Peaceful Revolution:: Why Support for Breastfeeding Matters More than Ever

The Mommy Wars have taken a perilous and troubling new direction: questioning the value of breastfeeding. The American Pediatric Association, however says plainly, "Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding." While the AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months and ideally up to one year, an alarmingly small fraction of women are actually following through with this recommendation: at birth, only 46% of women are exclusively breastfeeding and at 6 months the number drops to 17%. An attention-getting article in The Atlantic questions the science and posits that women are more empowered by adding to their bank accounts instead of wasting their time tied to their off-spring. Judith Warner, usually a dependable advocate for women, complained on her blog in the New York Times about how humiliating using a breast pump can feel. Instead of trivializing this elemental act, we need to champion it. A commitment to breastfeeding is the first step we can take to combat the health crisis of obesity and illness linked to the industrialized food chain, and re-establish a healthy relationship to food. Breastfeeding may be the first, most important choice we make in feeding our children real food. Given the evidence, this choice should be easy, but is instead fraught with difficulties, leading many of us to fail.

Like me, many women in their thirties and forties never saw a drop of breast milk in their lives before actually producing, it, and we seemed to have survived. It's finally dawning on us, however, that the whole host of health problems we and our children are suffering now: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc. comes from our co-dependent relationship with industrialized food. Michael Pollan, in the brilliant Ominvore's Dilemma, writes that the great cuisines of the world developed through trial and error over centuries to produce a distinctive and healthy diet. Polyglot America has no such tradition, so we careen from diet to diet, fad to fad, RDA to RDA in an effort to figure out the best way to eat. This lack of tradition, combined with our industrialized food supply has severed our basic human relationship with food. This happens even earlier than we might realize, in infancy, with the casual introduction of manufactured baby formula.

Perhaps with science's effort to isolate the health effects of nutrients in food, we ignore the possibility that maybe it's not the antioxidants, minerals, and flavinoids alone, that maybe it's the entire piece of broccoli eaten at the table with your family that makes it healthy. Breast milk is a baby's first real food. While formula mimics the nutrients of breast milk, scientists admit it's still only an approximation of what Nature provides. One scientist even admits that it's "embarrassing" how little they understand the contents and mechanics of breast milk. The AAP thoroughly documents the health benefits of breastfeeding to babies, mothers and even the community at large. In addition to these benefits, breastfeeding helps reestablish our relationship to the natural food chain and starts our children on a path to a healthy relationship with food. The choice to breastfeed should be an easy one to make, but sadly is often constrained by circumstance. That is why we need to push for more cultural and institutional support for breastfeeding, support that women of every class desperately need.

I have no desire to demonize, criticize or demoralize those women who don't or can't breastfeed. The world is full of mothers who can't make enough milk, babies who can't nurse properly, and mothers who work and can't take the time out of their day regularly to pump. Formula seems like an easy solution. But the history of formula, like that of all manufactured food, is filled with tragic scandal: from Nestle's disastrous marketing of formula in Third World countries, to the deaths of infants in China due to melanin-laced formula, and even the recent discovery that supposedly superior organic formula was filled with unholy amounts of sugar. In a best-case scenario, formula is not poison, but it's not real food either.

I had no idea what breastfeeding would really be like when I sat, big-bellied, dutifully reading my Nursing Mother's Companion. I accepted intellectually that it was the best thing for my son, but the reality of it was totally unexpected. It's not that I loved it -- it was tiring, excruciatingly painful at first, nauseating at times, but I knew immediately that it was right. I am a mother, I thought. This is what I do. While I spent most of each day in terror that something horrible would happen to my tiny, infinitely vulnerable off-spring, nursing gave me a few hours when I actually felt capable of the overwhelming job of being a mother. It bonded us and introduced me to the lifelong, happy sacrifice that is being a parent.

While I found breastfeeding my son extremely fulfilling, balancing it with work was utterly exhausting. Pumping four times a day, usually before dawn and late at night, left me bleary. In addition, my boss thought it was the height of humor to serenade me with mooing sounds as I emerged from his office (the only room with a door in our open studio) holding my precious stash, headed for the refrigerator. So much for commanding respect as a professional.

Those of us who choose to continue breastfeeding and work outside the home suffer a litany of difficulties and humiliations large and small. I was able to persevere, but I began to wonder, why is this so hard? I was educated, well-off, had support from my family, even grudging support from my workplace. If I found it so challenging to continue breastfeeding, what chance did a woman without my resources? At least I had access to a private office. My sister, who works in retail, gave up after 5 months of pumping in a dirty public bathroom. Another friend is a traveling sales representative and had to pump in her car. Women are being forced by attitudes and circumstance to choose between feeding their children what Nature intended and some powder in a can whose safety we pray we can depend upon. Recent food safety scandals make this assumption even more precarious and frightening.

Every woman's circumstances are different, but we can demand some simple measures that will benefit everyone. The State of California, that perennial hotbed of radical ideas that eventually become mainstream (organic food, hybrid cars, anyone?), has instituted worksite protection legislation for working/nursing mothers, that among other things, requires that employers provide "lactation accommodation," i.e., they need to provide mothers with a reasonable amount of time to express milk and provide a convenient, private location other than a bathroom to do so. We could also add a similar requirement for public "mother's rooms" to building and zoning codes, providing accessible and clean, safe places to nurse or pump in places like shopping malls and airports. Melissa Bartick MD in these pages has documented the success of this legislation and suggests that the same be included as part of national health care policy reform, along with the elephant in the room, paid maternity leave.

Demanding these changes may be the most difficult thing we face. After fighting so many years for equal opportunities at work, we now find ourselves asking for special treatment as women, something we fear will undermine years of struggle. The argument for staying at home versus working is pointlessly destructive. We've been brainwashed into thinking we need to do it all, balance it all, without complaint. Business guru Jack Welch depressingly insists there is no work/family balance. He's only showing what a dinosaur he truly is. Complain and demand we must. Breastfeeding is the first step on the road back to healthy eating. Babies, it's time for a change.

A Peaceful Revolution is a blog about innovative ideas to strengthen America's families through public policies, business practices, and cultural change. Done in collaboration with MomsRising.org, read a new post here each week.

Comments

[ginanick]

Ellen, very well thought out piece. It hits on all of the major issues that breastfeeding women face in today's hostile environmen­t--especia­lly working mothers. One comment struck me in particular: "If I found it so challenging to continue breastfeeding, what chance did a woman have without my resources?" This is the situation I found myself in before I ventured into the world of promoting breastfeeding. While I was able to afford a breast pump and refrigerator for my office and spoke up to demand time to pump, so many others did not or could not because they feared lash back from colleagues, loss of their jobs, and some sort of stigma of a woman demanding what was best for her heath and her baby's health.

The interesting thing about Judith Warner's, Hanna Rosin’s and other recent articles and discussions by non-medical and non-scientists is that the evidence-based research supporting the benefits of breastfeeding is strong and present, despite authors stating that there are deficiencies and omissions.

While we work to get “the kind of extended maternity leave that would make them physically present for their babies,” as Judith Warner suggests, the solution, in my opinion, is not to ban breast pumps or support that will enable a mom to provide her baby with her breastmilk. We must come together to support those who have made the choice and commitment to breastfeeding.

Gina Ciagne, CLC
Director Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations
Lansinoh Laboratories
www.bymomsformoms.net

[Ellen Malmon]

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. A few things unfortunately got left on the editing floor, namely the idea that whenever women have to make choices, we always are immediately doomed to be criticized for what ever path we choose--most often by ourselves. My goal was was to point out that if breastfeeding was so difficult for someone with all my resources, it's my belief that we need to do more as a society to ease the burden. In addition, one point I truly regret not making is that we need to insist on safer and more healthful food production in this country--women who use formula should not have the added burden of worrying about the safety and healthfulness of formula, which I fully understand is an essential item in many babies' and mothers' lives. I hope this contributes to a wider conversation about health, nutrition and food production in this country. Thanks again, to all readers and commenters.

[Susan Millspaugh McLeran]

Ellen - thanks for writing such a wonderful article. Some day we'll get to the point where we have paid long-term maternity leave the way they do in some European countries and that will go a long way toward supporting the breastfeeding mother ...in so many ways that we aren't now. We have a long way to go before we get there and articles like yours are a step along the way.

[Kansas mom]

There needs to be a paradigm shift in the country regarding breastfeeding. While not the social norm, breastfeeding IS the biological norm. Breastfeeding offers no benefits, it is simply the baseline. It doesn’t matter if a woman can not or chooses not to breastfeed, not receiving breastmilk puts a child at risk of numerous ailments: mild to severe. That does not mean that any risk will come to fruition-only that the risk is increased from what that child’s genetic risk was.

This is a public health issue that cost our country tax dollars & healthcare dollars that could be used elsewhere. A decade ago WIC bought 2.6 BILLION dollars of formula a year or about 4 MILLION a day. That is just the cost of the actual substance it does not include the cost of more doctor visits, hospital stays & lost pay of a parent home with a sick kid.

That is why this issue is so important.

[RMankovitz]

Nature, in her infinite wonder, provides a backup for mothers that have difficulty breastfeeding their babies.

A woman does not have to be pregnant to produce breast milk. Induced lactation via nipple stimulation may allow adoptive mothers and even post-menopausal grandmothers to nurse a baby. Here is a link to the La Leche League on the subject:

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/adopt.html .

By the way, guys, men can also lactate in the same manner! In "The Wellness Project," I provide a few hypotheses as to why nature enabled non-pregnant and even post-menopausal woman to breastfeed.

There are nationwide milk banks set up to provide human breast milk for your baby. Here is a link to that:

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVAprMay00p19.html

For those who choose formula, here is a link to recipes so that you can make your own:

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html

Roy Mankovitz, Director
http://www.MontecitoWellness.com

[Alarmist]

what?
if someone is maniacally obsessed enough to want to breastfeed an adopted baby, then they are probably loathe to use formula. If they think they can produce a drop of breastmilk, then that's probably all they'll do. I would hate to see an adopted child be malnourished because you told some mom (or dad, as you state) they can breastfeed a child when they have never been pregnant.

Thiskind of irresponsible guilt-tripping seems outlandish, given the harm it could cause a baby.

Are you an OBGYN or a doctor?

[RMankovitz]

Alarmist (an apt username):

If you have issues with the recommendations of La Leche League International regarding breastfeeding, I suggest you take it up with them. Perhaps one of the thirty or so MDs on their Advisory Council will take the time to educate you in this field. See:

http://www.llli.org/hac.html

If you have a problem with the way nature evolved us, perhaps you can resign from our species.

[mgpayne]

While I can appreciate your article. The part in your story about women who are unable to breast feed for a medical or physical reason (I am glad you mentioned it) you did not have to enter the BUT. Most new mothers reading your article would only see the BUT. My daughter had trouble breast feeding, she cried about going to formula. I told her there is no law that says you MUST breast feed. Articles like this are good for mothers that can breastfeed but throw a tremendous amount of GUILT on those that can not.

[Moshka]

I agree. There are plenty of formula-fed children who are not obese or unhealthy. Half of my breastfeeding friends give their roddlers Dorritos and candy bars for snacks once they stop breastfeeding. Really, let women decide what is best for their children themselves. The hospitals do a good job informing new mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding, and probably very few women who can't of choose not to breastfeed do it out of ignorance. Respect people's choices and let them live out the consequences.

[Jennifer Raymond]

I am so happy to read these articulated and thoughtful responses. I completely agree. I am exhausted with feeling inundated with the pro breastfeeding campaign. Why can't fathers and mothers be afforded more privacy with this issue? The breastfeeding camp largely presents itself as militant, dogmatic and full of judgement. This is no way to support a new mother or the family as a whole. Most mothers are desperately trying to do what is best for their baby, and it is an excellent point that few women who can't or choose not to breastfeed do so out of ignorance.

[Kansas mom]

How does this article put guilt on mothers? Guilt happens when you actively make a poor choice. If a woman makes a full informed choice to use formula, what does she have to feel guilty about? She needs to own her choice. If she was unable to breastfeed for medical reasons, there was no choice she could make, it was made for her by circumstances. So again why would guilt even enter the discussion?

[Jennifer Raymond]

When a woman makes " a full informed choice to use formula" quite often it is not a choice. It is the only option after many days and weeks of agony both physical and emotional. When you are actually experiencing it, the situation does not feel like a choice at all. It feels like you have failed. Failed yourself, and more importantly failed your new little baby (someone you would lay your life on the line to protect). I live in a large city, and the there is absolutely NO SUPPORT for a woman who is in this excruciating situation. Instead the attitude is much like some of the above posts i.e. "okay, go ahead a formula feed just know that your baby won't be as healthy/sm­art/bonded as a breast fed baby"

Ironically, I do agree that there needs to be support for breastfeeding, but I would do it differently. I believe that there needs to be more support for a new mother as an entire being- not just as a feeding participant. I feel that "health campaigns" can often do more harm than good. The messages contained in these campaigns are given as rigid rules that are clear that there is a right AND a wrong way. This leaves the human factor out of the equation and takes away the very essence of intuitive parenting. We have to find a better way than to continue to try and reduce parenting to a set of rules.

I