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Date: | Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:50:57 +0200 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
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> Rachel Myr wrote
> It occurs to me that it would be more apropos to inform people
> about the
> purpose of breastfeeding, rather than advantages of it, or dangers
> of other
> things.
8<
> Breastfeeding is necessary for the continued normal development of
> the human
> child after birth.
A few months ago I was asked to debate breastfeeding in Swedish
television, with among others, a well-known Swedish breastfeeding
critic and feminist. Her mission is to belittle breastfeeding in high
income countries; "you don't have to breastfeed, breatfed children
get as many allergies as bottle-fed and it even might be dangerous to
breastfeed exclusively for too long". She also says that Swedoish
authorities promote exclusive breastfeeding in solidarity with low
income countries and hints that Swedish women are breastfeeding in vain.
I decided to emphasize women's emotional choice of breastfeed. That
most women actually WANT to breastfeed, if only they/we get the
opportunity, with breastfeeding faciliating hospital ward routines,
knowledge, support and maternal leave/breastfeeding faciliation at
worplaces. Women don't make the choice of breastfeeding because there
is a 21 % lower risk of overweight/obesity. Women nurse because they
want to and/or think it's worthwile.
There is an Norweigan study on why Norweigan women stop breastfeeding
before six months. Insufficient milk was by far the most common
reason women ceased breastfeeding before 6 months. Only around 10 %
ceased breastfeeding because they wanted to or due to work or
studies. I applied the Norweigan study on Sweden as the countries are
pretty similar. Counting on the Swedish national breastfeeding
statistics showed that 25 000 women cease breastfeeding
unintentionally before six months every year. That is a forth of all
new mothers yearly! To belittle these wonen's desire to breastfeed is
not confirmingor even soothing these women's pain, but undermining
other women's ability to breastfeed successfully. And this has very
little to do with this or that immunological effect.
(In the end I wasn't in the show, they chose someone else from
Amningshjälpen.)
Marit Olanders
editor of the Swedish breastfeeding magazine Amningsnytt and
breastfeeding counsellor in Amningshjälpen
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