Hi Kerri,

I have a few ideas and please forgive me as some of these are definitely
stolen from resources I now don't remember (speak up if it came from a book
you know (or wrote LOL), please!)

-You might already be doing this, but when you talk about humans as mammals,
it's important to distinguish the different *kinds* of mammals.  Many
Western parents think (or desire) to be a mammal with a litter (feed baby,
then leave baby alone for hours, come back and feed baby).  However, our
babies are designed to be ON OUR BODIES (think monkeys!) due to the kind of
milk we produce (low in satiating fat) and the complex social skills
necessary for successful and happy human adulthood.

-I have a vague memory of a Michel Odent book starting this way, but
basically you could have the class close their eyes and take them through a
"sense memory" of sorts of what it's like to be in the womb and then birthed
and cared for appropriately by mom (or the inverse...)  You'd have to script
this well for it to work : )

-I'm not sure who your audience is, but if you wanted to get a little wacky
you could have them partner up (ideal if they are couples) and then swaddle
one partner and leave her lying on the floor for a few minutes alone (you'd
just need a piece of fabric for each couple).  Then have each couple hug (a
full body hug) for a few minutes (it would be awkward at first, so you need
a bit of time for the bodies to meld into each other).  This may be way too
intimate for your average  breastfeeding class, but it might be quite
enlightening for your students if done right.

-I love this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zga_mW9vqnE  It's
actually a babywearing advocacy film (and in Norwegian, I believe), but it's
quite brilliant to see the baby's change of perspective from stroller to
mama's back and might provide an "aha" for some in terms of keeping baby
close rather than using a bouncy seat/stroller/swing all of the time.

I feel your pain!  My least favorite thing to see is a newborn in a
stroller.  Worse yet, a newborn in a stroller with a ready-to-use 2oz
formula bottle propped into her mouth : ((((((((((((((((((

Good luck and let us know if anything seems to work!

Jessica Claire
LLLL in Los Angeles

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome