Sometimes, with the glacial pace it takes, we forget just how much progress
we've made.  I was looking through my log book from about 10 years ago, and
ran across an exchange from a nearby city between a mother who was asked by
a nurse not to breastfeed in a pediatrician's waiting room, and the
pediatrician himself:
  "Is there a policy about breastfeeding here?"
  "Yes, there is.  No breastfeeding in the waiting room."
  "But it's a natural thing!"
  "So is making love, but I don't want it happening in my waiting room."

First of all, I can't imagine the pediatrician nowadays who would be so
politically unsavvy as to make public remarks like those, at least not in
our area.  And second, I can't imagine the pediatrician who would feel that
way even privately, at least not in our area.  He might be uncomfortable,
but he wouldn't be disgusted.  While I was shocked at the time, I'd be
utterly blown away by it today.  Yes, we're making progress, and we really
are bringing all of society along with us as we go.  It's just not as fast
as we'd like, which makes it hard to see.  Maybe I need to spend more time
comparing today with ten years ago, and less time trying to compare with
last month.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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