Everyone knows I'm fully on board with BINLB (Breast Is No Longer Best)
but a word of caution here...
I'd suggest if using BINLB is a short presentation, the language needs
to give the opposite side of the equation - formula isn't Good Enough,
or formula is a risk activity, or formula is not benign... however you
choose to phrase it.
At a recent breastfeeding awareness seminar in London, a keynote,
internationally renowned speaker used "Breast is no longer best, it's
normal", without spelling out the risks/problems with formula. Left to
stand alone, the message was reported as 'breast is no longer best, it's
normal and commonplace" in a fashion which reinforced formula feeding as
acceptable and downgraded breastfeeding.
Likewise, I've had to retitle my blog on the youtube clip of Karleen
discussing BINLB, with a sub-title of "Formula is inadequate". I found
that many people, lactivists included, Don't Get It, unless you are very
clear. I've been contacted likewise by furious advocates of formula
feeding, and lactavists, using up their time, and my time, on
complaining about the message - both that formula is a risk activity AND
that breast is no longer best. A girl can't win sometimes. ;-)
I urge you to use the language of BINLB, as I do feel it's the most
significant thing we can do to free women to breastfeed, but I'd suggest
it has to be side by side with formula risks, and the two extremely
clearly linked on the balancing scales.
On that, as a drama teacher, can I recommend that if you are not used to
mentioning formula risks, or formula at all - you practise saying the
phrases you are going to use! Under pressure, people usually resort to
the phrases they are comfortable with, and forget to add in the new ones.
On this particular presentation, on the science paper... it would be
very easy to do. Any reference to the complexity of the human milk,
will allow for statements such as "and so we can see why formula is
inadequate, as these hormones/ are missing, and thus babies fed on
formula have higher rates of...." Every time you flag up something
amazing in the report about what human milk does, you can link it to a
risk in not using human milk! :-)
In my experience, the shift in thinking on this paradigm is HUGE, and
that's easy to forget if you've already undertaken the journey.
Morgan Gallagher
Karleen Gribble wrote:
> Yes, you'd get their attention if the title of the talk was
> "Breast/Breastfeeding is no longer best" ...There are a number of
> papers that have talked about this starting with one from the
> Jelliffes in the 70s but also Mike Latham, Diane Wiessinger and Nina
> Berry and myself (there's also a clip from a debate I was a part of on
> youtube). Happy to pass these on to any wishing to use them. The
> language is so incredibly important!
>
>
>>> Jeanette,
>> I think that even with (or maybe especially with) those that "have
>> heard breast is best and believe it" need to hear the message that
>> breasstfeeding isn't best-it's NORMAL. Until we can get this
>> paradigm shift firmly in peoples' minds, I think our progress will
>> continue to be in tiny steps. Breastfeeding will still come across as
>> a "nice little extra credit". The presentation at ILCA on
>> "Voldemort" did an excellent job of pointing out how even in
>> supportive professional articles it still is presented "backwards"
>> and in too many cases the "villian" (formula) isn't even named.
>> Articles like "Breastfeeding and Cancer" which may state that
>> breastfeeding may be protective against some cancers in moms and
>> babies (still the wrong paradigm) still give the wrong impression in
>> the title.
>>
>> I recently gave a presentation to a group who was quite BF friendly.
>> I started out with a little True/False quiz with stqtements like:
>> "Breastfed babaies have fewer illnesses.", "Breastfed babies are
>> smarter." and "Breastfeeding mothers have reduced rates of breast
>> cancer." They answered "true" to each and then I told them they were
>> all false. They were shocked until I pointed out that it should have
>> been stated that artificially fed babies have more illness etc.
>>
>> The technical information such as in H&H is of interest, but I think
>> it would be more effective to try to get the paradigm shift first.
>> People can look up the technical stuff and digest it at their own
>> rate and in their own time. 15 minutes is to short for that, but
>> just about the right time to shake up some thinking.
>>
>> winnie.
>>
>>> OK - so I'm here trying to figure out how, in the next week, I can
>>> give a
>>> SHORT presentation (15 minutes or so) ................... but I want
>>> to give them some new perspective with the information in the
>>> first chapters of the Hale/Hartmann book and with the Chemical
>>> Engineering
>>>
>>>
>>> Jeanette Panchula.
>>>
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