My letter to Dr. Laura Schlesinger (radio talk show psychologist)
October 7, 1997

Dear Dr. Laura:
Several weeks ago (I would've written sooner but I'm very busy being my
kids' mom) I was listening to your show when a woman from a
breastfeeding support group called with a question.  Her question was an
ethics question and not relevant here but opened you up to make a casual
remark about your personal breastfeeding experience.  I was dismayed to
hear you say that due to "medical reasons" you only breastfed for a
couple of months and that you were relieved when it ended because "it
was so much easier to bottle-feed".

I don't know what your "medical reasons" were but there are very few
medical reasons to quit brreastfeeding.  Often women hear so many
excuses to give up breastfeeding that they think it is the norm.  The
most disturbing thing to me was your comment that you were relieved and
that feeding your child artificial baby milk from a bottle was so much
easier.  I must ask easier for whom?  Being a self-proclaimed
"hyper-educated" person, surely you are aware of the many benefits of
breastfeeding to babies.  There are few, if any, benefits of
bottle-feeding to babies, only supposed benefits to the parents.

I would think that you would advocate breastfeeding as the normal and
optimal way to feed and bond with babies, especially with your views on
staying at home, and taking full responsibility for the upbringing of
one's own children.  The public's perception of breastfeeding (including
yours, it appears) is very clouded by formula company marketing and loud
excuses to justify giving up on breastfeeding.

People look to you as an example.  Please help promote the Healthy
People 2000 objectives, which include promoting child health through
increasing breastfeeding rates.  Negative attitudes toward breastfeeding
coming from a family advocate such as you only help feed the public
perception that bottle-feeding is equal to breastfeeding.  It is not.
Perhaps you can silence your comments colored by your personal
unfortunate breastfeeding experience and help promote breastfeeding as
best feeding.  Thank you.
Sincerely,
Pamela Metz
Certified Lactation Educator    San Diego, CA