I just finished reading a relatively new book, a work of fiction called "The
Poinsonwood Bible."  It's the story of a missionary and his family working in
the Belgian Congo and goes forward from there into the 1980's.

The book gives several mentions to "nursing" (versus "breastfeeding") and all
are positive.  Or, rather, they are just matter-of-fact.  There is only one
character who is noted as being formula-fed, and perhaps not cooincidentally,
she lives her life as a withdrawn and luckless person, and feels abandoned by
everyone, but in particular, by her mother.

In another instance, a child is noted as being born unresponsive and unable to
nurse.  The mother says she fed him boiled water with a dropper to keep him
hydrated.  No mentions of goat's milk or other substitutes, until he is finally
able to nurse.  The then says that she wears him in a sling so that she can keep
on with her work while he has unrestricted access to her for his ravenous
nursing as he makes up for what he missed earlier.

It is especially interesting, because the point is well-made that the are all
undernourished due to their lack of resources.

Debbie McCallister
Lactnet Lurker
Louisville, KY (USA)

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