Debbi and I have not worked together for many years...and still our minds
work as one!

"To me, that's taking all the motherly love & bonding out of the equation
and just focusing on a product---which is a body fluid---which plays back
into emphasizing the yuk factor."

Despite the fact that I "know" that I "must" continue to provide
"evidence-based" information when I give presentations to nurses,
administrators, doctors, even parents...

...I totally agree "we're missing the point!" 

We are missing the point that breast MILK isn't what is best for babies -
breastFEEDING is what babies THRIVE ON!  Everything else is second-best. 

Not only that, it's exhausting to continue to fight the fight of whether
breast MILK provides xxx% or YYY % of "benefit" or "reduced risk" as if
quantifying it in those terms would make it "MORE" better...

...and so WHAT (sorry, it's late at night and my impatience is wearing thin,
so I'm not being as eloquent and tasteful as other writers) if breast MILK
isn't PROTECTIVE of EVERY SINGLE ILLNESS ON EARTH...as some would like to
believe.

BREASTFEEDING is the way human infants were meant to be fed - good mothering
through breastfeeding is what attracted me to change my entire set of
priorities and become the mother I became.  It was NOT the "liquid" I was
giving my babies, but the PROCESS of giving it to them that changed me!

I realize that this may not be possible for some women, just like walking
may not be possible for some people, seeing for others, some people are
color blind (like my son...breastfeeding didn't prevent THAT - but that
didn't mean breast milk FAILED him!)...

We have allowed ourselves to get carried away to the point where we are on
the defensive at every turn!
 - but working mothers can't
 - but adoptive mothers can't
 - but drug using mothers can't 
 - but ...fill in the blank

Does this diminish the value, importance of the PROCESS as well as the
liquid?  Does this diminish the value of the liquid when the process is not
possible? 

Sorry...just had to get this off my chest!

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA

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