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Subject:
From:
"Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 4 Jun 2002 14:16:15 EDT
Content-Type:
text/plain
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The use of the word, guilt in regard to infant feeding, is a social marketing
tool used to silence everyone.   Guilt is about blame, wrong-doing, fault.
Our society has chosen to fault individual mothers for their choices rather
that put the blame, the guilt squarely on the shoulders of institutions and
governmental bodies that have chosen to support the infant formula industry
over the individual mother.  Pregnant mothers are swamped with information
from the infant formula industry, given free formula in the hospital and
enough coupons for infant formula to fill a house.

Some administrators of medical institutions say we should not make moms feel
guilty. What?  By using the word guilt, they have presented the issue of
infant feeding in terms of a right and a wrong.   When I talk to moms in
regard to infant feeding decisions or weaning I  talk about regrets.   Will
you regret this decision to wean now?  Will you regret bottle-feeding this
baby?  Regret is about sorrow, about grief.  I suggest that we quit talking
about guilt, a social marketing tool to silence people.  Instead, we need to
present to others the concept of regret and the need to limit the amount of
regrets we have in our lifetime.  I have alot of regrets in my 50 years of
living but no regrets about breastfeeding all my children.  Guilt is for
wrong-doing.  Women bottlefed for many reasons and most of the reasons are
because our culture is guilty of not supporting breastfeeding.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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