Glenda Hamilton, 42, runs the Newborn Connections center at California Pacific Medical Center. She, along with the center, will host a picnic Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center where women can learn more about breastfeeding, in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week. RSVP at (415) 291-9506.

What made you want to work as a lactation educator? When my [18-year-old] son was born, I was the only one out of my friends who had a child. I felt very isolated, and despite reaching out to doctors for advice, I came up empty-handed.

What's your favorite thing about your work? Seeing an anxious, nervous, expectant mom come in with so many questions, so unsure of herself, and a couple of months after the birth she’s so confident in her parenting skills.

What's the most common thing that gets in the way of women being able to breastfeed successfully? Women hear the horrible stories of breastfeeding, much in the same way of birthing. The other is well-intentioned family who maybe didn't breastfeed and say, “The baby’s starving, give it a bottle, you had a bottle and you turned out just fine.”

How are public attitudes changing about women who breastfeed, especially in public? People are more tolerant to the idea that it’s a normal way to feed your baby, and as more and more women are breastfeeding in public, it becomes more of the norm.