Several of you have expressed concern over my statement that I avoid
nursing in front of bottle feeding moms to avoid making them feel
guilty.  Let me elaborate on that a bit.

Actually, I have spent a great deal of time nursing in public.  What I
really meant was that I avoid nursing in front of certain people  I am
acquainted with who bottle feed, and who I know are upset by my
nursing.  My husband's partner's wife falls into this category.  I have
nursed in front of her before, but I will usually avoid it if I can
without having my baby be upset.  I think that there are specific people
that it does  more harm than good to nurse in front of.  Also, because I
have not given birth to my babies, my nursing is more likely to upset
women who are bottle feeding babies they did give birth to than seeing
other bio moms nurse.  I've had lots of mothers I've nursed in front of
volunteer information about why they couldn't breastfeed, even though I
have never asked them or even said a word about it to them.  (And I've
heard some pretty feeble excuses, especially from other doctor's
wives!)  This is quite obviously because they are feeling guilty.  If I
thought that nursing in front of them more would help convince them that
nursing was the way to go, I would do it.

 I can only hope that my committment to go the extra effort to nurse
adopted babies might say something to them about the importance of it.
I also hope they notice that, while their babies are constantly on
antibiotics and needing nebulizers to keep them breathing at night, mine
are healthy, happy and beautiful, and that is on a diet of partial
breastmilk supplemented by formula.

Aloha,
Darillyn