Hi Lacnuts!!

Well, we have made it to California (West Coast) from Pennsylvania/New Jersey
(East Coast)!!  We have been here for a week today and my little ones are
still on east coast time with the baby waking up and ready to go at 4:00
a.m.!!  The other two follow an hour or two later . . . makes for an
interesting time.  Now I am trying to keep up with Lacnet, finding a LLL
group, looking for a house, setting up my business and thinking of a GREEN
Christmas so I had to get away from it all to respond to the following. . . .


<< an audience where there was a mother in a wheelchair, or one who secretly
ears (because of an existing disability) needing one in the future????

 I am thinking of my dear SIL who is very disabled (but not yet in a
wheelchair) with rheumatoid arthritis, who struggles to live as active a life
as possible despite the pain and would not like to be called abnormal, or to
have her disability, and her need for disability aids, linked with what she
certainly regards as a very poor second class way of feeding a baby. I *know*
the analogy is describing bottles as, ideally, no more than a necessary prop
for people who have no choice in the matter....but we need to be careful about
the sensitivities of people who might see their disability aids as essentially
empowering them to lead more active lives....

 Are there any Lactnetters with disabilities who might like to comment? >>

As one who suffers from severe chondro malacia degree VIII on both knees I can
truly understand Heather's concern.  I am now very much aware of the many
gadgets that mothers use that can be seen as simple crutches/gadgets for
mothers and sometimes when I am out and about I get very self conscious about
what others may be thinking about me.  I am not talking about bottles because
I never used these.  I am talking about strollers, bouncers or the like that I
have had to use on occasion when I rather be carrying my children.  At one
time I even had to hire a baby-sitter to be at my side to simply pick one of
my babies up when it was time to switched breasts when I could not use my
shoulder.  I am one that has to depend on my back for a lot of things and
sometimes it puts too much strain on my upper shoulders. I had to learn to
breastfeed on a recliner because I cannot sit at a chair with my knees bent
for too long.  I have to carry my stool and pillow to nurse my baby to relieve
the knee pain and help the shoulder pain from getting worse.  I lead a very
normal life and on the outside I look "normal" the problem is that when I am
walking I never know when the pain will be too much and stops me dead on my
tracks!!  As a lactation consultant in private practice it has been tough at
times because I am forced to ask for help if the clients are upstairs!!
Getting up and down from the floor is anything but lady like!!  However, I
love what I do and I have had to let down my guard and be brave in facing up
to my own disabilities.  My babies have taught me a lot!!  Having said that, I
did like the "crutch" as being the bottle because, more often than not, this
is very true and the way it was said puts it into perspective in a different
sort of way.

I too may end up in a wheelchair sooner than I would have ever wanted to, but
it has been very important to me to have had the wonderful breastfeeding
experience that I have with my children.  They have taught me how important
this has been for me and what I would have missed out on if I had not done so.
Through having children and breastfeeding I have found out more about me!

Smiles,
Yvonne
**********************************
Yvonne C. Bannister, LLLL, IBCLC
Now in Temporarily in Foster City, CA (USA)
Private Practice/Baby's BestFeeding
"A mother holds her baby . . . who lovingly holds her breast and gets the
best!"
Mail to:[log in to unmask]