Dear respected peers,

Although I find myself endlessly agreeing with Nikki (who, by the way, I
regard with the greatest of respect), this morning I found myself
diverting from her opinion in only one aspect of her post on breastfeeding
videos and thoughts.  What I find in my work with breastfeeding moms is
that many moms have chosen to breastfeed because of the many "benefits" it
affords her personally.  I have heard moms speak of reasons they want to
breastfeed, but many times I never hear "because it's best for the baby."
For example... "I heard that if I breastfeed, I will lose this weight
faster.  This is why I chose to bf."  If breastfeeding occurred always
because of reasons that were focused only on the baby, sore nipples and
engorgement would likely not be reasons that I hear mothers say they HAVE
to stop within a few days.  Instead, I would see more mothers who are
committed to the process, seek out help for problems, and not so much
bottle-feeding in the hospital.  Knowing this, I postulate that SOMETIMES
there is more emphasis than we realize placed on "me reasons" when a
mother chooses to breastfeed.  Quite frankly, I don't care why a mother
chooses to breastfeed, as long as she does so even if it is all about her
(because ultimately it becomes about the baby, too).

I think it is important to have beautiful breastfeeding pictures that show
how natural, tender, close, beautiful, and pleasurable breastfeeding can
be.  Every where I go, the breasts of twig-thin models are shoved in my
face... and they do not have a baby attached to them.  At some point, this
became ok in our society.  Otherwise, I would not have to watch a barely-
dressed Tyra Banks lovingly glare at her bosom in the commercial for the
Victoria's Secret push-up bra almost every day on t.v.  The fact is that
breasts are EVERYWHERE... in pictures, videos, on tv... even in my 3 year
old's video "Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper" where one of the dolls
has cleavage showing in several parts of the movie.  It becomes important
in this field to show women that they can be just as beautiful when they
breastfeed their children (perhaps more beautiful BECAUSE they
breastfeed).  Why?  Because there is a huge emphasis placed on beauty in
our society and some mothers need the "me reason" to breastfeed. I shudder
to think of what breastfeeding initiation rates in my hospital would be
like if I showed pictures of mothers crying during latch on, nipples that
have turned to "hamburger", or hugely engorged breasts on day 4.
What images would we prefer our mothers see?  This is where Nikki and I
part opinion... but I am realistic.  I, too, see the problems that others
here have discussed.  But I also see the mothers who are still
breastfeeding their older children.  They have breastfed for several years
and are "nipple trauma survivors" having perservered through adversity,
thrush, and mastitis and come through the "early day haze" completely
empowered with the knowledge that they made it through, breastfeeding IS
bliss, and they would not change a day in the road they have traveled.

So, I respectfully disagree with my mentor, and I encourage other
lactation professionals to remember how our society has evolved into a
sometimes me-focused one.  We tell our little girls (in subtle ways) that
beauty is important.  As the mother of six girls, I find this difficult on
a daily basis.  But I have learned that fighting this notion is
impossible, and so I embrace all things that make a woman beautiful...
breastfeeding a child is but one of those things.  If we are going to show
photos of breastfeeding, I feel that the photos that show bliss,
tenderness, and closeness show but one more reason to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding is beautiful.  If not, why do some of us tear up the first
time a baby latches on successfully after days of struggle?

By the way, I still think Nikki hung the moon.

My best regards,

Angie Sohler, RN, CLE, CLC
Beauty of Breastfeeding Calendar Editor
www.beautyofbreastfeeding.com
CAPPA CLE Trainer

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