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Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
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Fri, 31 Mar 2000 12:42:27 EST
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In a message dated 03/31/2000 1:44:30 AM Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<
 When I was working with teenagers, I found that breastfeeding gave them
 "ownership" of their baby; this was something that only THEY could do, even
 if grandma was going to be taking over so mom could return to school. This
 aspect often appealed to them. Many, however, not having grown up with BF as
 the norm, could not conceive of the fact that the baby would "do that". If we
 could get into those high school health/child life classes, maybe we could
 get the word out that bf is a normal, healthy process (I know, I am looking
 for that ideal world again).
  >>
Kathy,
I agree that the ownership issue was a very attractive factor in attracting
teen moms.  I have had the pleasure and opportunity to work with the Pregnant
Minors program for some of our local school districts.  Some of those young
moms and moms to be are amazing!  They often come from horribly abusive
backgrounds and we sometimes approach this breastfeeding/parenting busness as
a way to not only provide their child with a better quality of life than they
may have experienced, but to parent themselves through all the nuturing they
give their babies.  It certainly opens up a huge number of issues for
possible disscussion.  One of the great things is that as goes one of these
young moms, so go many of the others and the BF rates of this group are
higher than the county or stae averages by 2:1!  Individual attention really
seems to make major differences.  Now all we need, is to clone all of these
individuals in these programs so everyone who needs them could have access.
That would be, of course, in that perfect world.

Gretchen Andrews, BA, IBCLC
private practice, Redlands, CA, USA

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