Pat Young points out, quite rightly, that  'according to Reva Rubin- "From
Novice to Expert", the novice (mom) wants/needs rules and the expert sees
"cues."  
I find that I regress professionally under stress and start behaving like a
novice myself.  I want rules, at least ones that would govern everyone else
but me so they would never do anything wrong, since of course *I* never make
mistakes, ha ha.  I think that new practitioners are even more in need of
rules than a lot of mothers are.  But one of the most important messages new
parents need to hear is that they are in a state of flux with an expert
guide who will for the first several months only ask for what s/he needs,
because there is complete congruence between a baby's wants and a baby's
needs.  You don't need to start wondering whether to give the baby what they
are asking for until they start turning up their nose at house brand
clothing in favor of Versace or Dior, or whining to go to rock festivals in
Denmark with their chums.  You get the picture.
The baby is a novice in every sense of the word, and the baby does not want
rules or numbers to remember.  The baby has not read all the bad press
before WBW, nor seen the stupid talk shows where breastfeeding is dumbed
down, nor heard a multitude of horror stories from friends about sore
nipples and low supply. The baby just *is* and in the baby's nature are all
the things it needs in order to survive, as long as there is a mother who
knows enough to pay attention. 
Of course mothers should know where to ask for help if they need it, and
that means there should be help available, and maybe one number IS useful,
namely that of the local phone breastfeeding helpline.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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