Wow, these histories are really touching.  I think this is the best aspect
of Bf: no matter who you are, where you are from, and what your
political/religious orientation is,  a mother who Bf has a common bond with
other mothers all over the world.  A common link to bring us all together.
Now, if that isn't a basis for world peace, I don't know what is.  This is
empowerment: knowing that you are one link in a chain that binds the world.

I want to help other women with breastfeeding for two major reasons.  One,
it wasn't until I've been married and had children I realized, despite my
mother's best intentions and efforts, I was emotionally neglected/abused as
a child, and even with my best efforts I don't feel I'm getting over it
all, and I still make lots of mistakes with my own kids.  I think  that if
I hadn't Bf them I'd be in jail.  I think in my case the Prolactin really
helps.  I know just since weaning two months ago, my temper has gotten that
much shorter.  I really didn't realize the extent of what I went through
until I had my own kids.  And then  it all came piling down like a
landslide.

As a young mother of 22, I was extremely depressed, unsure of myself and
increasingly frustrated by the horrible information I received in
conjunction to birth control while breastfeeding.  I felt that I was not
being given advice that fit my needs or personal situation, and I had no
real breastfeeding authority to turn to for advice either.  I was told that
since the mini pill caused me to bleed I could take a regular BCP, and just
Bf more to make up for the decrease in milk supply.  But I wasn't
interested in taking that chance, especially not with breast cancer in my
family, not to mention my hypothyroidism.  I was told "BCP or IUD" and
that's it.  I felt and still feel that the IUD is barbaric, not to mention
dangerous.  This is probably because of all the hype in the books I read
while growing up.  In the end we  opted for the diaphragm, which we spent
lots of money we couldn't afford to spend on, and in the end used it twice
because it was too small and caused pain.  I also didn't know about Natural
Child Spacing because I was told that it was "absolutely dangerous and
unacceptable" to bring the baby to bed, and "it doesn't work anyway".  I
have a lot to thank LLL for, because they really kept me going with my
second child.

 In short, I would really like to help young mothers who these days feel so
insecure and sometimes uninformed, to know that 1) it is okay to choose to
stay home with a baby if they want to, 2) everyone, even older women, is
still "inexperienced" when it comes to the first baby, 3) they have the
right to know about medicines, birth control and formula and breastfeeding.
 I feel it is highly unfair of the medical profession to leave women -
especially young women who marry young - in limbo and only tell them half
the story about what all these medications, chemicals and contraptions do
to their bodies.  We have just as much to lose or gain as 30+, if not more.

I do realize from all your stories, that much of what we go through we had
to learn on our own, but there is no excuse for not providing information
to a person who asks, or letting them know that there are questions they
should be asking.  Many women are afraid to question their doctors and feel
at the MD's mercy.  This, I feel, is contrary to the doctor's code of
ethics (hippocratic oath - but in Israel, it's worded differently).

To sum it all up, I want to be a key in empowering other women.

Nofia