!

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html