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nation’s hospitals provide dismal support for breastfeeding mothers. That the US has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding among the developed countries is reflected in our high rate of childhood obesity. As these children grow, they develop obesity-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. The annual health-care expenditure to take care of these illnesses is

$1 trillion. If all women breastfed their babies, guess how much money we could save.

TOURAJ SHAFAI, MD, PHD, FAAP

Chairman of the Committee on Breastfeeding American Academy of Pediatrics,

California Chapter 2

WALKING THE TALK

After reading all the letters in the most recent issue of Mothering, I was overcome with feeling just how lucky I am. I was struck by how many women feel a lack of support, or even criticism, for their choices in childrearing. My husband, Ahmed, and I live in Bangor, Maine, with our six-month-old daughter, Noorah. We choose to bedshare with Noorah, and have since her birth. I wear her in a sling every day at work in my boutique, and breastfeed all day, often while helping customers. I have traveled all over the East Coast and Midwest, breastfeeding whenever and wherever we happen to be. Especially here in Bangor, strangers have approached me to wholeheartedly congratulate my choice to breastfeed, wear my baby, and raise her with an attachment style of parenting. We are Muslim, and even among our religious community we are encouraged to breastfeed. The Qur’an states that it is best to nurse a child for two years!

HEATHER VANFRANKENHUYZEN

Bangor, Maine

FREEDOM TO DECIDE

I am so grateful for the work that you do! So important is each new issue to me that we have adopted a Mothering Magazine Moment for Mommy: I enjoy the luxury of devouring every word of your publication for two gloriously uninterrupted hours. ( Thank you, Sweetie! I have the best hubby in the world!)

I could not resist thanking the Goddess O’Mara for yet another editorial triumph: “The Assault on Freedom of Conscience,” by Peggy O’Mara (March–April 2009)!

Coupled with the all-important question of should we attempt to synthetically generate immunity against innocuous infectious diseases among our population’s youth is this question: Will we retain the right to decline that practice? Will we retain the right to exercise our freedom of conscience? From where I sit, it seems that if our current for-profit medical industry and/or the mainstream media have/ has anything to say about it, sadly, we may not. For me, not only do parents have the right to exercise their freedom of conscience concerning the issue of vaccinating children, they have the responsibility. And, yes, the only way parents can do that is if they can make informed choices.

ANNIE JIVIDEN Boise, Idaho

GROWING GREAT DADS

First, I have to say that I would not be so absolutely comfortable with all of my parenting choices (breastfeeding, cosleeping, babywearing, etc.) if not for your magazine. I am a better mother to my two beautiful children because of your publication! I am an avid babywearer. My son, Bryce, is almost three, and loves wearing his baby, too. His little sister, Lyla, is eight months old and just adores him.

JESSICA CASAMENTO