Family Forum / Pregnancy / Breastfeeding / November 2006

Hmmm.  I'm a bit dubious about nurse-ins anyway, because they tend to
get a bit militant and I think that actually puts people off - it
presents a public face of breastfeeding as being something that
campaigners do and get all up-in-your-face about.  Not that it
necessarily has to be like that, but unfortunately that's the kind of
woman who tends to go on nurse-ins.

The T-shirts described here struck me as a case in point.  "Smart, cute
and healthy thanks to Mom's milk"?  Excuse me??  What kind of message is
that giving to women who've formula fed - that their babies aren't
smart, cute or healthy?  The problem with this is that it really puts
people off coming to seek breastfeeding advice if they're maybe thinking
about trying to breastfeed a subsequent child - they worry that
breastfeeding counsellors will criticise them for not breastfeeding in
the first place.

My son is smart, cute and healthy, and, yes, it would be nice to be able
to think that I could claim credit for all of this.  And, yes, maybe his
health wouldn't have been as good if I hadn't breastfed him (though
we'll never know, will we - maybe he'd have been perfectly healthy).
But I think the reason he's smart and cute is just that I was lucky
enough to get a smart, cute child.  Why should we get all arrogant about it?

Totally different topic: Good username, Linz!  Where did it come from?

All the best,

Sarah