I would like to add that just like teens who don't appreciate scare tactics
when being discouraged from drug use and are put off by overstatement of
risks, using the risk-based language with new moms can back fire in the
sense that it can appear that we're overstating the risks for the sake of
scaring moms to breastfeed. The social marketing approach, which focuses
more on the benefits of breastfeeding to mom (much along the lines of the
other current thread about the emotional joys of breastfeeding), seems to me
a more effective approach than the focus on potential risks. Even a
"selfish" mother might be inclined to breastfeed if she understood how much
easier it could make her life as a mom. 

That said, I of course recognize the many difficulties moms face when they
do want to breastfeed. My group is about to pilot a workshop for new moms on
"overcoming the social and cultural obstacles to breastfeeding," with tips
on coping with objections to breastfeeding from family (particularly dad and
grandma), the general public, and employers. Does anyone else here address
these issues in childbirth classes/new moms groups? We will be addressing a
new moms group, though I wonder if it would be more effective to address
these issues with moms before their babies arrive. 

Chris Musser
Mom's Milk Anywhere
Portland, Oregon

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