A Late Start

Dear Angie: 
One of my favorite breastfeeding stories is that of one of my teenage daughter's friends. A little over two years ago, she became pregnant. She was a junior in high school, popular, beautiful, on the drill team, an "A" student, dating a high school football star. From an upper middle class family, she was practically disowned. At last report the parents had still not seen their grandson, now 2 yrs. old. She was kicked off the drill team, her boyfriend broke up with her and she was excluded from certain school functions. She had to find a place to live and rented a small apt. from an aunt. She dropped out of day classes and went to night classes to get her GED. Of course she had to get a job to support herself and her baby. Her mother did not breastfeed her and she had never been around anyone who breastfed so it "never occurred" to her to breastfeed her son. At two weeks, he woke up in the middle of the night crying and hungry. She was without money or formula, it was late, she was tired, the baby was crying. She said she "instinctively put him to my breast" and he began to nurse. She never stopped. She is now a sophomore in college in another state, is making "A" s and is still breastfeeding her son. I think of her "story" from time to time with regard to many of life's tough situations. It's not easy to be rejected at such a young age on so many levels and to overcome all those barriers. I admire this young lady so much and I believe her story would impact many teen moms who may be struggling with some of the same problems. She said her son has never been sick and she attributes this good health to breastmilk.

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