Style Weekly, Ottawa Citizen, March 9 2002 First page - full page colour photo of statue with nursing baby. Caption "Can you get too much of a good thing? NIPPLE WARS". Second and third (yes, three full pages for this) pages have huge headline NIPPLE WARS (right, in caps). Summary - a very few good points but mostly very negative and states there are two 'camps' - not sure who they are supposed to be, but there are "extremists', "nipple wars" and two "sides". Unfortunately it's not on the web and too long to type. Three photos are of bfg babies, and two INFACT posters. Quote in a block in large letters: "It wasn't listening to the LC read her the Riot Act that in the end did it for Lori Thornton. It wasn't the raw, cracked and bleeding nipples, or the recurring bouts of mastitis that left her feverish and exhausted, or that the piston-driven breast pump mede her think of the Holsteins on her family's dairy farm. The end came as she stood in the shower, weeping, hot water pounding on her chest while she pushed and pressed and kneaded her bruised breasts from her armpits to her nipples, desperately trying to clear the plugged milk ducts. Lori Thornton finally, silently said: Enough." Next large headline "HAS BREAST IS BEST GONE TOO FAR?" (yup, caps again). "... Lori shook off the LC's admonishments that she 'owed it' to Angela to breastfeed and that with every plastic bottle and artificial teat, she risked turning her child into a sicker, less intelligent, less productive member of society...'I couldn't breastfeed. And I felt like a criminal.' " (this last phrase was repeated in a block quote). A few good points; listed WHO's recommendations and Canadian Ped Society saying that "there are rarely reasons not to breastfeed", "that breastmilk is superior...is not in dispute" and listed many of the health benefits of bfg. " 'New mothers are not fools, but...especially vulnerable to the claims of extremists who tell them that exclusive bfg is the one, true way' Liz Porter writes ... proving the nipple wars extend halfway around the world." Dr. Dworkin (who wrote the original column that started all this) "says the breast-is-best approach now resembles a regimented boot camp." He has received "reams" of letters accusing him of being irresponsible, delusional and (as he puts it) Satan incarnate. "If people react that way to me, how are they racting to mothers who are questioning what's going on when they're breastfeeding and they're having problems? Are they being treated with compassion? Or are they being told, 'No, no, no just keep to it! If you don't do it, you're going to fail, and you're going to hurt your baby'." Dr. Newman is quoted quite extensively, stating that bfg mothers don't get any support from the health professions and should feel anger not regret if they an't exclusively bfd. Jack is quoted on routines that harm the bfg relationship, and incorrect advice that is given - and that LLL "has worked hard to provide the information that babies don't feed by the clock." "Groups such as La Leche League, which believes 'mothering through bfg deepens a mother's understanding and acceptance of the responsibilities and rewards of her special role in the family,' rejects suggestions that they bully women. 'When people say we make mothers feel guilty about bfg, no one can make anybody feel guilty' says Michelle Bentley, prof'l liaison for Quebec and E Ontario. 'That's something we put on ourselves. And we don't hesitate to inform people of the dangers of not using car seats, or the dangers of smoking. We need to inform people about the dangers of not breastfeeding" (repeated in a block quote). Unfortunately she didn't keep the end of my sentence, "...so that women can make an informed choice." And I guess I will have to write to correct the idea that LLL recommends exclusive bfg for 6-12 months - most kids do need solids by then, and I'm not sure what they were eating for the first 6 months! I guess I should also correct the idea that the uterus shrinking quickly is what leads to faster weight loss? Other sensationalistic quotes were from Dr Susan Love that some mothers find the idea of nursing "unpleasant, even repugnant", how a surgeon stopped bfg when she dripped milk on a patient during surgery, and that there are "plenty of emotionally healthy people who were bottle-fed, and many neurotics who were breast-fed." Then we get to read a list of the toxins in breastmilk - but that the benefits of bfg do outweigh any risks (doesn't mention these same toxins are in formula, or that bmk protects against harmful effects of toxins received in utero). "Both sides agree that more needs to be done to support women who choose to nurse." Hospitals and public health are listed as resources (not LLL). Then this very long article ends with the fact that Lori breastfed her second child with the help of an LC who was a "godsend, an angel." Too bad it wasn't included sooner, or in another block quote! This certainly didn't turn out the way I had hoped. Michelle Bentley *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html