One of the problems I often hear from moms I see during home visits who are
from Latin America, is that they tell me that they can't breastfeed when
they are tense or upset because their milk becomes bitter/spoiled (se me
agria la leche).  

In fact, our Breastfeeding Coalition created a handout for our area in
English and Spanish talking about how breastfeeding REDUCES stress
(relaxation hormones) and encouraging moms to use breastfeeding as a time to
relax...but be aware that in wartime France ... Women breastfed.  In the
cover of Time magazine a while back had the picture of a refugee with her
baby at her breast - breastfeeding her obviously healthy baby despite HER
stresses.

I'm afraid whenever we talk about stress, pain and embarrasment reducing
oxytocin release - as much as I believe it does SOMETIMES and for a certain
length of time, I also know that breastfeeding after my father died, with
the tears flowing down my face, did NOT hurt the relationship I had with my
baby - or the flow of my milk.  I know many moms I work with have fears of
not having a food in the house tomorrow - or that they will be deported
tomorrow - or that the family they are staying with will kick them out of
the house tomorrow...and still they breastfeed.

We DO want moms to have lovely, relaxing, cuddling time with their babies -
but jumping from that to the view that women throughout the world, for
centures, breastfed ONLY under those circumstances is unbelievable to me.
Having had three kids under 4 - I often also felt "under seige" also.

We need more information and research about how to help moms DESPITE
stressful lives - I know some recommend deep breathing, others music, others
visualizing a calm sea or a rushing waterfall, or dad giving mom a back
rub...

How we interpret and share information we learn from research is, in fact, a
lot of the "art" of lactation consulting.  

In fact, now that I think of it - it is those "tidbits" I get reading
Lactnet that keep me coming back for more...

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California

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