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1.) Health Benefits: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and numerous research studies, breastfeeding is the healthiest choice a mother can make for her child. Breast milk is a living biological fluid that assists a baby's immune system, helps stave off allergies where there is a family history of them, helps infants grow faster, and aids brain development. In addition to the positive physical health effects, the simple act of breastfeeding contributes to the psychological health of both mothers and babies. Research shows that it produces healthy, happy babies who become healthier, happier children. Some studies even report that the health benefits of breastfeeding continue long into adulthood, saying adults who were breastfed have fewer overall health problems than adults who were not. 2.) Economic Benefit to Society: All society benefits from babies being breastfed - the long-term health benefits save money on health care because breastfed babies are healthier babies. The positive externalities of breastfeeding are myriad and have been successfully repressed by a combination of cultural forces. Infants who are breastfed are less likely to become sick as they grow older. A USDA survey, The Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding, shows that at least $3.6 billion (that's billion) could be saved if percentages of women breastfeeding significantly increased. This savings would result from the prevention or lowering the incidence of only three illnesses: Otitis media, gastroenteritis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. If other illnesses and life-time effects were included in the study the savings would be even greater. Because all of society benefits from women breastfeeding, state laws and corporate policies should support women breastfeeding, rather than make it difficult for them to breastfeed. 3.) Shame and Sexualization of the Breast: Society reflects mixed ideas about women's bodies - moralistic messages about shame mixed with Hollywood/Madison Avenue messages about sex and eroticism. Therefore, many women feel that even when their bodies are nourishing the next generation, they should hide what they are doing and might feel shame. When an individual or a corporation asks a woman to hide the act of breastfeeding in the bathroom or under a blanket, they reinforce that she is doing something shameful. One can generally see more of the breast among women wearing many current fashions than one can see when a woman is breastfeeding. However, we never hear of a woman being asked to cover her cleavage, and yet we regularly hear of women being asked to cover and hide the act of breastfeeding. This reflects society's acceptance of the breast as sexual and denial of the breast as nurturing. 4.) Low Rates: The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that mothers breastfeed for a minimum of one year. Yet, in the United States, only 24% of mothers are breastfeeding at all at 9 months, according to a Center for Disease Control study. (This figure includes those who are supplementing with formula.) There are several factors which contribute to these low rates. When it is difficult for women to nurse in public, either due to logistics of trying to hide what they are doing, or due to the emotions of feeling shamed and harassed, fewer women will breastfeed, and those who do will breastfeed for less time. 5.) A Natural Act: Finally, some people suggest that breastfeeding is a "bodily function", like urination, defecation, or sex, which, no matter how natural, should not be done in public. The difference is that urination, defecation, and sex, create health risks in public. There is no health risk to breastfeeding in public. Every society in the world has taboos against defecation and sex in public because of these health risks. Most other societies accept breastfeeding in public. Breastfeeding is a baby eating and drinking. The baby is joining the rest of us in our meal or snack. |
breastfeeding.com lalecheleague.org Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding www.promom.org |
www.lalecheleague.org or www.breastfeeding.com
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