I would just like to comment on the current discussion re: babies attending
professional conferences.  I too have taken a very young nursing baby to a
conference.  But we have to realize that when things start to approach a
certain level of professionalism that even "happy baby noises" become very
distracting.  And anyone who would think that a speaker would resent someone
with a baby in the audience is not getting the point.  Hospitals, etc pay
professional (there's that word again) speakers lots of money to present
programs.  People spend lots of money, sometimes their own and sometime their
employer's to travel and attend.  If the conference is being taped, any
accessory noises are very distracting and apparent on the tape. Babies are
only little once, conferences take place periodically so there will always be
another one.  Let's not get militant about something that makes sense.  Once
your baby is old enough to be left behind for a few hours or brought in for a
feeding, you will understand how others feel.  One idea is to take a room at
the conference hotel for the sitter and baby to play happily and you can go
up and nurse privately at the breaks.  Hope these ideas are helpful.
Mary Kay Smith, CLE, IBCLC