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Subject:
From:
Dianne Oliver <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 19 Sep 2005 16:41:57 -0700
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Hi Stacey,

I attach my response to Christine Flowers.  I emailed it to her and to the 
editor at the Daily News: [log in to unmask]
___________________________________________________________

Dear Christine,

Needless to say, you have every right to your opinion.  And, despite the 
fact that you maligned two of my favorite subjects in the world, 
breastfeeding AND Michael Moore, I got a bit of a kick out of your humor.

I've got to tell you, though, that your opinion that mothers should not be 
allowed to breastfeed wherever they choose really flies in the face of good 
mothering and good sense.

First of all, a mother doesn't breastfeed wherever she chooses; she 
breastfeeds whenever and wherever her baby chooses.  When a baby needs to 
eat, a baby needs to eat.  Looking around for a restroom that would be 
aesthetically- pleasing enough for a sit-down meal is not in the cards when 
a baby needs to eat, and "those other public places specifically designated 
for the purpose" that you mention?  Except for the rare dressing room in a 
rare department store, I really haven't seen too many of these in my 
travels with my children when they were breastfeeding. And, even if they 
did exist at every turn, I don't see any reason to make use of them.  I 
breastfeed unobtrusively.  For all you or anyone else would know, my baby 
is resting in my arms. Surely that isn't an unsettling sight. When you 
speak of bared breasts making some people uncomfortable, I couldn't help 
but wonder what problem made your client seek your legal counsel!

Expressing milk from my breasts with a breast pump at home so that I can 
take it in a bottle to feed my child breast milk in public is just not 
something that makes any sense at all.  First of all, I don't own a breast 
pump, and I'm not inclined to buy one for this purpose.  Secondly, there is 
more to breastfeeding than the breast milk itself, and I am not going to 
deprive my child of the comfort and security of breastfeeding for the 
alleged comfort of some person whom I don't even know.  Also, spending time 
at home pumping my milk, purchasing and cleaning bottles and artificial 
nipples, carrying the bottles around with me when I'm out with my 
child?  WAY too much work for me!

You mentioned society being spared the sight of a human Playtex nurser if a 
mom brings a bottle of expressed breast milk out in public to feed her 
child.  Whew, the twisted logic in this statement almost boggles my 
mind.  I mean, since when does a Playtex bottle become the archetype of 
baby feeding?  Certainly you understand that it is the other way around... 
That is, society can be spared the sight of an artificial Playtex nurser 
when moms breastfeed their babies in public!

Sincerely,

Dianne E. Oliver
2197 Hietter Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93063
805-582-2058



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Holistic Lactation
805-582-2058
www.holisticlactation.com

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