Wow, I had no idea that this would set off such a lot of people! Thank you
to all who pointed out how much the book has changed over the years - I
confess that I haven't checked out the newer editions, and I will do so
immediately. And to those of you who pointed out that it's a matter of
"different books for different moms", I couldn't agree more.  (as you may
have noticed, my entire approach towards working with BFing moms could be
summed  up as "different ______________ (whatever) for different
___________(whoever)"). AND, you are also right when you credit WAB with
being the first (and for a long time, only) source for such facts as "baby
doesn't need water or juice", etc...from that point of view, it absolutely
can be seen as being empowering. Especially within the context of the
earlier years of its existence. And indeed, we owe the WAB and LLL a huge
debt of gratitude for both the information and the support it continues to
provide.

All that being true, though, a source that has such a strong
philosophical/ideological position is always going to alienate some people,
including those who have a lot to gain from the wisdom it contains. My own
experience with WAB is a good example; I certainly needed much of the
information in the book (and often not to be found elsewhere), but I felt
utterly DISEMPOWERED by its blithe reassurances that everything would be
just ducky if I would only...The message I got from the book (in 1976) was
that because my baby was not mirroring the contented BF baby described, I
was inadequate in my attempts at mothering. My experience with the book was
sufficiently negative to turn me off to anything LLL had to say for years to
come (much to the detriment of myself and my babies, I will admit now, with
the wisdom of many years and much learning under my belt). I was a new
mother who fully intended to breastfeed, and I didn't need rhapsodizing over
its joys, I needed to know: 1) that I wasn't the only woman who had ever had
a hard time of it, and 2) that babies can be peculiar little creatures, no
matter how well-read and well-intentioned the mama, and 3) there's more than
one way to skin a cat, as we used to say, and 4) what are some of those
other things I could try anyway?

My perspective now is very different than it was then - since now I'm a
"professional" in this field, I obviously cared enough about the whole
breastfeeding thing to not just toss it off and move on, as many of the
women I've worked with do. But the women we work with aren't professionals
in the field, and they don't necessarily have the perpective on the issues
that we do. I have to admit that what motivates me in the work I do is not
an innate zeal for breastfeeding, it is my own living memory of what it felt
like to be that new mother with the best intentions in the world, sitting on
the toilet bawling my head off and trying to poop at 2 AM, utterly
demoralized by this crying baby who didn't seem to know what to do and my
own "failure" to bring his misery and my own breasts (and contents thereof)
under "control".  I know, because I was once that mom I see in front of me
crying, that a doctrinaire approach or all my "politically correct"
convictions about BFing is not going to be what helps her to nurse her baby
the ways she wants to, or empower her as a mother, or soothe her so she'll
be able to get a clearer look at what to do next. What "works" is my
commitment to her and her baby, combined with the knowledge and experience I
can share with her.

I know that "The Womanly Art..." has helped a lot of women, and I'm glad.
But, unfortunately, I also know that a lot of women have been turned off to
LLL, at least partially by that book. Many of the women I worked with at
WIC, for example, would tell me that they didn't want to call LLL with BF
problems, because they "knew" that LLL "was against women working", and what
they needed help with was  getting back to work or school while nsg.  Or
that they were afraid the LLL person they called would "yell at them"
because they weren't exclusively BFing, or the only wanted to nurse for a
few weeks, or whatever. And this despite my strong assurances that the local
LLL women weren't at all like that - a couple of them were even WIC BF peer
counselors.

BUT I LOVE THE BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK! It was the book that WIC Peer
Counselors were given when they completed their training. (The book we used
as a text, by the way, was "Bestfeeding: Getting Breastfeeding Right for
You", by Renfrew, Fisher, and Arms.) Please, please, please understand - I
am NOT bashing LLL!!!

Just my opinion, based on my own experience! And I will check out the latest
edition, I promise!

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY