Hi All,
      Cathy's post also hit a spot with me. We, ourselves may rant and
rave about how others feel and behave (when it is not supportive or
conducive to breastfeeding), but we seem, as unable as they are, to be
willing to grasp where the other person is at. 23 years ago, when I was
expecting and delivered my first child, I do not know how I would have
reacted if anyone had provided me with the type of breastfeeding
information LLL gave out. I did not even know I had feelings, much less
have the guts to stand up for them. We need to understand that when we
talk with others, perhaps they just 'can't' understand our feelings.
From their perspective what we are trying to convey is just so foreign
to their frame of reference, they truly can't grasp where we are coming
from.
    This is the reason that I am doing what I do, I now know how
important breastfeeding and human milk are, but I also know that just
getting the latch right, is not the only obstacle. I was living with a
man who definately wanted an 'heir' to carry on his 'greatness' but was
so insanely jealous that I ended up unable to continue breastfeed, to
save my life.  I know now, breastfeeding would have been better for my
son, and giving it up didn't do anything to save/preserve the marriage
(in fact it may have made it worse by being another issue he 'won'), but
given my situation and my coping skills, I did what I thought I had to
do. What I am glad for, is that no one since has condemed me for the
choice I made back then, they have simply helped me to move further
along the road to where I am now.
     This is a real sore spot right now for me, as I talked with a mom
on Thursday who is giving her baby EBM by bottle. A co-Leader of mine
whispered to me (like it was too awful to say aloud) that did I know she
was pumping and using a bottle. Since I had just found out she had the
baby, I said no. Got where I could talk somewhat privately with the mom.
From body language, I think that something fairly serious is going on.
Mom would not talk about what the issue was (granted we were in a room
full of people) but she would not even make eye contact.  I did what I
could do - got her to look me in the eye, congratulated her that her
baby was getting only human milk and told her that if she had any
questions or needed any help or information, I was available. I decided
to try to see what the issue is, when it can be just one-to-one.
    Maybe when we reach the point where we can present the information
without the underlying sense of condemnation or better-than attitude,
more people will be able to open up and listen and make decisions closer
to what we feel is ideal or at least right. But we also have to realize
that some (a small percentage) just can't do what we are asking, given
where they are at the moment.
     Please don't take this as criticism, just another tool to help us
all understand, why some people we talk to, just may not grasp what we
are saying. Taking everyone's personal, health, social, sexual,
relationship, family, religious and so on and so on historys is
impossible. But we need to be aware that all of these play into their
attitudes and beliefs concerning breastfeeding.
    Whoa, I'd best step down from the soap box . . .

Leslie Ward
Vine Grove, KY  where the fact that it's in the 50's makes me wonder
what this summer will be like