A couple of thoughts about guilt and breastfeeding:

1)  mothe's/parents have the right to make an informed choice.  They are not
informed if they are not told that breastmilk/breastfeeding is the
superior food/feeding method.   As health professionals I believe we
have a responsibility to inform our clients and to work with them to
overcome the many barriers which may keep them from breastfeeding. We
also need to work to build support for breastfeeding so they have a
place to get questions and concerns addressed.

2)  I find many health professionals who are feeling internal
conflict if they did not breastfeed.  After talking with many staff
about this, I now start new staff training sessions by talking
about the breastfeeding rates in the early 70s, if they did not
breastfeed they are not alone, and "you did what you did with the
information available at the time." I encourage them to move on,  and
learn about how breastfeeding works, the benefits of breastfeeding,
and how they can help the infants and mothers they are working with.

Mary Johnson


Mary Johnson
WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator
Minnesota WIC Program
Minnesota Department of Health
717 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN  55440-9441
Phone:  612-623-5400
FAX:    612-623-5445
internet:  [log in to unmask]