>Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 23:38:27
>To: [log in to unmask]
>From: Anne Robb & Rob Pugliese <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: breastfeeding article 2/18/97
>
>Dear Lenore Skenazy and Editors:
>
>I am sorry to read that Ms. Skenazy had a difficult and very painful
experience with breastfeeding.  However hers is NOT the normal experience,
nor is it even approaching a majority experience.  If this were true of
breastfeeding the human race would have died out long before the mass use of
chemically composed artificial baby milk "formula's" in the early part of
this century. For that matter, if pain were the determining rationale for
not doing a given behavior we would not undergo most medical treatments and
certainly no woman would give birth more than once, with or without pain
medication.
>
>I am disturbed that a paper would print an article making this one woman's
experience sound like fact for all women.  The facts are easy to come by on
the issue of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is in everyone's best interests.
The list of research of the health benefits as well as the social and
economic benefits for breastfed babies and their mothers is so long and so
compelling I can't begin to sample it in this short letter. (But would be
happy, if contacted, to point you in the right direction)
>
>The sad truth is that Ms. Skenazy's problems started long before she ever
had her baby, or became pregnant for that matter.  The real issue is support
and social norms. Instead of assuaging the guilt many mother's feel when
breastfeeding fails by blaming breastfeeding, let's put the responsibility
where it belongs, with our failure to keep breastfeeding as a cultural norm
and our failure in the medical community to adequately recognize and address
this crucial health issue. How is it that in our society, breastfeeding has
become taboo? Breasts are fine as long as they are in bikini's on the
beaches and billboards, but don't feed a baby in your car in Connecticut, or
at the local McDonald's in NJ, and for heaven's sake don't let anyone see
any skin if you do!
>
>So instead of focusing on how terrible breastfeeding was for these few
women, why not do the public a real service by highlighting what went wrong
and where to go for help in fixing those issues.  With the past surgeon's
general having statements on the importance of breastfeeding, the World
Health Organization's Innocenti Declaration on breastfeeding, UNICEF's
statement on breastfeeding, and the American Academy of Pediatric's
statement (soon to be revised in even stronger pro-breastfeeding language),
that ALL babies should be breastfed exclusively for 4-6 months, continue
breastfeeding as solids are introduced through at least one year of age and
that the benefits continue and grow into the second year and beyond, one
would think that the question of whether on not to breastfeed would be moot.
The only questions left should be, why does breastfeeding sometimes not go
well? and how can we correct this problem so no more women "cry and cry and
cry?"
>
>I look forward to your equal time follow-up article in which you address
the importance of breastfeeding to babies' health, the how-to basics, as
well as where to turn for help if a problem arises.  I would applaud a whole
series on the social, emotional, financial and health impacts to both mother
and child when breastfeeding problems go unresolved and inferior
substitutions are made. You want to sell papers? Blow the lid off the
billion dollar a day artificial baby milk formula business.
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>
>
Anne E. Robb, MAT, LLL
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Tangent, Oregon