Nancy's post a few days ago (I'm behind in my Lactnet reading, as usual) on
encouraging teen mothers to breastfeed AND continue their education jumped
out at me. I've always thought it was patently ridiculous to expect a young
mother to handle the pressures of motherhood and then go back to school soon
after the baby's birth. It makes sense to me that they get their mothering
and breastfeeding established before trying something as huge as going to
school.

 In our town, we at least have a very humane approach to this--there is an
"outreach campus" on the high school's grounds. At-risk kids go there and do
correspondence courses at the rate they can handle and also may attend
classes at the high school. There is a teacher-supervisor when assistance is
required. This year they added a children's room where mothers can nurse,
babies can play, nap etc. The students take turns looking after each other's
children while the mothers go to class or work on their correspondence.
Seems to be working well and there's at least one nursing mum there. The
principal of the high school notes that the atmosphere over there has
changed since the babies started coming to school--less swearing, music is
kept quieter, etc. Also gives the kids the kind of support to stay close to
their babies that is sorely lacking in this western world.

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