Anytime I start to get down on women who bottle-feed (in my mind, only--I'm
extremely diplomatic in real life<g>), I remind myself of the many variables
in women's lives that may make it difficult, even impossible, for them to
choose breastfeeding. The one that I always use as an example is of a woman
who has been sexually abused and cannot stand the thought of any contact
with her breasts. It's quite possible that using her breasts for a nurturing
purpose could help her overcome this aversion, but it's a huge leap to get
to the point of choosing to put herself through the ordeal (or what she
feels may be an ordeal) to nurse a baby. I'm constantly cautioning gung-ho
nursing mothers to be careful of the feelings of women who are not
breastfeeding because they usually won't know just why they are not
breastfeeding (some of them may have worked at it for weeks, others may have
adopted). I don't want to see women who are bottle-feeding treated the way
breastfeeding women were (and still are in some places) and be xpected to go
away to do their" dirty deed." I feel women need to support women, and
condemning someone for not breastfeeding isn't a good way to do this. I'm
personally very grossed out by bottle-feeding, but I work very hard to
ensure this never gets across to anyone I'm working with or in contact with
socially.


Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, BEd, IBCLC
Peace River Breastfeeding Clinic
Peace River Alberta, Canada