I think there are many terms that we as advocates use that undermine
our own agenda. I personally think that "Lactivist" is one of those
terms and have no desire to be termed as such. OTOH, it concerns me
less than the word "breastfeeding". We do not use the terms
"udderfeeding" or "teatfeeding" for other mammals. Using the word
"breast"feeding inherently implies there is another option. It also
objectifies the breast, making it similar to a bottle in that sense. My
breasts do not feed my children, they are not filled like a bottle,
then emptied by the baby like a bottle. My breasts are not independent
of me and my psycho-spiritual experience of mothering. My breasts are
intergal to a complex feedback mechanisn within my biology and my
psyche that is in constant communication with my brain, my heart,my
nervous suystem, my endocrine system and so on. IMO, we need to be
truly radical and when we refer to the feeding of an infant we must
mean ONLY feeding at the breast. Botlles are the object, the tool like
many others accessed only when necessary. I also do not think "human"
milk feeding does it, b/c this can be done with a bottle and places all
of the value on the product--human milk. That is why I like the phrases
"artificial" feeding and "artificial infant milk", b/c they make it
clear they are not a physiologically normal way to feed a baby.
I don't have the exact solution, especially as it becomes more complex
when one tries to think globally, but I am pretty confident that we
aren't using any effective terminology, though. As a mtter of fact, I
think we will know it is effecvtive when it isn't adopted by the AIM
companies in their own literature. They have no problem with "breast is
best" or "breastfeeding". I don't see the term "artificial feeding" in
their literature, though.
Jennfier Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
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