ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

As a nutrition professional and someone who endorses breastfeeding, the facts are the facts. Lack of breastfeeding a major risk factor for several infant, childhood and even some adult diseases. Studies have proven this! However, I know that breastfeeding takes tons of support from family, friends, the medical community and the community in general. I have read all the research articles and all the data about healthcare cost related to lack of breastfeeding. The public needs to know the facts whether it offends people or not. I do agree that the medical community could do a better job of supporting and promoting breastfeeding but strides have been made.

I feel as strongly about this as those that have already commented and agree with everything said so far! I fully planned to breastfeed for at least 6 months and made it only 2 months due to multiple issues I was not expecting! I felt terrible guilt that I had to stop, but realized feeding my child in a relaxed atmosphere was more important to his and my well-being than being able to nurse. Before women can nurse exclusively for 6 to 12 months our employers, neighbors, caregivers, family members, co-workers, and the general population need to have a cultural shift and make this world the best place for kids our priority...and we will all reap the benefits!!

I am a daycare provider and I know that many women have to go back to work after 6-8 weeks and cannot exclusively brest feed of fear that the child may not take a bottle from the provider. I have had this happen and the baby will not eat all day and then the mother is up all night feeding. Many of my parents will however pump for 3-12 months. With so many women in the working force it is unrealistic to me that they could brest feed exclusively for 6 months.

I agree with Marie. Thoughtful framing of this issue is very important to avoid a "blame" scenario where mothers feel yet another sense of guilt and shame for not living up to societal expectations. Almost every mom of an infant I have ever met has expressed feelings of guilt and pressure around breast feeding. Personally, as an adoptive mother, I find this type of article just adds to my feelings that the larger community does not recognize or support me and my realities as a parent. I think there are additional pressures around breastfeeding and working that are part of the larger context as well. Encouraging breast feeding is great- but please do it in a context that is supportive and that acknowledges the realities that mothers face, rather than tying it to deaths that may or may not be causally linked to lack of breast feeding.

I applaud this article but unfortunately, the medical profession does not support exclusive nursing. Within the last seven years, every woman I know who has attempted nursing for her new born has been told by a medical professional that her baby was not thriving and needed supplementary formula. Therefore, once the baby was also taking formula from a bottle the moms were no longer successful at nurswing and it was stopped. These mothers were not encouraged or supported and were given wrong information. Had they continued to nurse exclusively the baby would have thrived and the mother and baby would have been in sinc in terms of the mild supply. This information must be circulated! We need medical professionals, including nurse/lactation consultants, who understand this process.