To be honest, not breastfeeding never entered my mind.  I am one of those
very fortunate people who have a total family history of breastfeeding.  My
mother breastfed me for 4 mos (54), had way too much milk, so a kind
pharmacist gave her something to dry her up, and she didn't know she could
keep bf and build milk supply.  My brother was bf for 7-9 mos.  My
grandmother bf 4 of 5 children, all her kids were 'naturally' spaced.  Both
great grandmothers bf all 9 of their children - long term.  My grandfathers'
mother bf her last 2 until 6 or 7 YEARS old, and rumor has it that there is a
photo somewhere of her tandem nursing a 3 yr old, standing beside her chair
and nursing, while she is cradling a 3 week old nursing at the other breast.
 I haven't managed to track it down, but will if it takes the rest of my
life!!  I remember when I was little all my aunts, and family friends nursing
their babies (I thought it very odd, when my mother's foster sister went and
hid in a back bedroom to nurse - I asked why she was hiding!)  My mom tells
of a holiday family get together when my brother was tiny, and she was eating
while another nursing mother was nursing her baby, and when my brother woke
crying & hungry, the other mother said, Oh Betty, finish your meal, I'll just
nurse them both - this was on my brother's father's side of the family - no
hx of cross nursing on my mom's side)  Kathy Dettwyler, this tidbit might be
of interest to you, my aunt, who was the only child my grandmother did not bf
for more than a couple days, also chose not to breastfeed - she didn't want
to ruin her shape, and wanted to 'have her own time'., is the only one in the
family who developed breast cancer, and this happened her early 30's, and she
had a double, radical mastectomy.   Seems pretty obvious to me  . . . . . .
I'll let you all draw your own conclusions.
Oh yes, when someome suggested during my pregnancy that I at least consider
bottlefeeding, I thought of it for all of about 2 seconds, and decided there
was no way I was going to voluntarily produce more dishes to wash, and more
work for myself!!!
(BTW it was my grandmother who first talked to me about the family bed, that
too was a family tradition, but I'd never actually thought about it!)

Kathe Catone
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