I have asked myself this for years (28) and my answer is mixed. I was left
by my parents in the care of grandparents from age 7 to 11.  After that I
was not very close to my family of origin.  I, however, continued to find
"Mothers" wherever I could.  One of the great ones was Aunt Erma.  She
breastfed her baby and I was her "doula", at age 12.  Her baby was colicky
and the ped said her milk was bad and she must wean immediately. I nursed
her through 24 hours of terrible mastitis. She was so disappointed.

Then the second great "Mother" was Judy Greene, wife of a college advisor.
And she breastfed her babies and went to a group called La Leche League in
Raleigh, N.C. This was in 1961.

These wonderful mentors, both of whom enjoyed mothering, inspired me to
choose to breastfeed in 1968, when it not only wasn't encouraged, but
downright frowned upon.  I found a LLL group, later became a leader, and
missed few monthly meetings until I went on reserve in '94.

I believe, however, that another factor was rejection of my mother and
sister.  What could I do to be opposite them?  I basked in their judgement
and warnings for a long time. I gloated when my second child walked before
she began solid foods.  My attitude wasn't too admirable, was it? But it
surely helped get me through some rough beginnings.

I'm sure that Aunt Erma and Judy didn't know that my seeing their babies at
their breasts spoke to my budding "Mother" and gave me to courage to follow
my inner wisdom.  Ohhh, what I would have missed!!!

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee