Mothers are Making the Case Against Breastfeeding
Who can forget this picture of Angelina Jolie breastfeeding her twins on the cover of W magazine.
In certain overachieving circles, breast-feeding is no longer a choice—it’s a no-exceptions requirement, the ultimate badge of responsible parenting. Yet the actual health benefits of breast-feeding are surprisingly thin, far thinner than most popular literature indicates. Is breast-feeding right for every family? Or is it this generation’s vacuum cleaner—an instrument of misery that mostly just keeps women down?
In the latest Atlantic, Hanna Rosin wrote an interesting, in-depth piece on the issue of breastfeeding in American culture. A mother of three, Rosin is starting to resent the pressure to breast-feed:
From the moment a new mother enters the obstetrician’s waiting room, she is subjected to the upper-class parents’ jingle: “Breast Is Best.” Parenting magazines offer “23 Great Nursing Tips,” warnings on “Nursing Roadblocks,” and advice on how to find your local lactation consultant (note to the childless: yes, this is an actual profession, and it’s thriving). Many of the stories are accompanied by suggestions from the ubiquitous parenting guru Dr. William Sears, whose Web site hosts a comprehensive list of the benefits of mother’s milk. “Brighter Brains” sits at the top: “I.Q. scores averaging seven to ten points higher!” (Sears knows his audience well.) The list then moves on to the dangers averted, from infancy on up: fewer ear infections, allergies, stomach illnesses; lower rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease. Then it adds, for good measure, stool with a “buttermilk-like odor” and “nicer skin”-benefits, in short, “more far-reaching than researchers have even dared to imagine.”
But, says Rosin, the facts just don’t support the mania.
The medical literature looks nothing like the popular literature. It shows that breast-feeding is probably, maybe, a little better; but it is far from the stampede of evidence that Sears describes. More like tiny, unsure baby steps: two forward, two back, with much meandering and bumping into walls. A couple of studies will show fewer allergies, and then the next one will turn up no difference. Same with mother-infant bonding, IQ, leukemia, cholesterol, diabetes.
Here’s her video called Mother’s Milk where she and three women discuss the science and culture of breast-feeding:
What are your thoughts on the issue of breastfeeding and the guilt that’s often associated with the mothers out there that don’t or can’t breastfeed?
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I heard about this this morning on the today show. I was kind of upset because the media and everyone around you tell new moms this is the best for them and if you deprive your child of this you are being selfish and you are putting your kids at risk. New mothers are already scared and nervous and to add on all the dangers does not help. I have a close friend that had to stop nursing after a few weeks, simply because her daughter was eating every hour and she was completely drained afterwards. She got a lot of crap from people suggesting she needs to try harder blah, blah, blah. I know someone else who simply could not do it because of her breast reduction that she had. We shouldn’t belittle people because of the choice they make whether personal or medical and we certainly should prey on the fears of new moms. I nursed my son until about 4 months when I dried up since he had a cold. Working is not the best environment to pump and it saddened me that I could get enough milk to have a good enough supply at home. Yes it can be done, but it couldn’t be done by me and the sadness, discomfort, and insecurities I was feeling did not help with the milk production. My baby is fine and doing well, and it certainly moving way faster than I would ever think he would move. Is it because of the breast milk? I don’t know? Could it simply be the genes he inherited or the active environment we provide?
~Melissa
http://www.nursingbirth.com
Rosin’s article and her appearance on the Today show deeply saddened me. The only thing I agree with Rosin about is that mothers need to stop judging each other and support each other. But the agreement stops there. Rosin’s research is shoddy, incomplete, outdated, and inaccurate. If it was complete she would have written about a meta analysis published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (AHRQ) in 2007 entitled “Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries,” which reviewed over 9,000 abstracts, 43 preliminary studies, 43 primary studies on maternal health outcomes, and 29 systematic reviews or meta-analyses that covered approximately 400 individual studies on breastfeeding and concluded with the following:
“A history of breastfeeding was associated with a reduction in the risk of acute otitis media, non-specific gastroenteritis, severe lower respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, asthma (young children), obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and necrotizing enterocolitis [for the child]. For maternal outcomes, a history of lactation was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, breast, and ovarian cancer…Early cessation of breastfeeding or not breastfeeding was associated with an increased risk of maternal postpartum depression.”
If you are a woman who decides breastfeeding is not a choice you want to make, then fine. Even pro-breastfeeding health care providers and educators will agree that there are plenty of reasons why a mother might have to feed her baby pumped milk or formula via bottle. But for Rosin to go on national television and say that “the scientific literature regarding the benefits of breastfeeding is thin” is just WRONG. She thinks this article is an “I’ve got your back” to all the mothers who choose not to or can’t breastfeed. But in reality it is just going to hurt the breastfeeding community by spreading a doctrine that tells women, their families, their bosses, and their legislature that “it’s unnecessary to support the rights of breastfeeding mothers.” Healthy living takes a time commitment. Being a parent takes time and sacrifice. If you are a mother who doesn’t want to make the sacrifices necessary to breastfeed OR if situations beyond your control prevent you or your baby from breastfeeding OR if you just bond better with you baby by not breastfeeding , that’s your choice and you’re right, you shouldn’t be “judged” for it. But to call breastfeeding an “instrument of misery that mostly just keeps women down” is sickening.
~Melissa
http://www.nursingbirth.com
It sound weird because I have read and hear a lot of good real time stories about breast feeding. I personally have breast feed my son and I did it almost 1.5 years. Believe me, he is doing very good as compared to other kids of his age. Now, I have to read and search a lot about it because I am really upset.
Other than medical problems that prevent one from breast feeding, I’m not sure why a mother wouldn’t want to breast feed. It’s such an opportunity to bond with the child. It can be difficult, or maybe you just don’t have time, I’m still not sure why there is such an opposition to breast feeding. I’m also not quite sure it’s being intertwined as a feminist issue. (Aside from the work leave time that isn’t there for new mothers) But still, isn’t that an ethical work issue?
It makes me think that mother’s don’t want to breast feed because they are afraid, of what I’m not sure. This is just speculation without facts to back it up, but I see no other fact or reason (aside from medical problems) to deny the infant the bond that it so desires.
[...] Mothers are Making the Case Against Breastfeeding The Cocktail Posted by root 9 minutes ago (http://www.thecocktailcafe.com) Mar 13 2009 who can forget this picture of angelina jolie breastfeeding her twins on the add your comment below or trackback from your own site podcast powered by podpress v8 8 powered by wordpress log in entries Discuss | Bury | News | Mothers are Making the Case Against Breastfeeding The Cocktail [...]
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The Cocktail Cafe provides a mix of mom talk with a splash of style. Recognizing there were few resources for moms that address "their" needs, Rhea took her interest in fashion, family and writing to create an online community of sassy, stylish moms looking to find balance, happiness, and little fun along the way. Cocktail moms everywhere log onto The Cocktail Cafe for its fresh and unique take on parenting, fashion for moms, news and reviews of the hottest boutiques and mom bloggers.
Creating this site came out of her own personal experience, struggles and victories as a stay-at-home mom with three little ones. I love giving my unsolicited opinions and finding resources for the entire family. My mission has been to help every mom "celebrate the woman behind marriage, motherhood, and business".
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