Pat,

In response to your comments - I agree that anyone would agree that mothers
should not force their kids to nurse, but that is not the issue. The
'mentality' behind coming up with a child who wanted to wean and the mother
wouldn't let him is so absurd that it makes my blood boil (can you see the
steam coming out of my head anyone?) and defies my imagination. The fact
that they portrayed the boy as wanting to wean, and the mother doing it for
her needs is EXACTLY what most people immediately think when they hear that
a child is nursing past probably age three. Now, let me ask all of you -
how many mothers do you PERSONALLY know of that managed to get their kid to
nurse longer than they wanted to? How about like none - because it is
virtually impossible to 'make' a kid keep breastfeeding?

I am appalled that they would even put this in the script - it shows the
bias of the writers down the line - of course, all of us would sympathize
with a mother who was making a child nurse, but that JUST DOES NOT HAPPEN.
If they wanted to HONESTLY and appropriately discuss the issue, then they
would have a kid who nursed to sleep for a few minutes each night or every
now and then, or when he didn't feel good - the kid would be asking mom to
nurse, not vice versa, and her milk supply would be so reduced that she
would probably not be able to express more than a few drops.

Having developed an expertise in this area (extended breastfeeding mind
you) I still find it totally absurd and so wrong to ever assign malicious
motives to mothers who breastfeed past infancy. Most never in their wildest
dreams thought they would breastfeed that long, and most are quite happy
when their child weans (contrary to the mother who weans prematurely and
wishes she could breastfeed longer - you don't see that with long term
nursers). Most mothers are happy to have 'their bodies back', and to see
their child become more independent.

Don't be fooled - the entire plot was based on the misinformation about
extended breastfeeding that I try so hard to correct.
Elizabeth N. Baldwin                    Baldwin & Friedman, P.A.
Phone: 954-966-7110                     Office: 305-944-9100  x233
Fax: 954-966-9796                       Office fax: 305-940-8544

Breastfeeding and the Law:  http://www.lalecheleague.org/LawMain.html
Website: http://www.compromisesolutions.com


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