Noriku (forgive if misspelled), Welcome to Lactnet! I have one small thing to add to Tina's wonderful exposition. How can it be perceived as feminist to be dependent on a male dominated medical-industrial complex for our infant's nutrition rather than to value women's own unique biological capability? Here in the US, this is often the case. This is another example of women 'buying into' the patriarchal culture and devaluing themselves. Not breastfeeding makes a woman more dependent, not independent. She is at the mercy of price fixing, false advertising, and other schemes to defraud her of her family's resources. A breastfeeding mom always has what she needs with her. This self-sufficiency is empowering, which is very threatening to an insecure male who has also 'bought' the cultural paradigm that he should be dominant. Another fight. Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC