Dear friends,

Yael asks us to talk about our vision upon the guilt issue in breastfeeding promotion. I have very distictive idea's about that, which I very much like to share with everyone willing to listen..
I do not like the idea of inducing feelings of guilt with the purpose of changing attitudes. I do like the idea of giving plain, accurate, complete and honest information about infant and toddler food choices and the consequences such choices may have (as in any other health matter in any person). If mothers consume this information and still choose the lesser option, they may feel guilty for purposely choosing what is sub-optimal for their child's wellbeing. Another word for this kind of guilt is conscience. The Dutch word for conscience is ''geweten'', which carries the word ''weten'', meaning ''to know''. In this context: to know that option B is inferior to option A and still choosing option B will trigger  one's conscience.  People do not want to feel this kind of feeling and thus put the guilt at some else, probably the person who explains why option A was the better choice. 
No one can make another person feel guilty about a choice that is consciencely made based upon knowledge at the time of choosing (and for some choice B may actually be the best choice, even if the chances for good health outcomes for the child may be lowered!). One may later regret a made choice, when information comes out that was not available at the time of the first choosing moment, one may feel anger, dissappointment when it turns out that the information given was inaccurate and led to making the lesser choice. One may feel sadness, regret and worry when the choice made did not work out (insufficiant care, information of physical insufficiancy to lactate) and plan B had to get working (breastfeeding being plan A, AIM plan B). Guilt only applies to choices that have been made, knowing that they were the lesser choice. And in that case, one should feel guilty.

Warmly,

Gonneke, IBCLC, LLLL, in southern Netherlands





  Met vriendelijke groet, 

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC 
lactatiekundige
  

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