Recently I was talking to a young mother (maybe 20 years old) at a bf 
mother support group.  She was struggling with disapproval from in-laws 
about nursing her one year old.  She wished they could just appreciate all 
she is doing for her baby's physical and emotional health.

We discussed that many people don't actually see breastfeeding babies.  I 
added that by seeing her lovingly interacting with her baby, hopefully 
they may broaden their understanding of bf and be more accepting.  

She said, "I hope so.  You know, I never saw a breastfed baby in my life.  
In fact, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT BREASTS COULD MAKE MILK.  No one ever 
told me.  I knew about cows, of course.  But I feel so fortunate that I 
found out and that my baby is breastfeeding, because it's the most special 
thing in the world for both of us."

I almost fainted.  I guess that it is not surprising that some people are 
offended by the little girl poster.  It is hard to understand how this 
very basic mothering function can be so misunderstood, or even UNKNOWN.

There are so many opportunities, throughout elementary school even, to 
plant the seed of breastfeeding as normal.  Something as simple as 
highlighting human milk for human babies during the lessons on mammals, 
for example.

Warmly,
Gina Nigro

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