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Subject:
From:
Lucy Towbin <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 11 Jan 1999 13:28:25 -0600
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I would like to reintroduce myself briefly after being off Lactnet for
about two years (having moved, remarried, changed jobs and had a third
child in that time period).  I am a social worker and IBCLC at  Arkansas
Department of Health, working in the state office and in maternity clinics
with nurse midwives and OB/Gyn residents.  I have three children, breastfed
the first two much longer than the US average and am still nursing #3 at 18
months.

About the discussion about LLL and the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.  I
feel experienced from both points of view.  My introduction to
breastfeeding (other than my mother breastfeeding all four of us) was with
my first child 13 years ago, reading WAB and attending La Leche League
meetings.  One of my best friends is a LLLI leader and I keep in touch with
other leaders in town.  I think LLLI philosophy in general is the gold
standard, the ideal I wish I could convince everyone I have contact with to
endorse and live.  However, having worked with low income women as a social
worker and lactation consultant for some years now, I have had to modify my
approach in order to reach more people.  For example, thirteen years ago I
would never have mentioned formula as okay for a woman going back to work.
 I would have promoted pumping as the only option.  Now, I always say
something like "if you don't want to pump or are  unable to at work, the
baby can have formula while you're gone and you can breastfeed when you get
home." Some women don't realize they can do this and assume they have to
quit breastfeeding when they go to work.  They think you can't "mix" the
two. Although there is some small chance that someone who would have pumped
will use formula because of what I say, I think there are many more that
would have just quit breastfeeding completely.

I used to promote LLLI meetings as a support system to the women in the
clinic where I work.  None of them ever went. Yes, for whatever reasons,
LLLI does have the reputation of being "extreme" and "white upper/middle
class." In the same way, if I handed out copies of WAB to many of the women
in the clinic, they would probably react as Cathy Barger did.  First of
all, they would be overwhelmed by the amount of information and think that
if it is that complicated they probably can't do it. I got negative/guilt
messages about working myself when I went to meetings (like when a leader
brought up a three year old that was having behavioral problems and said
"of course her mother works and we know how that must contribute to the
situation") but it was still worth it to me to go because I agreed so much
with everything else that was said. Some people less secure could be turned
off more by such comments.

BUT no group/book can meet the needs of all people!  So I would hate for
LLLI to compromise too far in either their meetings or their book just so
that they don't turn anybody off to breastfeeding.  They were once the only
source in many areas, but not any more.  So I agree with the different
strokes for different folks comment.

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