Catherine Watson Genna writes about her work with mothers who are
reluctant to feed their babies from the breast, and makes an excellent
suggestion:

> Perhaps this mom will be willing to expose herself to breastfeeding
> moms, and desentize herself...
>
I'm not sure if it is only desensitization that happens here or
something else as well. The experience of seeing others mothering their
babies at the breast is one of the great benefits of attending a support
group. In other times, in other places, mothers support each other and
learn about mothering from each other. That doesn't happen much in a lot
of the places we live now. I think that the individualization and
sexualization that is rampant in North America (and, as far as I can
see, Western Europe, don't know about elsewhere) go hand-in-hand (no! go
hands-off!) in making it difficult to visualize the kind of bond that
nursing creates as being anything than threatening, sexual, frightening,
etc.

Seeing mothers *enjoy* the work and joy of their bodies could be the
best form of healing that exists.

Jo-Anne Elder-Gomes, PhD, IBCLC, struggling out of lurkdom but still
struggling a bit :-(

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