Dear Friends:

Some mothers have always wanted to be away from the physiologic tasks of
mothering, such as breastfeeding. Breast substitute devices have been found
that are 5,000 years old (tThey are breast shaped, not phallic shaped.)
Sometimes the babies were sent away because their mate wanted lots of
babies, as in the Middle Ages, and if she breastfed, she wouldn't get
pregnant so soon. Sometimes it was for fashion. And sometimes it was because
women didn't want the attachment. So what we are seeing today is nothing
new; it just has a different face and is probably enhanced by
technologically driven birth.

Wasn't there a time in the UK where people put gin in baby bottles to make
the baby sleep? Wasn't one of the reasons some cold medicines are now
proscribed for babies under age 2 is that they were being used to sedate
babies?

I've seen every type of liquid in baby bottles; along with the Kool-Aide,
I've seen iced tea, every kind of soft drink or soda, coffee (with and
without milk) and juice along with various milks and water.

The global economic collapse means that we have to breastfeed. We can't
afford not to breastfeed.

A few days ago, I spent an amazing time with a room full of mothers in the
Welfare to Work program. A big question they had was "how can I be a mom
when I am only with my baby 2 hours a day?"

Being in the program means 30 hours of training a week. This can mean 12
hour days, as public transportation is an arduous and time consuming
process. Most women want their babies on a schedule so the women can do
everything that they need to do in the day. As the official message in my
City is that "bed-sharing kills babies", women are gone all day, have a few
hours in the evening to be with their baby, then put the baby in its crib
for the night.

The way I see it is that safe bed-sharing has to be promoted, so the baby
can spend more time with its mother than with anyone else. Partial
breastfeeding has to be encouraged as many of the entry level jobs
thesewomen will fill barely permit a pee break, much less several breaks to
collect milk.

I wish that women could bring their little babies (at least for the first 6
months) with them to the training. This would be one way to attain exclusive
breastfeeding. I plan to start mentioning this to everyone I see connected
with these programs. In the US, there is a day once a year when one brings
one's child to work, so the child can see what the parent does. I plan to
use this as a template in my work.

These are all temporary measures until legislation pays women to stay home
and breastfeed. Now wouldn't that be a cool idea. "You can receive enough
money to live on if you breastfeed according to the recommended guidelines."
And women could be paid to be milk donors.

Yesterday, on the train to work, I noticed a large (covering most of one
wall) advertisement. "Be a Dreammaker" it said. Be 18 to 30 years old and
donate an egg for another woman to fulfill her dreams of being a mother.
Donors will be paid $8,000 for their time and dedication.

If women can be paid for their eggs, if women can rent their uteruses to
gestate someone else's zygote.............then women should be paid to make
milk.  Animals that are used to provide milk for humans are tested,
vaccinated and monitored for health. There's a template to follow.

The money to pay for monitoring, collection etc. of this milk would come
from the billions and billions of dollars that would be saved in healthcare
costs. In 2002, for example, diabetes cost the US $132 BILLION. That's just
one disease that would be reduced in prevalence. There are plenty of others
that drain resources.

The Prolacta company does a very thorough screening of the milk that they
use, including PCR analysis and testing for 5 drugs of abuse.This company
can't afford any mistakes, and their practice could be a model for mothers
that are licensed milk providers.

It would be far cheaper to pay women to be certified milk donors so they
could stay home and be mothers while improving the health of the nation.
There would be plenty of mothers and families happy to buy this milk.

I bet this could happen.

warmly,

Nikki Lee RN, BSN, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI
craniosacral therapy practitioner
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com
www.myspace.com/adonicalee

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