Dear Penny,

In my days at a small Mennonite Seminary in Elkhart, IN USA, I saw a couple
mothers who took their nursing babies with them to class.  They were discreet
and they left if baby was noisy.  These were small babies in arms.  The icing
on the cake was then to see one of the professors continue teaching one term
with babe brought to her for breastfeeding as needed....she discreetly nursed
and continued her lecture :-)

I suspect that the professors were considered, informed, and reassurred.  I
think it is appropriate to speak with the professor.  Yet, I would assume a
positive outcome of the talk.  Let us know! :-)

Natalie Shenk BS IBCLC.....who has 2/3 towards a masters of divinity and
wonders if she'll ever bother finishing :-)

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Date:    Sat, 3 Feb 1996 16:58:09 -0500
From:    Penny Piercy <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Bf in academe (& elsewhere)

I was really interested in Kathy D."s experiences taking Alex with
her to the halls of academe.  Since I am due in September with baby #2 I
will be faced with the NEED to have my baby with me in the classroom for
at least the fall term (late August-early December 1996).  I
had been worrying about this quite a bit--not about my own comfort doing
so but about the reception of my prospective profs.  I had been thinking I
would have to approach them all well in advance and humbly ask leave to bring
baby along.  But now I"m wondering if I shouldn"t just hold my
chin up and walk right in that classroom like it"s as normal as can be.
Or maybe the right approach is to speak to them in advance but to
*inform* them of what I will be doing rather than ask permission to do
it (after all I"m not going to ask *permission* before giving birth during a
school week <g>).  Words of wisdom from any and all would be appreciated.
(And apologies to those who might consider this off-topic).

To return to the babies at conferences thread: I can"t resist reminding
the people who brought up the issue of the expense of conference
attending that the women with babies in tow have paid just as much to
attend the conference.  Obviously they need to be sensitive to the needs
of the other attendees (just as would an attendee with a chronic cough)
but they deserve to get their money"s worth too.


Penny Piercy  LLLL  MOM (Patrick 4/6/93 & baby 9/96)
     from Bloomington  IN
     <[log in to unmask]>


P.S. Judy K.-- I was excited to hear that the crutch/wheelchair analogy I
posted to Lactnet will be of use to you in your lecture half-way round
the world.  Ain"t Lactnet grand?!!!

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End of LACTNET Digest - 3 Feb 1996 - Special issue
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