Breast is Best?

Three articles about breastfeeding appeared in the Toronto Star today.  They really ought to be combined into one article so that the reader does not have to connect the dots.

The first article, Baby Clinics Closing, by Trish Crawford, discusses the impending shut-down of the breastfeeding clinic at North York General (something I wrote about here).  It is the third breastfeeding clinic to be shut down in Ontario this year, leaving "discharged mothers. . . to find help in the community."

The second article, Lactation Nation, also by Trish Crawford, is about the increase in the number of new mothers hiring lactation consultants and night nurses, often at a cost of hundreds or even thousands of dollars:

Educated and determined, . . . the new generation of mothers. . . have embraced breast-feeding with a vengeance and are willing to pay whatever it takes to get the help they need.

Are they educated and determined?  Or are they simply without other options?  Heading into motherhood with an armload of pamphlets espousing (correctly) that Breast is Best, mothers who want to "start things off on the right foot" hire the help that is not easily accessible -- and will be even harder to find as the clinics continue to close. 

According to Crawford, "Lactation consultants began appearing on the scene in the late '80s as the numbers of women who wanted to breast-feed their babies began to increase, a direct result of widespread public health campaigns that advocate 'breast is best.'"  OK, I'm confused.  How is it that a public health issue spurred an increase in expensive private services?  Ontario is still north of the border, right?

So instead of reading about mothers campaigning for the opening of more breastfeeding clinics in light of public health's recommendations, you read that "Danielle Chandler, 37, prepared for motherhood with the same zeal that she studied for her law exams. She read books, hired a doula for support during childbirth and committed herself to a natural childbirth and breast-feeding. There were no drugs when Olivia was born and she was breast-fed. Chandler says the successful older mother sees the baby experience as another challenge to conquer." 

Oh, I see.  So breastfeeding is like so many other parenting issues.  A private challenge to conquer, garnering private success.  Like finding a spot at a coveted daycare.  Like finding an employer who supports flex-time.  And I suppose that parents like Chandler can take pride in her achievements, in conquering yet another challenge, instead of asking the question -- why is this such a challenge in the first place? 

Even more troubling is this: according to the writer, "When it's time to call in an expert, the husbands are often the ones making the call or paying the bill."

She describes how Teacher Tanya Wharton balked at the price of a lactation consultant when she was strugging to nurse her baby:

"My husband just wrote out the cheque," says Wharton. "My husband was so supportive. He told me, `Formula is not the solution. Do you want to be cleaning bottles all the time? We'll get it right.'"

And they did. Thomas was breast-fed for nine months.

I just find this to be so unpalatable.  Has breastfeeding one's child has now become some sort of status symbol, like pushing the newest model Bugaboo?  And a status symbol financed by one's husband, at that? 

So what about the women who have trouble breastfeeding, who do not have cheque writing husbands, who do not have (or want) husbands at all, who are not "successful", who are not "determined"? 

One of the women quoted int he article admits that hiring experts is "expensive and for a lot of people it would not be possible. That's unfortunate."

Unfortunate indeed.

Well, perhaps the third article, "Modern Wet Nurses Step in for friends"  offers some assistance. This article by Laura Pratt talks about the underground practice of surrogate nursing.  In light of the belief that Breast is Best and in lieu of the availability of safe, screened, pasteurized breastmilk from banks, some lactating women are nursing the children on family and friends. This is happening in spite of the knowledge that "Viruses, including AIDS, can be transferred to another human through breast milk."   

Breastfeeding advocate Jack Newman (of the slated for closure North York General clinic) acknowleges the "medical dangers" but does not "discourage the practice outright."

Breast milk is widely acknowledged to provide an infant with the healthiest start, and if a woman is unable to nurse her baby herself, and if she has exhausted all avenues, and is aware, of the potential risks, then, says Newman carefully, he wouldn't discourage it.

Alarmingly, some women are offering babies the breast without the mother's prior consent. And yes, a Beverly Hills entrepreneur is already offering wet-nurse services to the rich and famous.

So, which is it.  Is breastmilk so important that it is worth exposing one's child to disease?  Or is it a luxury for the wealthy who can afford to hire help in the form of lactation consultants and screened wet nurses? 

Is it a public issue warranting public support?  Or is it a private issue to be financed by husbands?   

The posters are telling me that breast is best.  But the real world situtation is telling me otherwise.

Comments

[cmhl]

you know, I so appreciate you writing this..

I do have some thoughts-- I did breastfeed both of mine, but for much much much shorter of a time than I "thought" I would.. I am all for it, I think it is great, but I am also all for those moms who can't or don't breastfeed. they are still every bit as much of a mother as the "lactivists.." It made me insane how self-righteous many were when mine were infants.. like if you don't breast feed, you are neglecting your child.

puh-lease.

well written post...

[Jen]

Tanya,

I'm sorry you feel this way. Perhaps the article's writer took your comments out of context, in which case I think that you will want to raise the issue with her. I simply was quoting from the article.

As for your other comments, you are, of course, entitled to your opinion -- just as I am entitled to mine.

Cheers

Jen

[tanya]

Boy - you're so annoying and you obviously have way too much free time to be babbling and babbling on your blog page. For some reason, I got onto your site and noticed your beef about the latest article on breastfeeding. I'm that mother that was quoted (re teacher, Tanya Wharton... and husband, paid lactation consultant to get the nursing support. As a matter of fact, it was a family check we wrote - not solely my husband for $ in our shared account - you totally have a blurred view on things. You are too quick to pass judgement and your blurred view on things is downright offensive!
Passionate mother, women's rights advocate, married to a wonderful husband, and more

[radmama]

I think the real problem that is identified by this article is that the dearth of public breastfeeding, or, indeed, breastfeeding at all in much of the 20th century has left new mothers without enough knowledge.

Many affluent women who had affluent parents would have been bottlefed and, therefore, have fewer familial supports for their experiences as new mothers.

That being said, I believe that there should be both public and private breastfeeding support as well as greater public support [and government funding in Canada] for LLL peer to peer support. I would also encourage the continued efforts of LLLI to reach out to all mothers, regardless of class or age.

And, yes, I probably would have another mother donate milk for any children that I could not nurse myself. For my allergic babes, the minimal risk of being exposed to a disease [rather rare, and I would have testing done] from another woman's breastmilk would have been much less than the risk of a life threatening allergic reaction to casein.

The other articles on breastfeeding last week in the newspapers included coverage of formula contamination in Western countries, the benefits of breastfeeding for Afghan mothers, and how many babies worldwide are saved by breastfeeding.

The basic fact of the importance of breastfeeding is clear, as is the fact that new mothers do not have enough help.

[Rachel]

Popping in yet again. You know, breastfeeding actually is not something that occupies much of my thinking nowadays but it continues to be a locus for political and feminist anger on my part.

Last year here in the US, there was some noise about a campaign, ostensibly to promote breastfeeding, that was going to emphasize the disadvantages of not breastfeeding. Now, as you may recall, I'm a La Leche League leader so I'm totally familiar with the disadvantages of not breastfeeding, however, I believe that this campaign (which was derailed by representatives from the larger formula makers, I'd have to go back to my records to look up details) simply emphasized that breastfeeding was entirely a woman's responsibility, placing the entire burden on individual women without any support from the community (medical, financial, social). What really put me over the edge was that La Leche League was going to be tapped for this effort. As I understood it, the commercial would include the 800 line for LLL. Here's the thing, LLL is a volunteer organization. Wow, that's a heck of a commitment from the US govt. and the American Academy of Pediatrics! Not let's give women access to better maternity leave and post-partum care (how about a visit from a health nurse who is trained to work with breastfeeding moms?), not let's make it possible for women who want to breastfeed and need/want to work actually be able to do both (eg. make it possible for moms to nurse babe in the middle of the day, hassle-free pumping - okay, no such thing, but a place to pump and not getting hassled about the time). No, none of that, instead it's the same, tired rhetoric: Breast is best (which btw, is actually a formula ad slogan and in the US, is required in all formula ads by federal law, as a bf advocate I hear "breast is best but..." and the formula makers know it, breast is best but... sometimes it's not possible/realistic and why not?, but I not only digress, I rant). One way to keep women from advocating for change is to mire them in guilt. Enough with the guilt. It's time to get angry. (see this article by Jack Newman: http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/guilt.htm as he's the one who articulated the connection b/w breastfeeding and guilt that informs much of my thinking on this issue).

ps regarding the wet nursing... Women should be cautious, just as you'd be cautious about having sex with someone (although I never heard about sperm having any mitigaing health advantages the way human milk does). I'm not even sure how I feel about milk banks because the milk is incredibly expensive. As I understand it, you need a prescription to get milk from a bank too, so the hurdles to access human milk if you're not nursing are pretty high and I can't imagine how we could bring the cost of human milk down to compete with formula so it would remain the province only of the wealthy, whereas who'd be donating (or hopefully selling) their milk? So again, whose baby eats what would still reflect issues of socio-economic class.

[Andrea]

I'm noticing more and more that breast feeding is becoming a status symbol. Case in point, the annoying celebrities who wear their lactating boobs propped up like gods in their Oscar dresses so everyone can proclaim they "look motherly".

Or the latest picture of Britney Spears in her very evident nursing bra with a skimpy tank top on which screams, "I nurse! Let everyone know this!"

I appreciate celebrities like Denise Richards who truthfully admit she *only* breast fed her baby for 6 weeks (like that is a BAD thing) and how after she gave up breast feeding she felt "herself" again.....boy, can I relate! I applaud her for saying that in a rag mag instead of boasting that breast feeding helped her lose the weight, like so many other celebrities say.

[scarbie doll]

This is just totally insane. Will these people not be satisfied until mothers are bogged down with so much info they will just combust? I feel that this whole business of motherhood is rapidly turning into the real-life Handmaid's Tale and that soon only the wealthy will be able to afford having children. Or at least the media will make most women feel this is so. Thanks for writing yet another insightful article on a hot topic.

[nancy]

Excellent post! Agree with both Beanie and Diana. Oh, and you too of course.

[Sharlene]

While in the hospital after having Makenna both myself and the woman next to me had problems with breastfeeding. While the other woman's husband pulled out his cheque book and said, "We'll hire the best consultant we can find," Chris and I were saying, "We have to make this work because right now we can't afford to buy formula." If it weren't for the public (and free) breastfeeding clinic in Calgary I don't know what we would have done.

[Diana]

Beanie Baby summed up my feelings as well. It just saddens me that breastfeeding has become yet another dividing line between women at a time in life where we need all the support we can get.

[Beanie Baby]

How infuriating.

And how unacceptable to see personal privilege and wealth conflated with virtues, such as being "determined and successful."

Ugh.