I've been catching up on digests for a few days and felt I needed to respond to the church nursing issue. Please encourage mothers to nurse their babies in church (also the mall, restaurant, and other public places)!!! My daughter is watching! I feel frustrated that after three wonderful sons, our family ended with my daughter who will never have the benefit of seeing her mother go through a pregnancy or breastfeed. We have chosen a church which is baby friendly because ,even though we had older kids, we felt that attitude was important in how our children would manage as parents. I also try to mention this opinion to mothers in our congregation who may not hear enough support and encouragment. One sunday my twelve year old son was helping in the nursery and one of the women who sings often in our church took breaks between services to nurse her toddler. He was so excited to tell me, emphasing the fact that even though she was so important to the congregation, she took time to visit her daughter and nurse her. Later that week, I happened to see this woman and mentioned that it was my son who had been helping in the nursery and that he had noticed her nursing. Immediately she became very embarassed - she was under the impression that I was upset that she had nursed in front of my son! It took several minutes of explanation before she relaxed and understood he(and his mother)was impressed only in the most positive way. I was interested in the post about the chance of tandem nursing creating more of a problem with oversupply- the only child of mine that was a thumbsucker was born when his three year old brother was still nursing several times a day. As I remember- he started thumbsucking after his brother stopped nursing. He continued until 8 years or so despite nursing for 2.5. I realize this is an old topic but I had to put in my $.02 about chicken pox. Not one of my 4 children has come down with them (now ages 9-17). They have been repeatedly exposed, often on purpose . This year I gave up and will probably have the older two immunized. My co leader in LLL had two sons that both came down with them at sixteen but two years apart. Maybe it's something in our water? Debby Kearney IBCLC private practice in sunny Orlando!