Lisa,
My spin would be that the children may well be grieving the loss of
closeness with their mother as a result of this first separation but that
this is unrelated to them seeing their caregiver breastfeed. However, it may
be that seeing such closeness between mother and child makes them desire a
similar closeness with their mother. Let's not misplace the cause of the
trauma, nothing to do with another mum breastfeeding but everything to do
with maternal separation.
With the child who has recommenced breastfeeding my spin would be "Isn't it
great that this child has discovered a way to reconnect with  her mum after
work"  With the children breastfeeding their dolls it would be "Isn't that
wonderful, they are learning that mums breastfeed their babies, such play is
actually practicing for the time that they will be parents themselves"
Is the child adopted from institutional care one of those seeking
breastfeeding?? Is she is this may be entirely unrelated to her seeing
breastfeeding because it is pretty common for post-institutionalised adopted
children to seek breastfeeding from their new mum even if they have had no
experience of seeing breastfeeding. I've just had a paper published on this
subject. The abstract is available online
http://apt.allenpress.com/aptonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=1097-8003&volume=019&issue=03&page=0217
Karleen Gribble
Australia

> Nursing mom is a childcare provider to toddlers. She was told by the
> counselor to one of the children's siblings that breastfeeding in front of
> the children is traumatizing them and causing them grief because they are
> young and experiencing their first separation from their mothers.  One of
> the children has recently begun nursing (because of her experince of
> watching the care giver nurse) and the others have varied histories of
being
> nursed, (some have either asked to nurse again or are nursing their dolls)
> some quite briefly, all with some breast time. One child is adopted from
> abroad and spent a year in an orphanage and does have attachment issues
> which the family is actively addressing. I have never looked at this from
> such a perspective. Any ideas?
>

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