Pamela,

I'm trying to put some words together to respond to your post. It's a very interesting topic and one that is dear to my heart. Now all I need are the words which can express my thoughts as clearly as I can.

You may know from the past Pamela that I will not agree with all you say, so if I disagree with you it is not a personal response, but a response to policies or suggestions mooted.

Your reference to 'mothers who 'can' breastfeed, but choose not to' was a phrase that jumped out at me. I will use the word decision, rather than choice: it is the one used in the NCT feeding policy, and in this context it appears less emotive to me. I wonder how free are mothers' feeding decisions? They may feel they are making a free choice, but as we all know, they are not. Their decisions/ choices have been influenced by the experience of all those around them, not to mention the advertising the yhave been subjected to for years. Hoddinott (can't remember the reference) noted that mothers were often aware of the health implications of breastfeeding, but expressed it in such a way that it appeared very remote from them.

I guess I find that statement quite judgemental, and I suspect if one of those You Are What You Eat people told me to chuck out all the food in my fridge and replace it with lentils for my own health and that of my family I would dismiss it. I'm a meat and two veg girl, and lentils are jsut too remote for me - no disrespect for those whose diet consists of lentils of course. In the same way breastfeeding can remain very remote from some women's experience.

Yes, mothers who have decided not to breastfeed should be supported so that their formula feeding should be done as safely as possible.

Another thing which impacts on breastfeeding decisions is the birth. I am truly weary of hearing of mothers being bullied during labour and birth, with subsequent tears being belittled by, "Look it's only an allergic reaction". If a mother's belief in her body to give birth  has been so undermined by this kind of approach, then how can she believe in the efficacy of her body to feed the baby?

In sum there are many outside negative influences on mothers' decisions to breastfeed or not. some of those negative influencers may even be our own colleagues. Honour mothers by all means. By honouring them we may keep them onside so that  the yremain more open to our influence.

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