>        My thoughts on all of this are that instead of waiting until the
>third trimester of pregnancy to try to teach women about breastfeeding,
>why not start to teach it in the elementary schools?


Tonya,

     In response to your inquiry, I think it is a great idea.  I participate
in the "Great American Teach-In" at my local elementary school every November.
I do a lecture called "The Biological Specificity of Milk" with 1st graders.
I talk about animal milks and specific information about each.  For example,
did you know that the platypus releases it's milk through glands that are very
similar to sweat glands on their chest (baby does not suckle), and that a
bear's milk tastes fishy?  Then I show a great clip from Mr. Rodger's
Neighborhood.  Sad part is that the children coo and say "aaawww" when baby
animals nurse, but then say "eeewww, yuch" when they see humans nursing.  It
makes me cringe, and then I do whatever I can to talk about how important
human milk is for human babies.  It seems that the most negative responses
come from little girls, and I guess they have already been bottle feeding
their dolls for several years.

                                ---- Debbie Albert IBCLC