Dear Friends: The nurse-in outside ABC studios has made many people think and talk. I agree with Merewyn and her comments about how crazy things are here in the USA where breasts are used to sell everything, from beer to toothpaste to cars. Jennifer Lopez appeared at some national awards ceremony a few years ago in a sheer dress held together with sticky tape, and that is fine. But if some mother nurtures her baby in public, people are 'uncomfortable' and equate caring for a baby with elimination of bodily wastes. The US is truly unique in the world for its discomfort with the basic function of breasts. A nurse that I have worked with called me last week. She pumps at work in a major local hospital; she uses an expensive pump that looks like a black pocketbook, and keeps it in the nurse's lounge. She has been asked by other nurses to cover up that 'revolting' piece of equipment; apparently just seeing the pump is enough to make some nurses 'uncomfortable'. She asked me what to do. I suggested she call the lactation consultant at the local health department for some organizational support; she has already spoken to the head of human resources at the hospital. Meanwhile, has anyone noticed the latest trend to squish breasts into low cut, tight bodices? So not only is their natural function obscured, but so is their natural shape. warmly, Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE Maternal-Child Adjunct Faculty Union Institute and University Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human Lactation Support the WHO Code and the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html