Rosalie B. wrote:
"Jamie Clark" wrote:
"Welches"
Well possibly that was a bad example. How about playing the piano?

Yes watching that helps:
#1's got quite a good piano finger positions just from watching dh.
If you compare how she plays around on the piano without instruction
to other friends who haven't watched it is very different.
Try again...
Debbie

Yes but the example was meant to be for people that did not have any
opportunity to actually do the skill - could they learn just from
watching? Which I don't think they could.

Rosalie, I still believe you're taking the statement way too literally.


Even if you grow up the oldest of 12 sibs, all of whom were breastfed,
and have 6 dozen younger cousins in the same neighborhood, all of whom
were breastfed, no -- you don't know *just* from watching them feed how
to best arrange a newborn at the breast, what sore nipples are like,
what to do in the event of a nursing strike. It's unlikely mom and
aunts discussed it around you, or, if they did, that you were
interested enough to listen then. You don't necessarily gain technical
knowledge or expertise.

But you still come to breastfeeding with have a huge advantage over
someone whose family didn't breastfeed. You recognize you're not
breaking new ground and you expect to be able to succeed. You've got
support for questions and problems. That's all implied when someone
says "seeing" breastfeeding practiced before you have your first child
increases the likelihood that you'll succeed at breastfeeding.

And it's why La Leche League was founded -- so many women who wanted to
breastfeed *hadn't* grown up "seeing" it, and experienced problems,
coupled with bad advice, that usually led to early weaning and the
women feeling like failures. It's why LLL advises pregnant women to
attend meetings well ahead of their due date -- not just to arm them
with info, but to help demystify and normalize breastfeeding for them.

"Seeing" others breastfeed doesn't guarantee success in any particular
*individual's* own venture, any more than smoking guarantees a
particular individual a death from lung cancer or emphysema. It just
increases the odds -- noticeably.

Lori G.
Milwaukee, WI