Having been a conference coordinator here in my state of Vermont...for
VLCA....for two years running..I would like to comment.

I agree emphatically with Barbara Clay...the only anxiety produced by happy
baby noises at conferences is the drop dead looks from other women...to the
mothers with the babies.

Barbara says

  I make the announcement at every event I speak at that I
am very experienced (by virtue of my exper. as a mom) at concentrating during
and talking over any kind of kid-noise there is.  I genuinely don't care.
 What makes me anxious is all the bad vibes shot at the mother whose kid is
doing whatever, and the tension I feel when others are glaring and humpphing
about the lack of consideration and the how dare she.....So I guess there has
to be someone who acts as a tactful and gentle usher asking really disruptive
couples to leave if everyone is going nuts.  As for the rest of us, I see our
mission as including ways to make the world a more welcoming and inclusive
place for kids.  I hate age segregation -- it de-humanizes us all, and limits
our learning.  My own employment policy is that my kids, and my employees
kids are welcome in our office. Occasionally it is inconvenient,  but we get
over it.
Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC

Barbara...you are so so right..in my opinion.  I was blessed to work with
women on VLCA conf committee who also believed that it was wrong to glare,
harumph, shoot bad vibes, and segregate women of child bearing years and
circumstances.  Mothers and babies is what we are about..and if someone
cannot tolerate happy baby noises, I say too bad.

Women are punished and segregated enough in our society when they have
children. You can't even find a decent restaurant here with a changing
table...and people give you the drop dead look if you change them on the
floor.in the bathroom..and oh well...I could get really ballistic about this.

Our good friend and colleague, Dawn Kersula, did the announcement about
babies in the beginning of each conference..and mostly everyone had quiet
happy nurslings around..and they went out or swayed in the back if little
ones became noodgy.  This worked so well, as Dawn spoke eloquently at the
beginning of each conference about what we, as LCs were ABOUT. Mothers and
babies. Together. At many places in our lives. And that includes
professional conferences.

If babies and bf are to be welcome and acceptable and the norm,.let it start
with US.

Falling off the soapbox. Kathleen
Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC, LLLeader
Co-Owner Lactnet, LLLOL, Corgi-L
LACTNET WWW site: http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html
"We read to know we are not alone." Shadowlands,  C.S. Lewis