The milk of baby's health: Nutritious, medicinal, it is best for the little ones (North County Times)

It was an indelicate subject that bordered on indecent, according to Victorian mores. Certainly not something to be flaunted publicly.

The subject was breast-feeding.

For most of the 20th century, American society preferred to tuck away references to this act, which after all is as natural as life itself. And that's the stigma associated with just talking about it. Actually nursing a baby in public was a lot more difficult. Unless the nursing mother stayed at home with her infant, she needed to constantly find locations where she could discreetly feed her baby, and many times a day.


Breast-feeding mothers encounter less disapproval today, as medical research has accumulated about its benefits. But it's still sometimes viewed as a "lifestyle choice," said Suzanne Unger of Wildomar. Unger is a leader in La Leche League of Temecula Valley (www.lalecheleague.org). The group is a breast-feeding information and support group of mothers who have breast-fed. Formed in Chicago 50 years ago, the group gets its name from the Spanish word for milk.



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