>>>>>>>>Is it going to be useful to this mother to learn that, in addition
to having an ignorant receptionist treating her dismally, she is being
slagged off for not feeling up to top-notch self-defense behaviour on the
spur of the moment????  As a mother-support worker, my job would be to meet
the mother where she *is* and address her needs.>>>>>>>>>>.

This is not a forum for the mom we're talking about, it's for people who
*do* support these moms. Sometimes gently educating them that they do have a
right to stand up for themselves *is* meeting them where they are.  I
seriously doubt that anyone on this list would approach this mother in the
way we discuss the situation on the list. We would also be speaking with the
woman and more able to discern how to disseminate that information to suit
her needs and her personality. No one here has said that the nurse was
right. She was downright rude and unprofessional, no matter what the
situation was, breastfeeding or otherwise. It *is* important for the woman
to be supported enough to know that she can indeed standup for herself and
her baby. It is wonderful that the dad wishes to stand up for his family.
Bravo! We need a lot more of those men! Is this usually as effective as
giving the mom the tools to do it? It creates a wonderful bonding between
husband and wife but may not, in the end, be as effective as a face to face
approach.  What happens next time? In the information from her email, there
isn't anything to indicate that this mom was beginning to formulate how she
might handle the situation differently in the future. Even the meek need to
learn and can learn to tell people how they wish to be treated, and they
make some of the best advocates on earth once they do.

Lorri Centineo
Portland, Maine

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