This is definitely an area where LLL excels, simply by having women in the
room that have happily immersed themselves in motherhood, in meeting their
baby's needs. Women who are struggling against the pressure to abandon
their babies (which really is everywhere) see happy, sane women and clearly
well-adjusted children against which to measure the 'spoiling' messages they
are getting.
Ingrid
LLLL, IBCLC
British Columbia
Canada
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pamela Morrison
Sent: January 3, 2010 2:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Breastfeeding and child abuse (reduction)
Karleen, Thanks very much for sending in the Strathearn
abstract. Horribly fascinating, and another good weapon for our arsenal.
What I'm also interested in, though, is what might be described as
reverse causality and breastfeeding prevalence; the potential
influence of society in general to actually promote or actually
foster/promote infant neglect, the first manifestation of which might
be to discourage breastfeeding. I've noted that friends and
relations of a new mother will often demonstrate a lot of concern for
her, while simulataneously exhibiting quite a callous and frightening
disregard for the very basic needs of the new baby. They will often
urge the new mother to leave a baby to cry, to stretch out the hours
and minutes between feeds, and ultimately to abandon breastfeeding
altogether - the "you're making a rod for your own back" kind of
remarks we're all so familiar with. It's quite astonishing to see
that concern for the adult member of the dyad often over-rides
concern for the terribly vulnerable new baby. There's huge approval
the first time the baby is left with a baby-sitter so that the new
mother and father can go out for dinner - alone. There's also huge
encouragement to wean from the breast. I've lost count of the number
of mothers-in-law that are reported to urge the mother to leave the
baby for a whole weekend so that the mother and father can go away
somewhere romantic as a couple. Then there are the sort of glib,
clever articles in parenting magazines which urge a new mother to
regain her pre-pregnant figure asap after birth, to take back control
of her old life, rather than immersing herself in nappies and
breastfeeding, implying that mothering will cause her body, her brain
and her personality to stagnate ...(There's Life after
Motherhood-type drivel)....completely missing the reality of the
physiologically normal postpartum state.
I've known new mothers to become terribly distressed and confess to
feelings of huge guilt because they think that somehow they're
becoming too bonded to their babies, and should perhaps leave them to
cry, should leave them to go out, should resist the kind of total
engrossment they feel. It's almost as if everything is conspiring to
suggest that babies should not be given first priority, that almost
any other commitment or task should be put ahead of the baby's needs,
as if society in general tries to drive a wedge between the mother
and her young child at every possible opportunity. This manifests
itself particularly in the very negative reactions that many mothers
experience when breastfeeding in public, when trying to access
maternity leave or nursing breaks.
It would be educational to know whether this kind of very pervasive
attitude only finds its mark in a receptive woman, or whether it
actually influences every mother in our westernized cultures. When
I've pointed out to my clients that they're merely responding to
their babies in the way that nature intended, and that this is how
babies survive and thrive, there's this huge relief that what they're
experiencing is right and appropriate. But how many new mothers, I
wonder, fall for this detachment mindset, becoming more and more
distant from their small babies, their toddlers, their pre-schoolers
and ultimately their teens? With devastating consequences for
society in general and for the next generation in particular. No
wonder our birth rates are falling, when children are so under-valued
and motherhood, by association, is such a thankless task. This is
why I've advocated so strenuously for breastfeeding to be seen as the
right of the baby, not the mother. This is another back to front
statement, like Breast is Not Best, which can also be misunderstood!
Pamela Morrison IBCLC
Rustington, England
----------------------------------------
Hi Pam,
Here's the abstract.
I'm sure I have the whole paper somewhere but I will have to go looking for
it.
Karleen Gribble
Australia
Strathearn, L., A. A. Mamun, et al. (2009). "Does breastfeeding protect
against substantiated child abuse and neglect? A 15-year cohort study."
Pediatrics 123(2): 483-93.
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set
lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.725 / Virus Database: 270.14.122/2590 - Release Date: 01/02/10
00:22:00
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
