Dawn says:

<<One of the funniest - and apparently most memorable! -- things I heard
at the Lamaze conference was an offhand remark from Teri Schelling. She
teaches a great workshop on teaching games and at some point said, "Oh
yeah, but if knowing information could change behavior, I wouldn't need
to lose fifty pounds.">>

Dawn, this is great -- and oh, so very true.  And it struck me that one of
the things we are battling in the breastfeeding "war" may be this very issue.
Breastfeeding, unlike car seats, bike helmets, vaccinations, etc etc, involves
a commitment on the part of the mother each day, every day, 8 or more times a
day.  While it is a health issue for our children (and ourselves), it is also
a significant lifestyle issue.  Not unlike changing our eating habits.  We
have been innundated with messages about fat....from scare tactics of what fat is
going to do to our health to the positive messages of "I lost a gazillion
pounds and look at me now!"  We can blame the ease of fast (fat) food, as well as
the marketing of Mickey D's on the growing obesity of America -- just as we
can blame the ease of formula and the marketing of bunnies & bears on the
pathetically low rates of breastfeeding beyond the first couple of weeks.

It strikes me that initiating breastfeeding is not unlike what many of us
will be doing on Friday -- starting a "diet" yet again.  (me, me -- she waves her
hand wildly in the air!!).  But how many of us fall off the diet wagon,
knowing full well we should continue eating in a healthy manner -- rather quickly.
We KNOW, but we don't do what we know we should do.  And do we feel "guilty?"
 Oh, yes -- briefly -- but dang, that hot buttered popcorn tastes SO
good....and it's just a little eensy, weensy bite of cheesecake....

So my point?  How many women fall off the breastfeeding bandwagon early on
because just one bottle was so easy -- and the nipples hurt -- and the baby
sleeps so much better on formula -- and someone else can feed her -- and, and,
and....  And do we feel guilty?  Yes, but only for a moment.

So when we get discouraged about women stopping breastfeeding earlier than we
would have, or for reasons that would never occur to us, let's just think
about the fattening of America, and think about the number of times we
(collectively) have fallen off the diet wagon (or whatever our particular wagon is), and
think about what information could make me change MY behavior?

For me, it doesn't seem to matter that I know a lot about cholesterol and
triglycerides and extra weight....it doesn't seem to matter that I remember slim
and how good it felt -- or that I know that nothing tastes as good as slender
feels.  I know all the positives and all the negatives -- so why is losing
weight and keeping it off so difficult?

Why is continuing breastfeeding so difficult?  What kind of marketing do we
need to do to *convince* women that they should continue?

I'm not sure this made any sense -- but it is early in the morning of New
Year's Eve day....

A Happy New Year to all -- and may you all be able to stick to whatever
resolutions you have made for 2004!

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, RLC
Wheaton, Illinois
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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