Last week I posted how our society sets women up to fail breastfeeding.
Yesterday I was on my way home from a home visit and stopped at a cafe
to pick up some coffee.  A group of women were sitting around a table
discussing the 2 page "baby marketplace" which appeared in Israel's
leading newspaper.  Amongst all bottle and ABM adverts, there was one
little clip about M's M.E. pump.  The writer just couldn't hide her
sarcasm when she "praised this pump" by declaring:  " You'll finally
stop cursing (yes, that's the word) yourself for deciding to
breastfeed..."  "... all women know the agony of pain from
breastfeeding..."  The message:  Breastfeeding is something to be
endured.  Just make the best you can out of it by pumping.

And just when my blood pressure was rising from that, I got a call
from a client who was told by her clinic nurse to stop breastfeeding at
5 months.  Why?  The child needs to be given REAL food with iron.  The
mother will cause DAMAGE to her baby by DEPRIVING him
of iron-rich (gag) baby cereal.

One of my most educated, motivated clients stopped breastfeeding because
she cracked under the pressure.  She was constantly told by her
pediatrican, clinic nurse, family members, peers and neighbors that the
only way to get her baby to stop crying is by using formula.  Now this
is a baby that gained a kilo in 2 weeks from mother's milk.

How can we help these mothers when the odds are so overwhelming?

Frustrated in Israel.
Susan Nachman-Srebrnik, IBCLC