As soon as I posted in response to Renee's thoughts about guilt and our collective failure to eat 5 
to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, I realized that this is, of course, connected 
breastfeeding.  While 70% of US babies apparently breastfeed at least once, and most Americans 
consume some fruits and veggies, the number of babies who are exclusively breastfed for 6 
months is vanishingly small, as is the number of people who eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables on a 
daily basis.

As has been stated on Lactnet before, the same culprit is partially to blame in both situations.   
The food industry, with its seductive marketing of addictive "food," draws us away from what 
nature provides (human milk, fruits, and vegetables) toward what they provide:  packaged, 
prepared, processed, preserved junk that they claim is nutritious, wholesome and good for our 
kids.  I defer to any number of Jennifer Tow's posts on this topic, and recommend Marion Nestle's 
book, What To Eat.  

So our collective inability to live up to these two government-endorsed standards for nutrition do 
originate at least in part in the same place.  The difference is, as Renee points out, that people 
who don't eat enough fruits and veggies don't get mad at those who tell them they should.  As I 
noted in my previous post, I think this has everything to do with the fact that very, very few people 
find themselves materially obstructed in their efforts to go their local produce aisle and buy fresh 
fruit and vegetables.  On the other hand, when people tell women they should breastfeed, women 
do get mad at the messenger, because that messenger doesn't seem to get that difficulty initiating 
breastfeeding, combined with bad advice from HCPs, lack of support/ blatant antagonism toward 
breastfeeding from family, and the requirement that they go back to work a few weeks after birth 
make it nearly impossible for many, many women to breastfeed.  Of course, most of us do get it, 
and are working to change those conditions, but it doesn't seem so to the beleaguered new 
mother.

Other people have said it on lactnet, and I'll say it again:  the messages about breastfeeding that 
are designed to induce guilt need to be directed at governments and employers that make it 
impossible for employed women to be with their babies for an appropriate period of time.  We 
need to shame companies that peddle breastmilk subsitutes.  We need to shame public figures 
who discourage breastfeeding.  We need to educate and hold accountable HCPs who care for and 
advise new mothers.  And we need to work toward public spaces that are entirely breastfeeding 
friendly.

We already do a lot of this very well.  I think what I, at least, have resolved to do, is lay off 
individual women.  Thinking of yet one more way to make women understand that not 
breastfeeding is bad and that they should feel guilty *and* not blame the messenger doesn't seem 
productive or kindhearted at this point.

I might add that I am not targeting this at Renee.  I think she raises some excellent questions.  I 
am responding to the general line of reasoning that pops up on this list and in other breastfeeding 
advocacy discussions -- that if we could just think of the perfect analogy to help women see how 
bad it is that they aren't breastfeeding, more of them would breastfeed.  Maybe they would, but 
I'm not sure the end justifies the means, especially in a society in which the deck is so heavily 
stacked against breastfeeding women and children.

Kerry Ose

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