I think one must tread very carefully here.  I too am a survivor and for
that reason get many referrals from woman having trouble breastfeeding
because of a history of sexual abuse.  While a healing process may start
or be helped by the experience of breatfeeding for some women, for
others nipple stimulation brings on a flood of tactile memory of the
abuse act or acts.  Many women choose to suffer through it for the sake
of their children and others do not.  It is not for those who have no
personal experience with sexual abuse flashbacks (or for anyone really)
to judge a women in this position. For a survivor it is as close to
re-experiencing the act of abuse as is possible.  I think also that if
this is the feeling the mother is experiencing, perhaps it is best for
the child not to possibly become the inadvertant object of hostility.

No one is as merciless on bottle feeders as I, but here I must from my
own experience, ask that we be a bit less holier than thou than usual.

Jake
--
Jake Marcus-Cipolla, retired lawyer; student lactation consultant;
stay-at-home mom to Luca Antonio (7/26/94) and Nicholas Liam (5/1/97),
LLL Leader.
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