Come on, breastfeeding is not obscene. Breastmilk has evolved into an immune-building milk tailor-made for each child to protect infants and children from illnesses in their environment. There are over 400 ingredients in breastmilk whose reasons for being there are not fully known. There is a component in breastmilk which is only there to grow the baby’s brain. That’s it. It can’t be replicated. Saying a certain non-humanmilk-based formula is ‘closer to’ breastmilk is akin to saying Michigan is closer to Hawaii than Pennsylvania. True, but one wouldn’t be closer to Hawaii’s environment, would they?
Did you know that if you leave a naked baby on mom’s chest right after birth, they have the knowledge and ability to crawl to the breast and nurse perfectly by themselves (especially if mom was un-medicated during the birth). It is a beautiful moment to watch. That instinct is there for 3-4 months.
Should breastfeeding ever hurt? No. Just because many women do have pain in breastfeeding, doesn’t make it ‘normal.’ Most pain in breastfeeding, in my 20-year experience, is from poor latching or lack of knowledge. There isn’t enough time in a full prenatal labour/birth class to give breastfeeding instruction the time it needs. Attending La Leche League (LLL) meetings while pregnant can help prepare you (www.LLLc.ca). Or, talk with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant if you are nervous speaking in a group. Plus, partners may feel more comfortable speaking individually. IBCLC’s are listed here: http://www.americas.iblce.org/ibclc-registry. Both LLL and IBCLC’s are available before and after you have your baby and are a tremendous resource and support.
The World Health Organization, and the Canadian Pediatric Society both say to exclusively nurse your baby for the first 6 months of life and to breastfeed for 2 years or more. That is the world standard. It is western culture that has sexualized breasts to the point where seeing a mother breastfeed her child is obscene. There is no food on earth which can replace the vitamins, minerals, and immunities which are found in human milk. How is seeing a baby nurse in public worse than seeing the lingerie models in the mall?
Dads should not be left out of baby’s life. But, if dads were meant to feed babies, they would lactate. Skin-to-skin bonding with dad/baby increases parenting hormones and normalizes baby’s temperature, heart, and breathing.
Dads, or other support people, may use a medicine cup (like what comes with children’s fever medicine) to feed the baby. In addition, baby’s tongue works similarly to breastfeeding, so feeding a baby with cup and at the breast should not cause nipple confusion.
There are documented risks to formula-feeding (increased risks for obesity, diabetes, and general colds/flus). Plus, moms may have an increased risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes if she chooses formula feed. Breasts are part of our anatomy to feed our babies. Honour that.
For the Silo by Aboriginal midwife Stephanie MacDonald, IBCLC. Contact Stephanie on twitter @StephIBCLC
Supplemental- 30$ per scoop Ice cream made from human breastmilk on sale in London, England
View Comments (21)
Thank you for adding your voice. And to you, [the Silo], for this link on breastfeeding. I am glad to know of others who boycott Nestle. I do think that speaking with your $$ by only supporting companies you feel good about buying from is the best way to hurt these companies. I don't trust the government to help with laws. We need to be pro active and speak with our pocketbooks. Tiffany Teske
The Magisterium of the Catholic Church wholeheartedly supports nursing mothers, because breastfeeding provides the ideal food for babies and follows the natural law ordained by God. Over the course of history, many popes, bishops, theologians and Catholic laypeople have publicly supported breastfeeding women. The Catholic Nursing Mothers League also follows the Catholic Church's lead in encouraging nursing mothers.
Your article accurately presents the benefits of breastfeeding and also reminds people about the importance of the father in the baby's life. However, I do agree with Holy Trinity Catholic High School in that the article could have been more tastefully named. Thanks for educating the public about the health advantages and normalcy of breastfeeding!
Gina Peterson, BS, IBCLC
Executive Director of the Catholic Nursing Mothers League
http://www.catholicbreastfeeding.org
As the mother of four children all born by midwives when it was still an underground profession I am also a huge proponent of breast feeding. Not one of my children ever had a bottle they all went from breast to cup. Your article was informative. Howerver..
I found Marguerite's critique of the article well written. The picture was not the issue but the word SUCK IT. I think you successfully exploited this subject and your rebuttals to all who disagreed with you inform me that you do not want anyone elses opinion. If your paper encourages free thought and promotes open opinions than you should not chastise readers who have different opinions and thoughts that you have no control over. Will you be offended if i say SUCK IT UP?
This has got nothing to do with the beauty of breastfeeding and has overshadwed its content.
Hi Sue- Thx for recognizing our article was informative. It's clear however that you can't be a regular online reader of The Silo- if you were, you'd know that we value, ALL opinions including rebuttals (take a look around thesilo.ca- there's plenty) and that we have always provided a forum for open comment on EVERY post on our site since day 1.
You are mistaken to believe that this article or any other for that matter is an opportunity for exploitation. Our mandate with this article was clear- CREATE INTEREST IN TOPIC and I believe we not only met that goal, we exceeded that goal. CP
chas·tise/CHasˈtīz/
Verb:
1.Rebuke or reprimand severely.
2.Punish, esp. by beating.
Synonyms: punish - castigate - chasten - penalize - discipline
re·al·po·li·tik/rāˈälˌpōliˌtēk
noun:
1.1.A system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations
Breastfeeding is beautiful, natural and nurturing. Offence where it is taken, is not necessarily given, though I'm sure the editors are entirely aware of the potential provocation in having used the phrase ''suck it?" which has other very obvious and potentially offensive connotations. The cropping of the original photo makes in necessary to look closely to see what is actually going on in the photo. I was drawn to the issue after I heard about the controversy, and it amuses me to think that there are those in the public who are so easily provoked when the article has such important information and is so essential for young mother's and father's.
all good things, John B. Lee
Good for you!
You did a great job of getting this out and now lots more attention to natural breastfeeding. I was surprised when I saw you guys in my Spec this morning. You really made an impression. Joan
Thanks for your comments Joan. It's a little disheartening from our perspective- the spec focused more on me, personally, than the content but hopefully the old adage "no such things as bad publicity" rings this time. The fact is, we are sent story submissions and content and press releases and thats how this business works. If you want to promote something, you can't sit around waiting for it to be discovered. Conversely if a reader sends you something and its good content or a good issue such as public breastfeeding- its not necessarily self-promotion, its called MARKETING. cheers CP btw, the Spec story is available online at - http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/794317--pushing-it-for-publicity now thats SELF promotion ;> )
Quote "By the way, it's worst not worse". Buzinga! I'm mocking.
And the last line about jargon, ignore it, it doesn't belong. It was a P.S. and different subject altogether.
Thanks for your comment Lisa. I think there is a disconnect with those readers that are not in favour of our titling. This issue is PARTLY about breastfeeding but there are often intertwining connected content- in this case the connection of our cover and lead-in story to the Freedom of Information article also found in this issue (and on the very next page).
In particular note the captioned cartoon- (paraphrased) "you can say what you want as long as its in an acceptable format".
Perhaps if our title was Suck it (in public)? Or Hide it (in public)? you would have approved? Freedom of speech and expression goes hand in hand with public breastfeeding rights. Are you in favour of public breastfeeding (read:exposed breast) or 'acceptable format' (read:hidden breast) CP
I have to agree with Sally and Marguerite. The article is very informative but really-SUCK IT? In my mind it is rude!
I'm so happy that this issue is impacting our area. It is thought provoking. It is stimulating discussion. I can say I'm not surprised that HT has pulled it.
I have 2 boys in a local high school. The pictures which are shown of STD's are far more explicit and horrifying (at least that's what my 14 year old said) than a picture of an infant nursing.
The title of the piece (by editors) was to impact our area. Let's hope that because of this article and the discussion it is generating, that when a mom nurses in public, she won't be harassed. Wouldn't that be wonderful?!