The Ross breastfeeding statistics show a decline in breastfeeding in the USA. 
 I have read on this list that the cause is the marketing of infant formula.  
I don't doubt that the infant formula industry marketing tactics have a heavy 
influence.  Yet, 11 years ago when I had my last baby, the tactics were quite 
similiar and yet we had rising breastfeeding rates.   I had my baby at home 
with midwives and I was a La Leche League leader and an IBCLC.  Without asking, 
I had a case of infant formula delivered to my door.  I had tons of coupons 
for infant formula in my mail box.  I kept for a number of years a file cabinet 
full of all I got for the months I was pregnant/nursing with my last baby, 
including 6 cans of 32 oz ready to feed formula.  I drained them all and used 
them as talking points--making parents read the ingredient list back to me.  I 
had intended at one point to use this massive amount of advertising and samples 
(also powdered formula inserted in videos on breastfeeding) as a display for 
some conference or another.  For one person having one baby, I had received a 
massive amount of advertising and free samples.  And the irony was that I was 
LLL leader and IBCLC. I thought of calling it "The Free Choice?"  But that was 
11 years ago and in my estimation the tactics have not changed enough to 
support a theory that it is their marketing that has caused a decline in 
breastfeeding.  

What has changed in the last few years that is creating a reversal of 
initiation and continuation rates of breastfeeding?  I have a few theories.  It's 
very hard for anyone to want to breastfeed when the belief is that toxins or 
disease are carried in the milk that goes to your baby. This "belief" is based on 
what I would call poor science or interest-funded research.  I find it hard to 
listen to breastfeeding advocates repeat that human milk is the most toxic 
food on earth.  What we are witnessing is the spillover effect of medical 
research gone unchallenged.  This has created a field day for the media in making 
breastfeeding into the culprit from disease carrier to toxic load carrier.

But the true kicker is this new study, on breastfeeding causing death by 
asphyxation.   It is hard to watch this slow asphyxation of breastfeeding by 
medical research scientists.    Why don't we just shoot breastfeeding, and put us 
all out of our misery.  This prolonged agony, encourages people's denial that 
breastfeeding in our current culture is an endangered human behavior.  
Valerie W. McClain

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