For weeks I've been preparing. My task was to select items for the CD we
would give attendees and then burn the CD's. Now it's over and I have that
post-holiday feeling: "What do I look forward to now?" But I have wonderful
memories. The event was James Akre's visit to Syracuse, during which he
spoke to a class at Syracuse University, to the stalwarts who work in our
local breastfeeding consortium, to a TV audience, and to many who serve
young mothers through various services, to inspire us to look at
breastfeeding with new eyes.
If you haven't the privilege of hearing Jim in person, you can read his
book, The Problem with Breastfeeding: a personal reflection. That title
caused an interesting situation with the first person to call in during the
TV show. She couldn't be convinced that he is FOR breastfeeding, not against
it. With the exception of another caller, an older woman who had doubtlessly
had one of the bad experiences so typical of her generation, all the calls
were very pro breastfeeding.
In preparation for his visit I read his book and I've seldom been so
stimulated to rethink what I believe and what I do. He believes the "breast
is best" mantra is totally passé, something we've discussed on this list but
he surprised many when he said it's not really mothers who breastfeed after
all and that breastmilk is not free.
What he has to say about the manufacturers of human milk substitutes may
surprise many of you. It recalled for me something I learned from a business
text: that if you sell what you make, you are likely to fail; to succeed you
must make what sells. Companies can sell formula because people buy it and
our true opponent is society-wide ignorance of the real importance of
breastfeeding. He mentioned how ineffective the US 'War on Drugs' has been
by attacking supply without reducing demand. And I recall the history of
prohibition which made alcohol illegal without lessening its consumption.
Jim believes we can turn things around within a generation provided we make
the right moves. However, he doesn't give us a step by step program. He
invites us both to think globally about our common goal-more and longer
breastfeeding-and to act locally to make our society support the biological
norm.
One practical effect on me has been the rethinking that has gone into my new
sig line, "Breastfeeding is the biological norm for infants. It is a
relationship that provides food, connection, and protection from illness to
the nursing baby and stress reducing hormones to the mother."
I have pretty much banished the phrase 'breastfeeding difficulties' and now
speak of obstacles, hurdles, challenges and barriers. The word difficulty
connotes something inherent in breastfeeding while obstacle, hurdle,
challenge and barrier all suggest something external and most 'difficulties'
result from ignorance.
I think one barrier in the US is the belief that breastfeeding is difficult
to do, that most women are likely to fail, and that it is a burden upon
those that succeed. Even those who understand the value of breastfeeding are
reluctant to encourage it if they also believe that it will fail and the
failure will be painful. When a mother confronts an obstacle, they think
they are relieving her when they suggest weaning because they believe
nursing is inherently difficult, painful, and tiring.
The unappreciated truth is that the things that life depends on feel good.
Nature is efficient and would not set up a system that benefits a baby at
the expense of its mother. That would be counterproductive because the baby
will not thrive for long if the mother does not.
We don't point out often enough that nursing mothers get the benefit of
prolactin, which aids in nurturing, and oxytocin, the pleasure hormone. One
of our handouts was Medela's "Going Back to Work & Want to Continue to
Breastfeed?" which lists among the reasons to breastfeed reduced risk of
postpartum bleeding, ovarian cancer, premenopausal breast cancer, obesity
and broken bones from osteoporosis but does not list the benefits of
prolactin and oxytocin.
It's pretty much time to stop debating the merits of breastfeeding and to
talk instead about removing barriers. If someone doubts the importance of
breastfeeding, tell them to read the research, that there are over 13,000
peer reviewed articles they can consult so that they will understand that
breastfeeding is far more than a lifestyle choice.
I'm not finished but I will pause now,
Alice Roddy,
Breastfeeding is the biological norm for infants. It is a relationship that
provides food, connection, and protection from illness to the nursing baby
and stress reducing hormones to the mother.
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