2011 - Talk Birth

And, then considering the argument that bottle feeding ”liberates” women from the tyranny/restrictiveness
of breastfeeding:
The liberation women need is to breastfeed free of social, medical, and employer constraints.
Instead, they have been presented with the notion that liberation comes with being able to
abandon breastfeeding without guilt. This ’liberation,’ though, is an illusion representing a
distorted view of what breastfeeding is, what breastfeeding does, and what both mothers and
babies need after birth. [emphasis mine]
I’ve noted before that I am a systems thinker and I think this way about breastfeeding as well as many other
experiences—breastfeeding occurs in a context, a context that involves a variety of ”circles of support” or
lack thereof. Women don’t ”fail” at breastfeeding because of personal flaws, society fails breastfeeding women
and their babies every day through things like minimal maternity leave, no pumping rooms in workplaces,
formula advertising and ”gifts” in hospitals, formula company sponsorship of research and materials for doctors,
the sexualization of breasts and objectification of women’s bodies, and so on and so forth. According
to the book, ”...infant formula sales comprise up to 50 % of the total profits of Abbott Labs, an enormous
pharmaceutical concern.” And the U.S. government is the largest buyer of formula, providing it for something
like 37 % of babies. (I should have written that quote down too!)
I have a special interest in how women are treated postpartum and Milk, Money, and Madness has some
gems to share about postpartum care as well:
An entirely different situation exists in societies where technology is emphasized. The birth
process is seen from a clinical viewpoint, with obstetricians emphasizing technology. A battery
of defensive practices are employed, some of which are totally irrelevant to the health of either
mother or infant. Skilled technicians spend their time and the family’s money on identifying the
baby’s gender and performing various stress tests. All the focus is geared toward the actual birth.
After the birth, mother and baby become medically separated. The infant is relegated to the care
of the pediatrician, the uterus to the obstetrician, the breast abscess to the surgeon. While the
various anatomical parts are given the required care, the person who is the new mother is often
left to fend for herself...All the tender loving care goes flows to the infant; the mother becomes
an unpaid nursemaid. [emphasis mine]
When I do breastfeeding help with mothers, I always make sure I address the whole woman and do not focus
only on the mechanics of breastfeeding. Recently a mother told me, ”I don’t know if it was your breastfeeding
advice or just the encouragement that helped most, probably both.” Women need both—”technical assistance”
and emotional support. Sometimes, all they need is the emotional support and they can figure out
the rest with some undisturbed time with their babies. The pendulum in breastfeeding support is shifting
from active, ”education” based strategies, to the recognition that often the best we can do for mothers is
give them time to get to know their babies. Rather than offering positioning ”advice” and ”breastfeeding
management suggestions,” we need to give her space, stand aside, and offer encouragement as she discovers
her baby and the biological dance they are hardwired to engage in. The Milk quote continues with:
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This may appear to be a harsh evaluation, but it is realistic. In western society, the baby gets
attention while the mother is given lectures. Pregnancy is considered an illness; once the ’illness’
is over, interest in her wanes. Mothers in ’civilized’ countries often have no or very little help