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Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
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Tue, 21 Sep 2004 10:19:25 +0800
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On 21/09/2004, at 6:51, Teresa Pitman wrote:

> Can we not acknowledge that there may well be some differences -
> perhaps
> important ones, perhaps only minor ones - between breastfeeding at the
> breast, and feeding the baby with expressed milk using a bottle or some
> other feeding device? If we treat the two as identical, in our
> language and
> in our research, we may not learn about any differences and or be able
> to
> devise strategies that might help us minimize them.

Definitely. (And I would love for more of this research to be done!)
There is a need to draw the distinction in the scientific literature
and in medical reports, when the distinction makes a difference.

My objection was to the apparent categorical denial of access to the
word "breastfeeding" to these families. They're breastfeeding mothers,
their babies are breastfed babies. I believe that insisting that
someone take the label a "human milk feeder", not "breastfeeding
mother", seems to come across an attempt to distance and isolate her
from her child, denying their special relationship. They're reduced to
merely members of the same species, not a mother who is feeding her
babe. If a mother chooses to call herself a breastfeeding mother, is it
really important to insist she choose a different label (and role?) for
herself? I don't understand the reasoning behind this.

I host a support group for EPing mums; these labels hurt. Deeply. These
mums have _chosen_ breastfeeding; they struggle daily and hourly with
the reality of expressing, and are quite distanced enough already
without being consciously and deliberately cast out from their
community.

Some of the attitudes that deny EPing mothers membership in the
breastfeeding community are the same attitudes that withdraw support
(eg LLL, ABA and so on) from pumping mums, leaving them high, dry and
alone unless they can access and build their own support systems. I
realise that this is not the official position of these associations,
but the condescending, exclusionary attitudes are by all reports
unfortunately alive and thriving in certain areas.

(I do not speak of or for mothers who choose to EP, as I confess to
being unable to truly understand where they are coming from at this
point. I assume they are doing the best they can with the information
and resources available to them at the time).

> It is certainly true that some babies are not able to "breastfeed at
> the
> breast" and I regret that the mothers of these babies feel distant from
> other breastfeeding mothers.

I see that you agree that they are "breastfeeding mothers", then.  :-)

Lara

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