Patricia, love the illustration sparked by the thought of 'Mamma's Manna'! Manna being available fresh on a day by day basis, as much as is needed, with no option of storing it up! Just like breastmilk! (yes, I know, a breastpump gives other options, but let's not destroy the analogy) James Akre: Amen! Thanks for your sharing. It truly grieves my heart that we must work so hard to enable to get young mothers the information and encouragement (mothering) they need from the church, the church is where this ministering should originate. How many calls have I received from mothers wanting information about pumps/pumping, who after we chat a bit, share that someone has pressured them to resume their 'real' ministry of choir, sunday school, etc, and the 'need' for baby to learn to be 'independent.' (Independent: I have yet to learn of any religion/spiritual movement that teaches their people to be 'independent' of their chosen Lord. Seems quite odd to me then that they would feel this need to 'teach' it to their children . . . .) I then tell them my own spiritual leanings, and share my personal perspective on what the Bible teaches about mothering, that my personal priority of ministry is 1: my personal relationship with the Lord, 2: relationship with husband 3: mothering , and that if I haven't fulfilled duties of first 3, God is certainly not going to bless my stepping into another ministry that anyone else could fulfill, etc, etc. I think that in changing the ministry of churches, that even though they are organizations, starting at the top means we should first not forget to begin by asking the Originator what He thinks . . . and allow Him to point the direction. Many protestant churches are autonomous, so one must work from the inside out. I used to ask the Lord to give me another baby so I could change things by example. Instead, in becoming an LC, and as a LLLL, He gave me lots of other babies . . . I bring up my perspective in adult classes during discussions, offer to teach a class or seminar on Biblical perspectives of pregnancy, birth and parenting, comment in writing to praise or offer a different perspective to sermons, mothering the young mothers, offering books to read, networking with those of likemind, the kind of shower or baby gifts I give, offering to do a devotion at a baby shower, etc, etc. And by being truly accepting of those who make different choices. Guilt tends to burn rather than build bridges. Kathe Catone