I am having a difficult time understanding all of the comments about
babies not being welcome at BF
conferences.  I see those of us in the field of lactation as bearing
responsibilty for setting trends in supporting, promoting and
protecting breastfeeding. If we believe that exclusive breastfeeding
and demand feeding is ideal, why would we prohibit breastfeeding
babies at breastfeeding conferences? We need to teach what we preach
and if we are saying that breast is best, we need to provide the
behavioral evidence that backs it up!  Are we to say breast is best
EXCEPT when adult professionals are learning about breastfeeding? Do
we say that we support breastfeeding everywhere except at
breastfeeding conferences where adults need to listen and learn? Do
we protect breastfeeding in the halls, but not in the audience? Do we
promote breastfeeding and the rights of breastfeeding mothers and
babies as long as they don't interfere with our ability to hear what
the speaker has to say? Where do the rights of participants end and
the rights of mothers and babies began? Are we disseminating the
message that human milk is important, but breastfeeding is not?  Are
we not setting the example for society to follow in building baby
friendly communities?

I had the opportunity to hear an eloquent Hmong refuge named May Vang
speak about breastfeeding.  She said that she had breastfed her
children in Cambodia, but bottlefed her first two in the US.
When asked why she didn't breastfeed, she responded that she never
SAW anyone breastfeed in the US and thought it just wasn't done.  She
is now a breastfeeding Peer Counselor and her message is about our
need to provide evidence of breastfeeding in this country.  We need
to do it, we need to see it, we need to talk about it and we need to
welcome it wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

I can only imagine that the ABM manufacturers are rolling on the
floor laughing everytime they see that nursing babies over 2-3 months
aren't welcome at breastfeeding conferences. This mixed message can
hurt our cause.

I believe it is our challenge as breastfeeding professionals to find
a way to welcome all nursing children at our conference and to trust
their mothers to know whether or not they need to be with her and we

need to set the example for tolerance and take personal responsibilty
to step out when the noise or activity level are distracting others.
I have seen this work and believe it can work anywhere with
appropriate attitudes and behavior to back it up. How can we ever be
taken seriously about the importance of our message regarding the
value of breastfeeding if we are shutting our doors to breastfeeding
mothers and babies?

Cathy Liles, IBCLC