1) In ~1967 when I was ~12yo I saw the teenage wife of my young cousin  
breastfeed her new baby in the back seat of a car in a park, ...she was a hippy  
and I was a hippy wannabe so, it was set in my mind forever more that  
breastfeeding was the cool way to feed a baby.
 
2) as a young pediatric nurse I saw post-op babies breastfeed on the units  
and in PICU. Those babies did so much better recovering and recuperating.  
Subsequently as a mother-baby nurse saw and helped many on the units.
 
3) when I was a young nurse working evenings in PICU a scrawnie  sick baby of 
about three weeks old was abandoned in the unit, pulmonary problems  and FTT, 
...the image in my mind even now is of a pitifully crying baby  alone in a 
crib in the dark, the large window of the room looking down on the  lonely 
streets illuminated by the glowing lights of the city abandoned during  the dead of 
night, ...we held the mournful baby when we could, and when we  did she would 
calm and we could see the slight little hope of a twinkle in  her hollowed 
eyes. She did not have a name so we called her  Twinkle.
 
Over the next many days we tried every formula readily available and  special 
ordered, but the baby could not tolerate any of these concoctions and  
continued with severe FTT. Finally, desperately, we decided to  try breastmilk. 
 
This was way before milk banks so we called LLL. The moms brought milk to  
the hospital, it was stored in the deep freezer far far away in the basement. We 
 would regularly send an aide to fetch milk and the baby drank and calmed  
and gained and grew. The LLL moms also donated cloths for the baby. Twinkle  was 
eventually moved out of PICU and gradually out of our busy young  lives.
 
Years later I was in that city visiting that hospital and my PICU friend  who 
still worked there. We were walking down a hallway off the lobby. A lovely  
lady and smiling rosy-cheeked young girl passed by us happily chatting 
together,  leaning towards each other as they walked. My friend leaned in toward me to 
 whisper - "you know who that is" ...."no" I said without a clue, my friend  
leaned in closer to whisper "that's Twinkle." I was shocked and speechless and 
 in awe and deeply grateful to have seen her so robust and happy.
 
I came to find out that day that Twinkle had been adopted following her  stay 
in PICU. Her new family had given her a new name and  a loving home. She and 
her mom were at the hospital making a routine visit  to the pulmonary clinic. 
By all accounts her pulmonary issues were being well  managed, she was active 
with a normal lifestyle for her age, and happy enjoying  life.
 
That's how I learned to breastfeed.
 
And those experiences lead me to became an LC. Next recert will  be 20yr but 
on a "break" from LC work for last 3+ years.

Debbie Tobin
Daniel's Mom, WSHS Class of 2009,-->TBA soon
_Steven_ 
(http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1553008262291212972&ei=8KdBSZ-7I4igqgKJ45Fv&q=volscars&hl=en) 's  Mom, _WSHS_ 
(http://www.dyestat.com/3state/VA/3xc/statemeet.htm)   Class of 2004,-->_UT Student  Athlete_ 
(http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/tobin_steve00.html) 
Deanna's Mom, WSHS Class of 2001,-->VT-->_GMU_ (http://www.gmu.edu/) 

Fairfax County, Virginia  suburbs outside the Washington DC beltway
**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy 
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