FROM: Sturgess, Frances Coulter
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SUBJECT: crucifying Jane S
DATE: 10-31-96   16:23 EST
PRIORITY:


my coworkers tease me about the degree of my breastfeeding advocacy (though
they do agree with it) and it is DISGUSTING that Clairol was able to make a
mockery of the work JS has done to have and to nurse her children BUT lets not
crucify her--the tone of some of the letters in this listserv have been
disturbing to me, and while it is sort of private, we don't need to give our
enemies more ammunition to call us *unmentionable* names

Besides, One of my teasing coworkers bought the April McCalls magazine because
it featured JS and however briefly , BREASTFEEDING AND PUMPING MILK FOR HER
TWINS!!!! And my coworker thought I'd like to have it.  Granted, youmay
disagree with how and why she had MORE children to feed (infertility tx, 2
previous children, being 45 years old etc etc but she did.

"p.46  Ananny keeps a watchful eye allowing Seym,our (who uses a breast pump
to fill bottles with milk ) the luxury of sleeping through some early-morning
feedings"  p 47 Seymours show is filmed only 15 min away, and her older
children oftendo their homework iin her trailer so she can tutor them and
theycan spend more time together"I hate when I have to be away from them" she
says.   As she talks she adjust the twins so she can breast-fed them
simultaneaously....m"MY husband nicknamed me the Dairy Queen," she laughs>"I
did not intend to breast-feed again, but the nurse in the hospital encouraged
me.  I'm glad I did--I think this is the best part.  It's very special, very
bonding for mother and baby."

Now, you can say MCCalls is not the JAMA, but there was no need to make this
deal of it, so if the CLairol ad did show Daddy feeding the infants (I did not
see this ad--and i thought i watched a lot of TV!) its no wonder it may not
have occured to JS to object.  Its her milk--and even if it was not, we need
to support women who breastfeed, even if they combine breast and bottle and
the bottle is not always pure brmilk but ABM.  AND for goodness sake--the
woman had TWINS--"a hard happiness", as the Twinline folks say, and still
breastfed.  Many people would not even hear of brfdg multiples.

  My associates promote breastfeeding but they feel they have to say
bottlefeeding can be a part of the process in order not to lose the women that
cannot or willnot exclusively breastfeed for 3, 6, or whatever months.  Too
many of the women in the population we see (medicaid) must return to work in
4-6 weeks to keep food on the table  (although one mom does pump during her 8
hours at Burger King, this is RARE.)

  Yes, exclusive  is BEST.  But its not pass/fail here (I don;t think...) so
lets continue to look at ways to make lemonade out of our lemons.  Frankly, I
think a LOT more people know Dr. Q than know JS, particularly the
impressionalbe younger females/girls/boys/future dads etc, . so the more the
merrier (did anyone see the Cardassian getting ready to breastfeed her baby on
the Voyager finale?)

The Clairol ad was unfortunate, lets continue to make EVERYONE aware of how
insidious advertising can be, from dolly bottles (But if its Mom's milk????)
to brown rubber bears to rocking chair bunnies to MICHELOB on the paper
pumpkins at your favorite restaurant...Too many people think "oh its just an
ad" withought realizing that say, beer names on Halloween stuff IMPLIES that
beer is good for a party, whether you are two or twenty two, and that the
alternatives deserve morethan equal time.  Just because you (JS) breastfeed
does not mean you undrstand the difficulties we have in advocacy.

I hope we can build on this with her and not drive her away.