>  It seems we are in
>agreement, however relunctantly, that we cannot make women breastfeed.
>So, the goal is to make them want to.


I disagree, Pam, sorry....at least, that's not my goal.  I agree we 
cannot make women breastfeed, and we cannot 'make' them want to, 
either. My goal is for women to be *enabled* to breastfeed, for this 
to be a realistic, comfortable and enjoyable experience for them, 
untrammelled by barriers.

In the UK something like close on 80 per cent of mothers want to 
breastfeed. About 75 per cent of them initiate breastfeeding.

9 out of 10 of the ones who stop before their babies are aged 6 weeks 
*regret* stopping and would have liked to have continued.

My goal would be for all of those 80 per cent who want to breastfeed 
to be happy and comfortable about it, and enabled to do it for as 
long as they wish.

Once that's sorted, I can worry about 'making' the 20 per cent who 
don't want to breastfeed change their minds...but this will probably 
not be necessary, if the 80 per cent are having good experiences :)

>
>A very recent thread discussed how women have found ways to not
>breastfeed since recorded history.


This was not 'women finding way not to breastfeed' . This was social 
and cultural barriers being erected, often over generations,  to 
prevent women from doing so. These barriers were successful enough 
that women didn't have to 'find ways' not to breastfeed. It became 
socially and culturally impossible to do so for them.  To talk of 
women finding ways not to breastfeed is to put this debate back into 
the realm of personal choice, where it sits most uncomfortably :(

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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