From Kathy Dettwyler...

The "guilt" issue is an interesting one -- one that I give talks about at breastfeeding conferences (see it this Jun 24th at the La Leche League of Texas conference in Dallas/Ft. Worth -- COME ONE COME ALL!!).

Kathy,

I saw you speak at the NJ LLL conference in April about 
guilt and couldn't agree more with your points.  Let me share an anecdote that underscores your argument.  My neighbor, a pediatrician and former nurser of her three children, is a strong advocate for breastfeeding in her practice.  She frequently asks mothers who are going back to work NOT "Will you be providing breastmilk for your baby when you return?" but, "HOW will you be providing breastmilk for your baby?" 

Once she tried to use the term "artificial infant milk" when dealing with a mother who chose not to breastfeed (no extenuating circumstances).  Boy did she get an earful!!  Apparently the mother objected to the suggestion that she was feeding her baby something "artificial" and complained to my friend's partner.  No wonder doctors are afraid of changing their language -- it raises the dreaded "G" word, GUILT.  If doctors are afraid of making mothers feel guilty and mothers can't admit that formula is an imitation of the real thing, a pale imitation at best, and can't even stand to hear it called what it really IS, we've got a very long way to go, unfortunately.  

I especially liked the research you did involving pediatricians and obstetricians, wherein each one pointed the finger at the other for not educating about breastfeeding.  I also have a good friend who is an OB/GYN (also a former breastfeeder), and when I told her and my pediatrician friend about your survey, there they were, doing the same fingerpointing.

--Julie Rosen, LLLL 

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