The smell of urine filled the air as she nursed her baby out of the public's view.

Overheard: "Breastfeeding is gross, especially in public, it is akin to urinating on the street corner in plain sight."

Interesting that there is legislation in place to protect a woman's right to feed her child in public. A basic human right having to be laid on paper. How did we get to this?

Reading about dismal African American breastfeeding rates made me wonder how these traditions and choices were passed down from mother to mother. I stumbled across an image of a slave wet nurse from early America. She is pictured nursing a white child. In my imaginings I could see a woman experiencing this might build a resentment and reject the act of nursing altogether, in order to reject her captors once she was free. I imagined those attitudes being passed down from generation to generation.

A woman nurses her toddler in a public bathroom out of the eyes of her community. While a woman in the next stall flushes the toilet with her foot to avoid touching any part of the space with her hands.

A woman's breasts are life giving not only to her child but to her whole family. When all works in harmony there opens the door to success in their relationships within.

When the whole family is involved in the nurturing and feeding of their child a woman might find herself at ease in the natural wiles of motherhood. This also speaks to the family bed and the misconceptions therein. For my family the key to our breastfeeding success!

This woman is in her car on a hot day alone. To feed her child privately and out of the community sight. She is inherently in danger and she knows it. Which also puts a strain on her choice to continue breastfeeding her child with such pressures.

So called "extended breastfeeding" is beneficial to mother and child. Breast cancer rates go down, immunity and connection go up. According to the World Health Organization the average human wean is from 2.5 to 7 years old. A far cry from the 6 months when American children are taken from the breast or not given the chance to suckle at all.

Reading blogs pertaining to breastfeeding led me to discussions about nursing in public. I saw more than once the act described as dirty. This is my interpretation of what dirty breastfeeding would be.

In the "Rachel Valley" birthing room!

In the "Rachel Valley" birthing room!

Article in late July 2007

story continued from front page August 8, 2007

Made front page August 8, 2007!

How cool is that!

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