Tony wrote:
"Some women will fail [and yes I know they need not, but in the real
world it happens]. How do we then support them if we have previously
told
them that formula will scar them even if we cannot see the damage."

This is a real question, and one that I think we should all think about.
When mothers who gave birth in the 70s tell me they tried to breastfeed
but didn't have enough milk, I tell them it is so sad they didn't have
the help and support they needed. When women who gave birth in 80s tell
me they wanted to breastfeed and they couldn't get their babies to latch
properly, I tell them it is too bad they didn't have the help and
support they needed. When women who gave birth in the 90s and the new
millennium tell me they started breastfeeding and stopped earlier they
planned, I tell them it is unfair they didn't have the help and support
they needed.
As one of the mothers who failed to reach my own goals, knowing that
formula was poison was *not* a problem. Having people tell me it didn't
matter that I was giving formula was a problem. It did matter, and I
needed support in overcoming the obstacles to breastfeeding, and I did
get that help from the same people who had educated me on the risks. How
would they have given me that support if they believed that there was no
significant difference? Why would they have cared if I breastfed or not?
How would they have empathized with my feelings that I was in a horrible
situation, if they didn't believe it was so horrible?
Jo-Anne

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