Pam Morrison's letter raises an interesting question, and one which requires
analysis rather rhetoric.  The breastfeeding community walks a bit of a fine
line on this issue, because control of reproductive function is
controversial.  One camp feels passionately that the right of a woman to
control her own fertility in every respect is a primary human right.  Others
feel that the woman is essentially the vessle for the baby.  In some
cultures, the woman is essentially chattle, has few rights of any kind, and
her sexual and reproductive behavior is strictly controlled.  I heard David
Satcher, MD (recently the Surgeon General of the US) speak at a meeting in
Atlanta.  He said that for African Americans, who were widely used as forced
wet nurses for their white masters in the days of slavery, the issue of
breastfeeding is best approached with sensitivity and education.  Dr.
Satcher implied that there were some profound social issues underlying the
low bfg rates in African Americans. So while I agree that it is the right of
the baby to breastfeed, we have to remember that people tend to react with
hostility and to reject ideas when they feel compelled.  I know we compell
people to buckle seat belts and forbid them to smoke in some public places,
but those behaviors took years of focused public education to get people on
board.  We need to go forward with similar public education campaigns with
breastfeeding and certainly we have to do our own homework in terms of
educating cadres of health workers who actually know HOW to support bfg.

I still see way too many moms who experience "failure" who have essentially
been failed by the health care system, which still is not up to speed on
good bfg management.


Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
LactNews Press
www.lactnews.com

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