This is ironinical, but often true. My experience is that the"feminists"
have an "agenda" and if your situation fits their agenda, then they will
fight for you, but if it doesn't they won't---and my experience is that
mothering and all that goes with it doesn't fit into their agenda. It is
too bad because breastfeeding is a great "feminist" issue. A great
presentation(don't think it was published, but I have a copy of the
presentation):
"Breastfeeding in a Patriarchal World: Nursing Considerations", Kathleesn
Quinn-Jacobs BA, RNC, IBCLC and Jeanne-Marie Havener, MS, CNS, IBCLC, Sixth
Annual Conference on Critical and Feminist Perspectives in Nursing. In
their presentation they state reasons for the decline in BF from a
feminists perspective:
Rise of Materialism and a consumer-based culture
Dualism of male-identified technology vs female identified nature
Emergence of science as a religion
Merging of commercial interests(which generally benefits men)  with health
issues
And the problem of the nurses(as an oppressed group) adopting the internal
values of the oppressor.
Historically in my mind, "real", "original" feminism began with women
wanting to take back the power that was theirs--childbirth and
breastfeeding---away from male dominated obstetrics. Women's liberation
occurred a bit later and dealth with helping women get equal treatment
legally---at work, buying a home, etc.
Both of these original movements had two weak areas in my opinion--feminism
wanted to do away with men; women's liberationists wanted to be men. It
seems that the current movement has adopted the worst of these two forces.
Anybody have any thoghts. Carol, in beautiful, warm, Albuquerque. Please
send us some snow!