It seems to me that women need to see other women breastfeed. It is such a 
private, secretive activity in much of the United States. I think we need 
to deliver the message that breastfeedimg is something you do in public. 
The more women see other women do it, the more accepted it becomes. Many 
of the women I teach, sophisticated urbanites, have never witnessed anyone 
breastfeeding a baby. They are often moved by scenes in childbirth videos 
of women breastfeeding, but will then relate stories of their friends 
unsuccessful attempts to breastfeed, and enter the whole process with a 
completely defeatist attitude. They need to be bombarded with positive 
images, that this can be done, it is not an impossibility, it is normal 
and life goes on around it. Since breastfeeding is often done in private, 
I think women often have the idea that if you do finally manage to succeed 
at it, then you have to give up your life to do it, since you must hide 
while you feed your baby. The best way to provide positive images,is to 
encourage women to breastfeed in public.In my classes, I always introduce 
the concept of breastfeeding in a restaurant, in a park, in the 
schoolyard. First of all, breastfeeding is easier, if you don't feel that 
you have to run away to do it, but it also becomes the norm, and 
encourages other women to believe they can do this. I actually had a woman 
call me because her baby was making noises while she ate. When I went to 
watch the baby eat, it was obvious that she was feeding beautifully, if 
somewhat quickly. If this woman had grown up surrounded by women 
breastfeeding, she would have been able to immediately feel joy at her 
baby's wonderful talents,rather than anxiety.
I will now shut up, having shot my LN wad, on vacuum extractors and modern 
medicine! Don't want to hog the cyberspace.
Kathy Lilleskov RN IBCLC

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