LLL is going through a low leader group phase in my area (one L and a LR(me), one active group down from 9+ and three groups a few years ago).I had talkeed in the weekend with the other leader who was  abit despondent we weren't doing more for WBW and commented that we can only do as much as we can back up. I feel quite strongly that breastfeeding promotion MUST be backed up with good breastfeeding support. But I guess I was a little sad too. Anyway I was out shopping with my seven month old and to cut a long story short decided to feed him in a mother's room (comfort and efficency - it was close by and I was running late) BTW the main  reason I identified the room was it was sporting a LLLNZ mothers room notice from WBW three yeasr ago! When I went in it was already occupied by two women and a baby - one trying to work out how to use the bottle warmer. these women were clearly members of one of our small refugee communities - one had very little English, the other the baby's mother translated for her during our conversation. I helped them a little with deciphering the bottle warmer instructions and satdown to feed Jonathan who was suddenly more interested in these women with their interesting accents and headdresses. The non-english speaker laughed and commented - the translation being "its us talking we need to be quiet". The mother sat down with the bottle and baby who promptly refused it. After a minute or so she sighed looked at me feeding, put the bottle down and...lifted her shirt. Her little boy snuggled in and nursed! She said "I just cant teach him to take this bottle" I responded that he looked like he was thriving on what he was getting. We talked a little more about our babies/families , both she and her friend were impressed I had five children! Then i commented that my older children didn't ever have a bottle they just started drinking out of a cup at about seven months. She was really excited - obviously she had got the message that babies drunk out of bottles in public in NZ and she had been trying to do the "right thing". To hear an expereinced NZ mother provide some alternatives was obviously very affirming for her. As I left I was feeling affirmed too - that breastfeeding culture is as much about one mother sitting talking to another as promotional displays at the library. (Which I already knew but its good to be reminded).
Sonja (who normally has an interesting magazine and orders a latte at a cafe when her starving infant demands attention!) 

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