Yeah Barry! When I was pregnant with my first child, yeah, these 25 years ago, it just never occurred to me not to breast feed her. I'm European and in the environment where I was raised, women nursed - end of discussion. I was far from the earth mother type (as far as you can get!!!!!) but messing with bottles never occurred to me. I shared a room in hospital with a young woman far younger than me -- I was 32 and she was about 19. Talk about women of Africa -- she thought breast feeding was disgusting, messy and inconvenient (that one I just could not understand.......) and cheerfully took shots to prevent her lactating.......I could have afforded formula at the time (just!) - she certainly could not. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. My only caveat with what Barry says is - let's not use the word 'free'. It scares everyone.....the things we need to have are NATIONAL health care, NATIONAL child care, NATIONAL free education etc etc -- paid for by one and all from our taxes -- I would cheerfully pay. My younger daughter (21) called me the other day to say she has been doing wonderfully but she had a meltdown in large part due to the death of her ex boyfriend in Iraq (those interested see my thread -- Another Death in Iraq - but I knew this one.....'

She didn't know what to do because she is close to graduation from 2 year college and she knows her INSURANCE WILL RUN OUT SOON......I told her to call her counselor, and get back onto meds if she needed to - and we will sort out the bill. WHAT KIND OF A WORLD IS THIS.......????????