My colleague Judy Schneider, WIC lactation consultant in South Jersey USA,
has observed hospital staff nurses who seem to classify their postpartum
patients on whether the mom is "breastfeeding-worthy."  Teens, immigrants,
some racial groups, and mothers with low literacy or a low socio-economic
level just don't get all the help they could use while learning to breastfeed
or working out breastfeeding problems.  The nurses, of course, do not use the
term "breastfeeding-worthy."  They might speak instead about whether or not
the mother "really wants to breastfeed," but what they mean is that
breastfeeding is for the white, educated, middle-class mothers.

Of course, as WIC LCs, we are evaluated on whether those "non-worthy" moms
actually come to the WIC office and register as breastfeeding mothers.  So to
us, EVERY mom who is interested is Worthy and Welcome!

Chris Mulford
Eastern USA

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