I want to clarify a few points about my post on extended breastfeeding:
I want very much for mothers to do what feels right to them
regarding nursing in public. If a mom feels scared to nurse her 2 or 3 year
old in public, then by all means don't do it. The main reason for my post
was not trying to say that we should all go out and nurse out pre-schoolers
(or schoolers for that) in public. It was to let you all know that it may
be just a fear, and that it may not be good to put this fear into other people.
As breastfeeding counselors, women look up to us as inspiration. If
we tell a mother that we are scared to nurse our toddler in public, we can
be putting a fear into her that may not have existed.
I view this similar to other breastfeeding issues. Some mothers do
not choose to nurse during pregnancy. If we told a pregnant mother who did
want to do so that we chose not to, what is likely to happen? Same thing
with this.
The main purpose of my post was to let you all know that *I* do not
believe it is a big problem, that *I* do not feel that mothers need to be
real scared about it - because I worried that the original post would put
fear into people, or that the poster's views on it would be shared with
other mothers who did not have the fear.
Maybe I am reacting too strongly. Part of the reason is that after
the Syracuse case hit the fan, I received calls from all over the US from
scared mommies. "I'm nursing my 2 1/2 year old. I only have 6 months to
wean..." "I'm nursing a 3 year old - I'm so scared the cops are going to
bust down the door and take me to jail I haven't slept for two nights" "I'm
nursing a 4 year old - I stopped telling anyone, even my doctor" . These
calls, by the way, were the beginning of me taking legal calls (one positive
side to this...) but I spent HOURS trying to reassure mothers that they
weren't going to jail for breastfeeding. I just don't want to create a fear
where none exists. Thus, I am having trouble balancing supporting you all
who are scared, and preventing others from being scared needlessly.
We don't have to go out and nurse in public to change the way people
think. But what we convey as breastfeeding counselors can create the fear,
or to help mothers to feel confident about their choices.
And not to be hypocritical, I rarely in professional settings tell
how old my TWO children were when they weaned (those of you who know are
probably laughing right now... (I fear that I skewed Kathy D. data with
this info)) or I would lose credibility in my field. But at LLL conferences,
you can bet I'll tell everyone how long they breastfed. (e-mail me if you
can't figure it out...)
Liz Baldwin
_______________________
Elizabeth N. Baldwin, Esq. Baldwin & Friedman, P.A.
2020 N.E. 163rd St. # 300 N. Miami Beach, Fla. 33162-4970
Phone: 305-944-9100 Home office: 954-929-9090
Fax: 305-949-9029 [log in to unmask]
http://www.parentsplace.com/shopping/esq/index.html
Breastfeeding and the Law: http://www.lalecheleague.org/LawMain.html
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