Breast Feeding is a Political Statement

This lovely photo is provided by Bklynlady and is entitled

"Lunch" courtesy of http://breastfeedingphotos.blogspot.com/

You'd think that there would be nothing more natural, or acceptable, but it seems that society in general conspires against the breast feeding mother. Right from the word go, there are subtle pressures that inhibit a mothers will and ability to breastfeed. On the NCT's website (National Childbirth Trust) http://www.nct.org.uk/breastfeeding/ I found this paragraph about breastfeeding mothers;

"Nine out of ten women who stop breastfeeding in the first six weeks are stopping before they want to. The most common reasons given for stopping, reveal that these women often didn't receive the accurate information and support that they needed."

“British breastfeeding rates are amongst the lowest in Europe. Only seven out of ten babies receive any breast milk and this falls to 55% at one week. Just one in five babies are receiving any breast milk by the time they are six months old, although the World Health Organisation recommend that babies need nothing other than breastfeeding for the first six months of life.”

Why is this? Information about the health and child care benefits of breastfeeding have never been more prevalent or accessible, thanks to active promotion by the medical professions and organisations such as the NCT and the La Leche League and of course the Internet. Breast is Best! This fact is as well known as it is logical. Our ancestors whose biology we inherited didn't look for the nearest cow for their babies to suckle from. The idea that that bovine milk (which is primarily what constitutes baby formula) is better for human babies than human milk (barring any contra-indications arising from ill health, diseases such as HIV or other issues affecting lactation) which is naturally engineered to provide exactly for the needs of a human infant, delivering antibodies, and nutrients such as essential fatty acids and amino acids and substances that may not yet have been quantified but may prove nevertheless to essential to infant development in precisely the right proportions for optimum development is not only sad and misguided, but ludicrous.

In his open letter "The Milk Letter, An Open Letter to Patients" Dr Robert M. Kradjian, MD, Breast Surgery Chief Division of General Surgery, Seton Medical Centre (the full article, the main premise of which calls for a separate post can be found here http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html ) asserts:

"For example, cows' milk is very much richer in protein than human milk. Three to four times as much. It has five to seven times the mineral content. However, it is markedly deficient in essential fatty acids when compared to human mothers' milk. Mothers' milk has six to ten times as much of the essential fatty acids, especially linoleic acid.(Incidentally, skimmed cow's milk has no linoleic acid). It simply is not designed for humans."

The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby are not temporary, but last a lifetime , providing babies with essential antibodies, and making conditions such as colic, ear infections eczema less likely and supplying long term protection and lowering the risk from type 1 diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, allergies, obesity, and even bestowing increased IQ (or is it that alternatives lower IQ?) The answer to why despite all the benefits many mothers discontinue early or perhaps never breast lies in the attitudes, needs and expectations of others and the general practicalities of breastfeeding in a society that has sidelined parenting and a more child centred approach to parenting as inconvenient.

This subjection to external pressures starts in hospitals, where health professionals scrutinise attempts at breastfeeding. For mothers who have just given birth, particularly first time mothers, this is an incredibly vulnerable time and the bonding process can be impeded by too much interference. The opinions are given authoritatively, but differ hugely. I personally lost count of the number of times a nurse or midwife wanted to "help" me and "let me rest" by offering to feed my baby for me! No thanks was my response. Alternatively some mothers feel they are under so much pressure to feed naturally "to perform" so to speak, that anxiety levels are sky high and this in turn affects their ability to lactate.

Partners also have a huge impact in both the decision of a woman to breastfeed or not and the longevity of breastfeeding. Support from a partner is very important and a father can help the mother through the difficulties of breastfeeding. On the other hand Dads may want the best for their child, but the changing role of a woman's breasts from sexual to utilitarian can provoke resentment. There can also be decreased libido for a breastfeeding women as a result of hormonal changes that may prompt a man to urge his partner to give up breastfeeding.

Female family members can add to the problem, particularly if those women are mothers who also did not breastfeed. Comments such as "maybe the baby would sleep better at night if you gave her/him formula" or "well (this or that person) was fed on formula and it never did them any harm" and "are you sure he/she is getting enough? maybe you should think about starting the baby on solids". Weekly check ups with the health visitor raise weight concerns, as breastfed babies are leaner than formula fed babies and don't "perform well on weight/growth charts. It should be pointed out that the charts were based on predominantly formula fed babies and don't adequately reflect the healthy growth patterns of breastfed babies.

Next on the list of attitudes conspiring against the breastfeeding mother are those of "the general public". Often mothers feeding their children in public places are asked to to stop feeding or leave! The NCT called for a law to give mothers the right to breastfeed in public. It isn't actually against the law, but the reaction from some citizens could make a person think it was an act of indecent exposure! (Find out more about this story here http://www.nct.org.uk/media/pressrelease?prid=63 ) The forward thinking Scottish Parliament have already passed such a law. I breast feed my child when and where she needs feeding. Are the sensitivities of others more important than an infants need for food? I think not. Furthermore, if people are so incensed about women "brazenly" (that's sarcasm, can you tell?) feeding their little ones publicly, consider this, why do they not lobby in support of mothers for better (and more discreet) facilities for mothers and babies? I tire of asking various premises for the use of their mother and baby room only to be directed to the public toilet! Unlike infants, most adult's immune systems are well developed, but would you eat in a toilet? I doubt it. So what the alternatives to the toilet or breastfeeding in a public area? Stay at home until your child is weaned in an sort of "new mother purdah" imposed on those women who simply wish to do what is best for their child by those who should know better. The medical establishment, the World Health Organisation and various governments stress the importance of breastfeeding for nutritional and psychological well being of infants, so why is so called "polite" society so determined to vilify and ostracise the breast feeding mother? The negative response to women breastfeeding in public actually encourages women (particularly young women ) to use a bottle and formula instead or to stop breastfeeding to appease the opinions of others and denies babies of optimum nutrition and well being in the manner nature intended.

The popularity of bottle feeding in developed countries is relatively recent. The 50's and 60's marked the burgeoning freedom of women and the depersonalisation of the birthing and nurturing of babies. Why is bottle feeding still so prevalent. I see for reasons as being key,

• Advertising and media pressure.
• Pressure from Partners, family, health professionals and "society" to conform
• Economic reasons such as the need to return to work hastening weaning
• The need to share childcare responsibilities with partners, family or carers

When did you last see a baby on your favourite soap being breastfed? Millions are spent by big business to persuade us to by formula, teats, bottles, sterilisers, etc. I found this article from the Washington Post today, (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/30/AR2007083002198_pf.html ) . It describes how a public breastfeeding promotion campaign that would have been highly effective was "toned down" to the extent that it was almost completely ineffective as a result of lobbying by the infant formula industry which hired a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former top regulatory official to lobby the Health and Human Services Department. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) advised recently that MORE than one million babies could be saved worldwide if mothers were to start breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. This makes the actions of companies such as Nestlé all the more deplorable and has led to world wide boycott being called against the companies products. The following quotes are taken from http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html.

"Nestlé is targeted with the boycott because monitoring conducted by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) finds it to be responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company"

"As UNICEF has said: Marketing practices that undermine breastfeeding are potentially hazardous wherever they are pursued: in the developing world, WHO estimates that some 1.5 million children die each year because they are not adequately breastfed. These facts are not in dispute."

You can find more info about the boycott here http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/search/label/Nestle%20boycott

The need to conform to societies conventions and economics affects how long women breastfeed for too. It is often deemed in western societies "abnormal" to breastfeed a baby beyond 6 months, weaning (starting solids) often being synonymous with the cessation of breastfeeding. This is not the case in other cultures where breastfeeding may continue for far longer. From a biological point of view Dr Robert M. Kradjian advises:

"It seems that nature provides new-borns with the enzymatic equipment to metabolize lactose,but this ability often extinguishes by age 4 or 5 years."

Can you imagine the outcry? I am not suggesting that everyone should breastfeed until a child is of school age, but it does provoke thought. Why do so many women who do breastfeed for more than a few weeks stop feeding at between 6 months - 12 months, why not 18 months or 24 months? Conforming to what is considered normal definitely plays a part. Another significant factor in stopping breastfeeding is financial. Women in the UK are entitled to 1 years maternity leave, part paid, part unpaid. If women do not return to work following maternity leave, they are obliged to return their employers maternity pay contribution. Many families simply cannot manage financially on one income, or afford to repay such a debt. Public attitudes towards a woman's role have changed so much that it no longer questioned if you will return to work, but when. To decide to leave the working world and look after your baby is often considered either a luxury or radical! This means well before the deadline women are trying to arrange child care and wean their babies so that they are less dependant on them. Some women try to use expressed milk and find that adequate support is not given by their employers.

The reasons why women don't breastfeed seem as numerous as the benefits of breastfeeding. I am not writing this post as a means of railroading women into breastfeeding. I understand the difficulties that can be experienced and I recognise the need for women to do what is right for them, their babies and their families according to their personal circumstances. I do hope to present the facts and perhaps use this article to support those who make the choice to breastfeed and highlight the social attitudes and other constraints that limit this course of action.

Personally I have found no more enjoyable bonding experience than that experienced when breastfeeding my daughter. To be able to nourish and provide for her needs physically, emotionally and spiritually in this most basic way is incredibly satisfying. Not to mention the convenience of feeding. I feel for parents who have to get up in the early hours to prepare bottles, when I am able to just pick my little angel up for a sleepy cuddle and feed!