It certainly seems that parents want to shoot the messenger. Perhaps this is only happening in my part of the U.K. but through many years of doing antenatal classes and helping mothers postnatally it seems that so many parents look on having a baby as the equivalent of buying a doll. There must be no effort involved in buying it (giving birth) and when they are fed up with playing with it (feeding it) then it goes back in the box (the cot) until they feel like playing again. Of course the breastfeeds are acceptable provided they are the same as artificial feeding is perceived to be, take 20 minutes max, and then not a squeak out of baby for 4 hours. Weight gain should be 8 oz each week exactly. Feeling cynical today, Carolyn Westcott RN IBCLC in Southampton, U.K. -- -