Raven,
I am going to repsond to part of your post now, the parts I have thought out enough to reply to at 3:30 AM.
Induced lactation has been around for...well...a really long time. It was definitely available in 1972 and I first learned about it in my mom's old 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" book when I was about 13 or 14.
I am really kind of grieving as i read through some of the opinions on adoptive breastfeeding. I am not saying that to make anyone feel guilty. I love adopting. I have felt no greater miracle in my life than the adoption of my son. I could care less about having my own birth experience, even though I would possibly do things differently than say a potential e-mom would ( or maybe the same...who knows). Breastfeeding him was AMAZING. He took to it qucikly and loved it, quickly refusing bottles. He had gotten immunities from his birth mother in utero and now he had the added benefit of immunities from me as well...double the immunities. My body that had failed me and my child before (lost pregnancy) was successfully nourishing my child! Our bond is amazing, my ability to respond to his meends quickly when he was little helped build trust and bonding faster (I believe). I have a lot of safety concerns about formula, but not about my breast milk. There are so many things about breastfeeding that I can't even describe that I feel are so special and the thought of not having at least that way to nourish our child...that is devastating to me.
I think alot of the "ickness" factor comes from our culture. So many in our culture think it is private and should be shut in another room. People say it is the best for babies, but I think for a lot of people that is just hat you say...but really formula is just as good. We don't see people leaving their kids with someone and that person breastfeeding them in their absence (normal in some countries) and things of that nature. We don't even see a lot of biological mothers breastfeeding (although that is on the rise thankfully). JMO.
I really respect the mother's need to have a special time just her and her baby to decide finally, to say hello and good bye...to just be. I seriously doubt I will be breastfeeding in the hospital. Not to hide it, but to respect
her time with the baby and so she doesn't feel pressured to place simply for reasons like the breastfeeding bonding starting already.
Falling alseep....be back in the daylight.