You’ve all heard me extoll my laziness before. I’m going to do it again and this is a big one. Ready? Breastfeed. Hell, you’ve got everything you need. It’s easy. It’s cheap. It’s portable. It has no expiration date, and already comes in the perfect comfortable and attractive carrying case for easy travel.
Now before everybody starts berating me for being insensitive to those moms that have overwhelming physical or emotional obstacles to breastfeeding, let me say right up front that I’m not about to put them down — they have my support and understanding. Now, as for the rest of you…
We all know, at least on an intellectual level, that breast is best. However, even with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that infants be exclusively breastfeed for the first 4-6 months of life and breastfeed for a year and however long after is mutually desired — only 12% of new moms are still breastfeeding at 6 months.
Are we buckling under the pressure of corporate and societal campaigns against breastfeeding? Is it just too practically difficult? It does strike me as discouraging that of all the successfully breastfeeding mammals on the planet, ours if the only one that seems to think the process is “hard”. For me this begs the question, why? And more importantly, how can we change it?
I think and hope that we already know it’s worth it. Breastfeeding is incredibly important for child and mom’s physical and emotional health. It’s the perfect immune booster and incredibly portable, always available, comfort food. Sounds like something I want to travel with!
Don’t just take my word for it — check out the links below.
101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child
Tips for Discreet Breastfeeding
Baby Babble — breastfeeding benefits
Can You Breastfeed With Pierced Nipples?
Why Breast is Best
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Mothering Magazine Article: Breastfeeding
Mothering Magazine Article: HIV and Breastfeeding
Mothering Magazine Article: Discreetly Breastfeeding in Public
Traveling With Breastmilk
NABA Home page
Breastfeeding Advocacy Network
The Lactivist
Breastfeeding problems and benefits – why women wean too early
Conscious Choice: Baring Breasts for Baby
Breastfed babies cope better with stress in later life.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that one of the issues is the workplace. For those that work, breastfeeding is very difficult. Though many workplaces offer pumping rooms, they can exempt some employees from using them. And what about hourly employees? Or waitresses? or baristas? They don’t have the option. Some states have laws about pumping stations for work, but they don’t really have teeth. And most women are afraid to push it for fear of retaliation.
So, our culture is very breastfeeding unfriendly, in many ways. Lack of appropriate time off after childbirth, lack of facilities for pumping. And if you check out the lactivist blogs, you can note that there are daycare that treat breastmilk like a biohazard! So lack of appropriate education is also a problem. Its amazing to me that we argue about teaching sex ed in schools, but we don’t teach about breastfeeding. Thats biology, right? ~laughs~ We have our priorities all screwed up, even in the arguments!
Thanks so much for the comment. I couldn’t agree more. I have been lucky enough to have the option of staying home with my kids, but many people don’t have the option. Quite honestly, regardless of the individual situation, i don’t think career vs. caring for children is a choice women should be asked to make anyway. Sadly, the “privilege” of breastfeeding is now drawn along class lines as well. Mid-upper class women might be able to subsist on one income, take some time off, or demand special arrangements for pumping, etc., in the workplace–but, as you pointed out, a waitress doesn’t usually have the option to do any of that.
Shamefully, our country is at the bottom of the list in terms of family-friend workplaces and parental leave. There are many reasons to be sure–the power of formula companies, lack of education, etc. Partly, we are suffering a backlash of the feminist movement, in which women demanded to be treated equally–without special treatment. A little special treatment would go a long way toward improving our society. Not only would children and families benefit, but our society as a whole. Our country could save tons of money in healthcare costs alone, if breastfeeding was supported rather than discouraged.
I love being a mom and one of the best parts of being a mom has been nursing. I nursed my son until he was 18 months old. I planned to nurse longer, but unfortunately my family and my in-laws started getting to me. Comments like “You’re still nursing?” and “My daughter weaned herself at 9 months. Anything over 12 months is too long, you’ll spoil him” were discouraging to say the least. Not to mention the shocked look on their faces when he would toddle up to me and ask “Nur? Nur?” Suddenly because he could verbally express that he wanted to nurse it was wrong?
Oh well. Live and learn. I am hoping and praying that we are blessed with another child some day, then I can decide for myself how long is too long! lol
I have successfully nursed 3 children to 1 or longer. I am currently nursing my 4 1/2 month old, and have thought about this situation a LOT. I am lucky enough to stay home, so maybe I’m not objective. I don’t know. But I think part of the reason that new nursing mothers aren’t pushing through the difficulties, is that something else is just too readily available. “Nursing is hard? Oh, well, just go buy some formula and be done!” It’s party this mindset that is causing issue. At least in my opinion. Formula was first made to be medically necessary intervention for the rare cases that women could absolutely NOT nurse. Which really is rare, no matter how many times you hear the excuse.
I also agree that issues with working mom’s not being able to pump at work is a problem. But again, I think it goes back to people saying “Well, you can just feed formula, so it doesn’t matter if you pump.” This is again, only my opinion, but as I said, I’ve been thinking a lot about this, as I sit and feed my baby the one food that is made JUST for him!
My son is almost a year old, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to breastfeed my son the whole year. I had planned on nursing him for only the first 4 months basically, because that seemed to be the “norm” from what I had heard and read on the subject. I work only 2 miles from my son’s daycare, so I have been able to leave work when he needs to eat, so, I was able to extend that original 4 month marker I had set. I did some pumping, but found that I couldn’t really pump enough to keep up with his demand (my suggestion is to invest in a good pump & don’t stress about it…the milk will come). At about 7-8 months, we discovered that my son is allergic to cows milk (in the formula that I had used as a supplement when I couldn’t pump enough.) At that time, I decided I would nurse until he was at least a year, or when he no longer reacted to the cows milk (I have my thoughts about cows milk anyway…why are we the only species that drinks another animals milk?).
So, now is when the interesting part comes in…I cannot believe how many people make it their business to “suggest” to me that I need to “cut him off” of the nursing since he’s almost a year old. “It’s about time you wean him, isn’t it?” Especially once he started getting teeth. Why are people so afraid of breastfeeding? Breastfeeding has been the most amazing bonding experience I have had with my son since he’s been born. It’s handy, it’s fresh, it’s FREE! Not to mention the health benefits it has for babies! Breastfeeding shouldn’t be taboo. Women have these amazing milk producing machines, it’s no accident that we can do this. I am so glad that I made the choice to nurse my son. And, I will do it again with our next child.
My kids are all teens now but they each nursed for at least 2 yrs and have had hardly any illnesses ever. My daughter had an ear infection at 2 but then didn’t get an Rx again until she was 16 and wanting birth control.
North American attitudes are pretty prudish about nursing babies, I fortunately started nursing my oldest in Germany where it is no big deal. It really is too bad it isn’t better promoted as there are a lot of low income families where I live who could really benefit.
Also, studies show there is a huge benefit for mom.
So I just wanted to say, YEAH for those bodacious TA TAs!
I nursed all 3 of my children. It is one of the best bonding a child and mother can do. But nursing also burns the equivalent of 1/2 hour aerobics daily!
I nursed my daughter until she was 4 months old.
I started work when she was 3 months, and luckily, I have an amazing employer who understood that every few hours I needed to pump (he saw the side effects when I became engorged and leaked all over the place!) and there were no problems at all.
However, when she was 4 months old, I developed a really nasty kidney infection. They put me on heavy-duty, non-nursing friendly, antibiotics. We had enough milk stored, so that was not a problem. However, at the end of my course, they found not only did I still have the infection, but very large, BILATERAL kidney stones, I had pain meds, more antibiotics and some kind of medication to break the stones up. Needless to say, we ran out of milk before I passed the stones. We didn’t have any other option but to switch to fomula at that point.
My daughter did very well and is a thriving 17 month old now. I’m all for breast feeding as long as possible, but sometimes other issues present themselves and we are helpless to stop them.
Agree with your view! Way too easy/portable/and laughed at “attractive carrying case” I didn’t like breastfeeding our 3 babies but refused to put what I liked over the health of my kids. I had sucha hard time with all 3 – painful bleeding sore for a month each time – AHG! Brings back painful memories but I had a goal to do it for a year with each one and darnit – nothing but an deadly lightening bolt from God was going to stop me. Soooo glad I was stubborn!
I nursed all 4 of my babies and LOVED it!!! It was a great bonding experience and one of my fondest memories of being a mom! Very afforable and available any time they needed me.
I could not nurse and I felt a LOT of pressure for others, and guilt, to do it. In some circles, you are viewed as a failure/bad mom/moron for not nursing. Formula is not poison and there are many many healthy babies raised on formula. I support mothers who do nurse, but please also support mothers who do not or cannot.
Also, beware some of the claims that pro-bfing groups that nursed babies have lower rates of obesity, higher IQ, etc. If you look at the (few) actual studies on these subjects, the results did not support those theories. The only thing that is known for sure that studies have supported time and again are the immune benefits.
Also, at the grocery store the other day, a woman commented on how healthy my son (8 months old) looked and said I must be breast-feeding. She seemed surprised when I said I wasn’t.
Yes, breast feeding is excellent I think. I don’t care if people stare at my tits at all. I have nursed 5 children, all for about 12 months each. Our culture needs to be more accepting of women whipping them out in public.