I want to thank all of you who contacted me on and off list with your
suggestions, ideas and kudos.  I appreciate it!  I had a gut feeling, that
started when I was on active duty and breastfeeding 10 years ago, that a
booklet/handbook for military mothers would be a good idea!  I am glad to
see that I was right, judging by the numbers of you have requested a copy
when it is completed :-)  It has taken me this long to finish my degree due
to my husband's military career and taking time off to raise my children and
all the while this idea has been germinating in my mind.  I am enjoying the
research and learning that is involved in getting this project put
together...and LactNet is such a fabulous resource!

So-with that I thought I'd clear up some confusion regarding military
service and breastfeeding and give a brief rundown of some of the main
barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding while on active duty.

All women in the military (including Guard and Reserve called to active
duty) are given 42 days of leave/vacation time after the birth of their
baby.  They may take more time with their Commanders approval and if they
have enough accrued time on the books.  The US Army, Navy and Marine Corps
defer deployment for 4 months after birth, the Coast Guard defers for 6
months and recently the Air Force unveiled a new policy allowing deferment
while the mother is exclusively breastfeeding.  Once the deferment period is
over the service member is then 'world-wide' deployable at any time and to
anywhere.
 
Headway is being made, slowly, with regards to policy and instruction within
the military for breastfeeding.  The US Navy has a policy aimed specifically
at breastfeeding mothers "Support for Service Women with Nursing Infants"
BUMED INST 6000.14 that directs commanders to provide space and time for
pumping and encourages education for the command and co-workers.  The new
Air Force policy (AFI 44-102) is much the same, granting 15-30 minute breaks
and requiring a space be made available for expressing milk.   As of yet the
US Army does not have any policy regarding breastfeeding.  The US Coast
Guard offers a sabbatical type program for parents (male and female) to take
up to a year off and then return to active duty.  It s not aimed
specifically at breastfeeding mothers, but certainly could be used by them,
the only downside is that it can only be used once in the service members
career.

My research ahs shown that many active duty women initiate breastfeeding at
higher rates than their civilian counterparts but then it quickly drops off
due to the return to active duty.  The barriers include: short maternity
leave, separation (deployment, training exercises in the field) inconsistent
schedules, long shifts (we are talking 12-18 or more hours a day), hazardous
materials (women work with solvents, hydraulic fluids, jet fuel, medical
gases/fluids, etc), weight standards that must be maintained and physical
readiness tests that must be passed semi-annually.  There are also issues
regarding rank differences (officer vs. enlisted) and the whole military
culture that values (rightly or wrongly) the 'warrior' over the 'mother'.  I
wont even go into the women in the military debate and how that ties in with
breastfeeding-this isn't the place...but it does crop up!

Keep in mind, that many of the women who are in the military are enlisted
(often junior enlisted) putting them in the lower economic brackets, they
don't have any college education, and a large number are minorities.  These
are all known factors for lowered breastfeeding rates in the civilian world.
These are the very women who need to breastfeed because they don't have the
money to buy formula (WIC offices are found on most military bases, and a
large number of enlisted moms qualify).  These are also the women doing the
'grunt' work, getting dirty, going in the field, launching aircraft, etc.
That is not to say officers don't get dirty or have busy schedules...but
officers generally have offices/private spaces and the capability to
organize their day to take time when needed to pump.

Facilitators to breastfeeding in the military include a huge does of
personal commitment to making it work, education on breastfeeding and above
all SUPPORT!  Moms need support from the LC's at the hospitals, support from
their spouses and family, support from co-workers and their commands.  Women
that are successful often have a mentor in the workplace that helped them,
or paved the way ahead of them.  Many that I have spoken too found support
groups to be helpful, when they could make the meetings.  Support and
information are crucial to their success!

There is so much more-my Literature Review is exceeding 50 pages at this
point.  But I hope this gives you all a taste of what military women face
and some info that might be helpful in your dealing with military moms.  The
military policies can be found online-or e-mail me personally and I can send
you PDF copies.

Finally I wanted to comment on the thread regarding commitment to the
military and to one's baby and the conflict that often arises.  Many women
who join the service, I think, don't have a second thought about future
motherhood...I know I sure didn't!  They are focused on their job and
serving their country, then bam here comes the baby and 
this little bundle is turning your world upside down and you are falling
madly in love and want nothing to do but hold your baby 24 hours a day.  The
commitment to your baby is just as strong as the commitment to your country
and neither contract can be broken!  I cant and wont get into why women
would choose one over the other, nor why the military cant make it a
law/policy that women wont be separated/sent to war with babies, espcially
breastfed babies at home.  This isnt the place...but please understand, from
someone that served in the military-with a breastfed baby...that I would'nt
have traded my commitment to either my country or baby for anything.  I made
the choice I made, and I made the sacrifices that I made because it was best
for me and it was important to me to uphold both my commitments-and I think
that is what every military mother does.

 
Robyn Roche-Paull
CLE, CLC, MCH student
LLLLeader~Virginia Beach, VA
*************************************
Mom to Morgan (10) Siobhan (7) Tiernan (3)
Proud Military Wife to Stephen (12 years)
Proud US Navy Veteran ~1991-1997
*************************************

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