I think that hospitals which encourage breastfeeding
mothers to get together on a regular basis are providing an
extremely valuable service, but why do we call them "support
groups"?
        Hospitals provide support groups for patients who have
medical problems like cancer or heart disease, or who are
struggling to overcome addictions to. Breastfeeding is neither
a disease nor an addiction. It is a normal human function,
something that our bodies were designed to do.
        We do not provide support groups for pregnant women - we
offer information and encouragement. Isn't that what we should do
for mothers who breastfeed? Using the term "support group" implies
that nursing mothers have some kind of disability with which they
are struggling to cope. Changing the term to "discussion group"
can help to normalize how we view breastfeeding in our society.


Norma Ritter, IBCLC, LLLL
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