A recent issue of MacLean’s magazine featured an interview with Joan B. Wolf; author of the book Is Breast Best? Taking on the Breastfeeding Experts and the New High Stakes of Motherhood. http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/01/10/author-joan-b-wolf-in-conversation/
I was very disappointed after reading the article, which gives a very inaccurate and negative description of the breastfeeding experience. Wolf describes breastfeeding as, “a mother’s sacrifice.” I am really struggling to see how anyone could describe an experience that provides the most intimate form of bonding between a mother and a child as a sacrifice. Breastfeeding is something that only a mom is privileged to, a special experience that connects mother and child in a way nothing else can. Not everyone chooses to breastfeed, and it is every mother’s right to decide whether she will breastfeed or formula feed. My fear is for those mothers who are trying to make an informed decision about breastfeeding and come across articles like this. It in no way gives an accurate description of breastfeeding and makes numerous unsupported claims. If a mother chooses not to breastfeed it is her decision, however, how awful would it be if her decision was based on this very distorted and misleading opinion of breastfeeding.
One of Wolf’s many false claims suggests that breastfeeding prevents women from having a career. Many workplaces are trying to create environments that support breastfeeding allowing mothers the opportunity to both work and continue breastfeeding. We are seeing more and more places that have comfortable areas available for moms to feed their babies and express breastmilk if needed. Wolf contradicts herself during the interview; condemning breastfeeding for not allowing women the opportunity to work and criticizing workplaces that provide lactation rooms for breastfeeding mom. “…I am concerned that these rooms reinforce the misperception that breastfeeding is much healthier.” “…I’m not convinced that scarce resources are best used on lactation rooms.”
Another option for working moms is pumping milk. While I was still breastfeeding my son, I was also teaching aerobics. Before I left for my classes I pumped some milk and put it in the fridge and my husband fed him while I was gone. It isn’t necessary for the choice to be breastfeeding or work, it can be both.
We encourage all moms to breastfeed, but also we respect the right for a mother to decline and choose to formula feed. So why now has breastfeeding come under attack? Women who choose to breastfeed should feel proud that they are indeed giving their babies the best nutrition and the best start to life. Your body spends 9 months growing this little baby and preparing to nourish this child, and I am not sure how someone can dispute that a mother’s milk is anything less than the best for baby. We should take pride in the fact that our bodies have the ability to provide the soul nourishment for our babies for the first 6 months. I take great offense to anyone that tries to minimize the importance of breastfeeding or who tries to take that pride away from breastfeeding mothers!
My name is Mary Ellen Marsh. I have a 16 month old little boy named Brody and am expecting our second bundle of joy in March, 2011. I am a registered dietitian by trade, but I am currently a stay-at[..]
Hey Mary Ellen – great blog! I am a mom who works outside the home. I was a 12-hr shift worker when my oldest was 6 months old and I had to return to work. We managed! I never felt as though anything was sacrificed. In fact – breastfeeding was our time to reconnect, and she breastfed until she was 2 1/2. I returned to work before the 1 year maternity leave was up with baby #2 due to the financial struggles that our EI system ensures, secure in the knowledge that nothing was sacrificed – she was eating family foods, enjoying breastfeeding, in the loving care of her dad or her grandparents while I was at work and again reconnecting when I got home. We continued our breastfeeding relationship for nearly 3 years. I also read the MacLean’s article with dismay and disappointment, fearing that mothers would base their decisions on the opinion of one outspoken feminist. I know many women who are feminist in thier views and are also champions for breastfeeding. Pity they cannot have an interview with MacLean’s Magazine.
Warmly,
Dee Dee
Hello MaryEllen,
I am Mary-Ellen too, with the addition of a hyphen! I seen you at the Breastfeeding forum in November (at the fluvarium), and I am enjoying your blog! I have not read the article, and will diffinately do so now. The comment “a womans sacrifice” does strike a cord. As a woman, wife of a commuter, student, casual worker, and mom of 3 babies (6, 4, and 15 months)all breastfed(my youngest continues to be breastfed in addition to our main meals) I can understand where sacrifice comes into play, but not from the same viewpoint as Wolf. I have sacrificed my SLEEP!! AHH.. I study at night until 12:30 am or later and do all that mommyhood lets me. I go into the city 2-4 times a week to bring my sons to playgroup, and bring my daughter in for tutoring. I am polluting the environment driving and I despise that, that is a sacrifice I made. I have little time cuddle and watch a show or movie with my hubby, again a sacrifice. The list can go on, but I try not to fucus on these, instead I see the the end goal, and with breastfeeding there is no sacrifice, none, we parents all get use to sleep deprivation, and we all feed our babies no matter the hour, the milk my body gives is mine to give my babies, its wonderful. All they needed was within me when in utero, and out of utero, we moms are there physical world, and this included daddy’s and partners, I am talking about the feeding bond, nothing can ever replace that. I give my antibodies, vitamins, minerals, and my body replenishes my stores no manner how long I breastfeed (months or years). There is no sacrifice with breastfeeding Wolf. Has Wolf breastfed? I think it a legitimate question since she is talking about natural mammalian feeding in a very well read magazine. I think magazines should include two sides of these types of articles, to explore others perspectives. Media is powerful, I have to say this. When I was little and watching Sesame Street or Saturday morning cartoons, commercials would come on and still do (on every channel now), and you see a brown cow or a black and white milking cow on 4 legs and you hear “drink milk”. Now as an adult, I cant get the picture of a human drinking a cows teat out of my mind when I see these commercials. We have to get two legged mammalian moms on these commercials saying “drink milk” with a mom feeding her baby at the breast. I grew up associating milk with cows and not female moms (adoptive or biological). How and what we expose our children too sets the stage for their tomorrows. I can go on and on, you have to go so take Care and I look forward to your next entry.
Mary-Ellen
Thank you for your comment Dee Dee. It is great to hear how other moms continued to breastfeed after going back to work! Hopefully we can provide a more accurate picture of this great experience for new moms and moms-to-be!
Hi!
I am posting this in the hopes that some breastfeeding mums might be interested in participating in my research project.
I am a Psychology student at MUN completing my undergraduate thesis on the topic of breastfeeding and sexuality (and how this relationship impacts a woman’s choice to breastfeed). My research consists of a short written questionnaire that is completely anonymous and confidential. I am looking for participants who have been breastfeeding for a period of at least two months.
If you think you might be interested in participating, please email me at christina.m.young@mun.ca. I can mail you a copy of the questionnaire, which can be returned via the pre-paid envelope provided.
Thanks! I really enjoy reading your blog.
Great blog Mary Ellen. I thoughly enjoyed reading it.
Really liked this blog. I can’t believe there are still people who can’t see the benefits of breastfeeding.
Great Blog! I like how you took the less extreme approach and focused on the positives of bf. Always a good read, looking forward to the next one
Mary Ellen, I really enjoyed your post and I love the fact that the Baby Friendly initiative is featuring blogs from real-life nursing moms.
Wolf is a thorn in the side of many breastfeeding blogs and support sites. Check out The Leaky B@@b and Dispelling Breastfeeding myths (both on Facebook and at their respective blog sites).
I think the root of the issue lies in the “breast is best” mantra. If breast is best, then formula is regarded as normal. Moreover, it creates an unnecessary, and unhealthy, divide between breastfeeding and formula feeding moms. If, instead, we work to reinstate breastfeeding as the normal way of feeding our children, formula will start to be regarded as an option to be considered if one truly cannot breastfeed. Maybe one day, formula will even be second to donateda breast milk. And if we, as a culture, regarded breast as normal, people like Wolf wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
I just wanted to comment again to correct my website address for my blog.
Cheers!
i’d love to share this posting with the readers on my site. thanks for sharing!