Karleen writes: <<the question I was asking was not whether well educated women are less likely to breastfeed because they are not. But rather whether well educated professional women who are used to maintaining control over their lives might have difficulty adjusting to 'going with the flow' of breastfeeding and motherhood in general. I have heard that women who have experienced invasive infertility treatments might also have the same issues in addition to having experienced loss in confidence in their body. Karleen, I think I understand the question. If you're asking anecdotally, I can tell you I've observed this myself, I've heard mothers discuss it at support meetings, and (my personal favorite) I've had countless grandmothers call me to report this observation of their daughters & daughters-in-law. The grandmothers are, of course, the most on target. Apparently there is much wisdom to be gained in living the course of your life fully. :~) The grandmothers say the women are worried, frantic, impatient and need to relax & trust themselves. They also tell me they know they must stay out of it for fear of making things worse. Mothers at LLL meetings say in their "other" professional lives they are told they must think linearly or "like a man" to succeed. As nursing mothers they feel more successful when they follow their instincts and each other. Some of them call LLL their new "professional" organization. The women who most fit the profile you describe are least likely to attend a community meeting for nursing mothers. They will call me under my business name & want an appt. or they will call me through LLL & ask for an LC referral. Often they are more interested in giving me information than in receiving information. (Not information to help me help them, a lactation lecture!) This takes tact because my gut feeling is the caller is upset to be in the position of asking for help. She wants me to know she's done her homework, she knows x,y, & z, she's consulted with 1,2,3, and no one has ever heard of her problem. (Yet her problem may simply be lack of understanding of normal newborn nursing patterns or perceived insufficient milk syndrome.) I've also noticed that many expectant mothers who are expecting as a result of intervention often expect more intervention. And they get it. This is not true of all, of course. In fact, I'd like to think I'm observing a new trend: Mothers who take back their bodies after achieving pregnancy. Overall, it seems more women are breastfeeding here in the US, and breastfeeding longer. I would credit the growth of the lactation profession but particularly its LLL roots; the AAP statement; and the media for picking up on the first two. Susan Johnson MFA, IBCLC "Well-behaved women never made history." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html