Dear Friends:
       Susan E. Burger makes an excellent point about the medicalization of
breastfeeding.
       We don't see how medicalized we have become.
       Techniques that evolved for specific situations have become 'de
rigeur' for all. One mother called me today, she's had difficulties with
breastfeeding since the birth, baby is 2 weeks old and in hospital for fever. She had
already spoken to several LCs. She had a long home visit with another LC who 'had
tried all the tricks' (nipple shield, every position........can you imagine
what that 2 hours was like?), She has an appointment with a
SpeechLanguagePathologist, and decided to call me because someone suggested one more opinion from
an expert couldn't hurt.
       I asked her if she already had enough cooks in her soup. She said yes,
and started laughing. We chatted some. She's in hell right now, with
breastfeeding not going well and her baby going through a septic workup in the
hospital. I told her she had already 'tried everything' with several LCs, that she
was going to see the right specialist (the SLP), and that if she wanted to call
me after all that, she was welcome.

       Nobody does anything perfectly the first time. Can you imagine having
an audience of strangers the first time you make love? These strangers are
'experts' and determined to prevent ANY problem. How in the world would THAT
work? Would you feel comfortable to let go? Would you be feeling defensive or
worried after doing it only once?
     Imagine breastfeeding the first time, when you need privacy more than
ever after opening (or being opened, more likely in today's hospitals). Instead
of peace and quiet, there are people present, correcting the latch and
interrupting the flow and communication between mother and baby who have to discover
each other. (Michel Odent has talked about this ritual of interrupting the
connection between mother and baby many times, in video and in print.) In the
USA, these rituals at birth (bulb syringe, vital signs, touching, checking hips,
eye ointment, injection(s)) are called medicalization.
       Medicalization means watching something all the time, with monitors if
a person can't be there, and ready to jump in the minute something starts to
look odd. There is no acceptance of individual process in medicalization; no
room or tolerance for other than instant success. "If your baby doesn't latch
on in the next few hours, we're gonna have to give a bottle." No regard for
what baby needs, or what mother needs, it isn't often part of the equation. Baby
has to eat, that is the concern despite ample evidence from around the world
that mother and baby have a few days to get it together. There is never any
tolerance for less than perfect in a medical world; the range of accepted
deviation has become so narrow. What is the weight range of babies who don't need to
have their heels poked for blood sugars? Woe betide the healthy baby who is
bigger or smaller.
       Screening techniques are being used for diagnoses. People are
forgetting the difference.
       Colostrum is probably so concentrated because babies have to practice
nursing; the system is designed so that if baby even gets a drop, baby gets a
lot! There is no room for practice in breastfeeding in a medicalized
system.(How long did it take you to get lovemaking right? Probably more than once.
Maybe more than one partner.)
       Medicalization means an atmosphere of anxious observance, instead of
loving attention.
      Process is ignored in medicalization; personal differences are ignored
in process and can be treated as medical conditions. Ex: "Why did you have
that cesarean section?" "Because my cervix didn't dilate fast enough." Fast
enough for whom? And if labor doesn't even start on its own, how can a cervix be
anything but slow?
       Don't get me started!
       Thank you, Susan.
       warmly,
       Nikki Lee

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