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When It Comes to Breastfeeding, We Can’t Handle The Truth
- Apr 6, 2010 at 3:35 PM
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- Comments (65) Total Views (4075) Everyone can see this journal post.
When It Comes to Breastfeeding, We Can’t Handle The Truth
Every single time a new study is published proving that formula feeding costs the lives of mothers and babies, people come from the farthest corners of the internet, flame throwers in tow, to argue with the research. But no amount of denial is going to change the truth. This week the Journal of Pediatrics published some very serious new findings indicating that 911 babies in America die every year from not being breastfed. Usually when we talk about infant deaths related to formula feeding, people assume it’s in other, impoverished countries where there’s no running water and rampant disease. But this time, we’re talking about the deaths of American babies.
So what’s going on right here on our own soil? We have clean water. We have a welfare program. We have free vaccinations. It is clear now that the formula itself, and the lack of breastfeeding, is what’s killing these 911 babies. Okay, so how are they dying? As CNN reports,
“Nearly all, 95 percent of these deaths, are attributed to three causes: sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); necrotizing enterocolitis, seen primarily in preterm babies and in which the lining of the intestinal wall dies; and lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of all of these and seven other illnesses studied by the study authors.”
And for those Americans only interested in the bottom line, it should be noted that the same study found that if we can get 90% of mothers breastfeeding for the minimum amount of time recommended, then we’d save 13 billion dollars a year in medical costs. (that’s BILLION, with a B, people.)
So what the hell is the problem, then? Why can’t we get on board with this research? The problem is that people don’t want to hear it. But I’ll say it anyway.
Breastfeeding. Saves. Lives.
You know what else saves lives? Car seats. So, why aren’t people spitting mad at the NHTSA for saying that? Why aren’t they leaving thousands of comments on car seat articles saying “But I just couldn’t afford a car seat, why are you trying to make me feel guilty?!?!” Well, maybe it’s because our society will admit that car seats save lives, and we’re willing to give them out free at fire stations and hospitals if we have to because it is that important.
So why aren’t we doing the same for breastfeeding? Why won’t they hand out free breast pumps and visits to a lactation consultant when we know it would save lives and money? Well, I think the obvious answer is that there are breasts involved, and people just lose their minds when female anatomy comes up in conversation.
Of course then people say “It’s her CHOICE to formula-feed — leave her alone!” But I don’t believe that most women are making this “choice.” The CDC shows that 3/4 of women are initiating breastfeeding in the hospital, but only 13.6% of women are still exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months. What this tells me is that somewhere along the way, they gave up on themselves, and the reason I hear most often is, “But, I tried! I just couldn’t make any milk!”
Here is the cold hard truth ladies: You have been lied to.
If only 13.6% of us could make enough milk, the human race would never have survived. And it’s not your fault. It’s the fault of this system that completely fails mothers and babies, and sabotages a mother’s good intentions. Somewhere along the line, some one told you that you couldn’t make milk, and you believed them because we’ve all grown up in a culture that tells women their bodies aren’t good enough for much of anything except being toys for men. Is it easy to make this milk? No, not always — but neither was bringing that baby into the world and your body did a fine job of that. Think about that. Think hard. Your body created an entire human being inside from nothing more than the joining of two single cells. Your body is a miracle worker. So what leads you to believe that, after creating a whole person with organs and tissue and a beating heart, that your body would call it quits when it came time to feeding this thing? The major problem here is that someone in your life probably put their own ignorance ahead of the short and long term health of you and your baby, and you believed them because women are used to feeling shamed.
But it’s really difficult to change this thinking when we have popular bloggers perpetuating myths and projecting their own guilt onto others, like here:
So, what can we do? We have to keep pushing back against this misinformation, and luckily there are strong women who will go to bat for mothers and babies, as seen here:
Or here
Or here
At this point, if you are arguing with solid, consistent research, you are on the wrong side of the issue. Your anger over these breastfeeding studies is completely misdirected and juvenile. Get mad that we have no paid leave to help support the breastfeeding relationship. Get mad that moms aren’t being given free breastpumps, lactation consultants, and healthier food. Get mad at a system that puts Girls Gone Wild tits on the cover of every magazine, but bans breastfeeding pictures on Facebook. These are the issues that need our attention as mothers, or as feminists, or simply as women with brains. But perpetuating the myth that women are incapable of utilizing their own biological functions won’t get you any respect from me. I believe women are capable. Give them the tools. Give them the time. Give them the respect they need. Women are creators and sustainors of LIFE, and there is absolutely no reason to feel guilty about saying so.
And this about sums it up (thank you Noble Savage):
End. Of. Story.
(Before anyone asks, NO, I didn't write this. Hence the giant link at the top.)
Comments:
To the original author of this and you RanaAurora for posting it here
Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You BF Nazi. You just never give up, do you?
I remember getting so mad when I learned that the Peace Corps was giving women in developing countries formula to feed their babies. I had thought about joining the PC, but when I learned that, I was so angry at the absolute ridiculousness of that situation (bad for the babies, bad for the moms, and bad for the families who just couldn't afford to keep buying formula once the initial supply ran out) that I just couldn't. And this was even before I had my own babies and breastfed them.
Thanks for sharing the article. It was very interesting.
Love it. Love it. Love it.
I agree that breastfeeding is the best option for babies. I myself will breastfeed my children.
BUT I know MANY women who have formula fed their children and have had no issues at all. Maybe they were all just lucky but honestly thats alot. My 2 younger siblings unfortunately were formula fed(my mother had medical reasons why she couldnt) but they are completely healthy, and my family has a rather serious history of SIDS but all the infants that died from it were breastfed. My cousin was breastfed and she's had just about every disease in the book!(Thats a whole other long story lol)
Not saying that more shouldn't breastfeed, they should, its the reason we have breasts and produce milk, but I don't think that we should be so hard on those who formula feed. I do believe that there should be better education and more resources for women so they can breastfeed properly. I do believe that its healthier for the baby(even though my family history seems to point opposite lol). I just believe there hasn't been enough real research into the effects of formula versus breastmilk. Maybe I'm wrong, and if there has been ALOT of research I would love to read the info because I would love to learn more about the effects. There has to be a reason why people feel this way.
This is just my opinion, and its mostly based on my own experiences in my family. I just don't see it being so bad if a mother chooses to formula feed her child.
Oh and P.S. I don't see a guilt trip being put anywhere in this article, people who think it is are overreacting. lol
Oh my, it really did *sound* like you wrote it. haha
Anywho, awesome! I'm not even going to ask, b/c you love me:),... I'm sharing on facebook, kthnksbye
Did you happen to see the article it was discussing? How in the US alone we could save over 900 babies LIVES per year if they were only breastfed for 6 months? You don't see how it's "so bad" if a woman chooses formula? Or if she's screwed out of breastfeeding? Or why people care so much?
And that's just the deaths. Figure that THOUSANDS of kids have unnecessary medical problems because this country convinces them they can't nurse or it's not necessary and doesn't support them and constantly tells them when it's tough that it's okay to give up.
Your own personal experience doesn't override all medical studies ever done, with thousands and millions of participants.
When a study says, "Breastfeeding reduces the risk of asthma" and you have a breastfed child with asthma and a formula-fed one without, that doesn't mean that breastfeeding "didn't work." It means that the formula fed child wasn't prone, period. It means too that the breastfed child would have had WORSE asthma if they'd been formula fed.
The point of this wasn't to argue the merits of breastfeeding or the importance. It's to talk about how we need to STOP DEFENDING FORMULA USAGE and get our CULTURE to change it's attitude to support and promote breastfeeding and breastfeeding education.
Stop judging me for feeding my child poison!
The point of this wasn't to argue the merits of breastfeeding or the importance. It's to talk about how we need to STOP DEFENDING FORMULA USAGE and get our CULTURE to change it's attitude to support and promote breastfeeding and breastfeeding education.
^ That.
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I think one of the BIGGEST challanges that we face in such a modernized country, is we aren't allowed to discuss it. By 'allowed' I mean the sheer volume of women (inparticular) who come rushing to 'defend their choice', who act as if everything is meant to 'make them feel bad' is overwhelming.
I think studies like this are great- they can help open our eyes so that we can move FORWARD so that everyone benefits. We have a broken system here, why do we keep defending it? Why don't we work towards fixing it together?
Great repost BTW.
- ethans_momma06
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