Natural Family News

Breastfeeding for at least six months protects the child against respiratory illness and ear infections, according to a new report in Pediatrics. I’m always somewhat surprised when a new study showing breastfeeding is healthier is published. Is there a reason to keep studying breastfeeding’s health benefits? Can there be any doubt by now that, yes, it’s better than formula? Is anyone out there using formula because they think it’s better for their child than breastfeeding? If they’re not breastfeeding, is there any new data that will change that? And with the massive body of evidence, why are there doctors out there who still act like breastfeeding is no big deal?

Did I tell you about the doctor I visited who actually told me she recommends that none of her patients breastfeed for longer than six months because she says it’s harmful to the baby’s bone health? What a loon. I ought to make a copy of this report and wallpaper her office in it.

A news station in the BBC has caused quite a stir online with their piece on “Extraordinary Breastfeeding”. Great Britain apparently has lousy breastfeeding rates overall, but this piece focused on mums who practice extended – and sometimes *really* extended – breastfeeding. Get any group of moms together, ask them at what age a child should be weaned by, and you will get a wide variety of answers. There are comments from moms on the news piece above that state that breastfeeding beyond 6 months of age is abuse. Others feel like 2-3 years should be the limit. Still others say 5 or older. Who’s right? The probable answer is no one. I don’t think that anyone can list a hard and fast rule about when a child should wean. Anthropologists seem to be in agreement that historically children were breastfed well into their third year and beyond. Ultimately when to wean is a very personal decision, and one that I believe should be left for individual families to work out on their own.

There’s an interesting opinion piece by Jeff Leach written recently that discusses how vaginal birth and breastfeeding promotes colonization of the baby’s intestinal tract by beneficial bacteria. He does a great job discussing the issue, and is a witty writer to boot. It’s definitely a worthwhile read.

Another news article has been written that claims that rising breastfeeding rates are to blame for an increase in cases of rickets, and that all breastfed babies should be supplemented with vitamin D. I find this problematic for a number of reasons. First, it makes no biological sense. Breastmilk is the perfectly designed food for babies – it shouldn’t need to be supplemented. Second, while breastfeeding rates are improving, they are still pretty pitiful. Third, rickets is primarily a problem in darker-skinned individuals living in northern latitudes, so recommending supplementation across the board is unnecessary. So, if breastfeeding isn’t to blame, what is the cause? Largely it is due to individuals not receiving enough sunlight. Our society has become so sun-phobic that we cover up and slather on SPF 50 sunscreen every time we head outdoors. For fair skinned people, it really doesn’t take much time outside; a little over 15 minutes a day, without a hat or sunscreen, is sufficient. Dark skinned people need to spend more time outdoors to get the same effect; the problem is nobody has ever studied how much more time is needed. The other potential problem is an inadequate supply of vitamin D in the mother. Normally, babies are born with a store of vitamin D in their liver. But if mom is deficient, then baby may start off deficient as well.

If you’d like to read some more accurate information on vitamin D supplementation, breastfeeding and rickets, I suggest you check out the information on Kellymom’s website. There is an excellent discussion of the subject there, as well as links to a number of helpful resources.

I know you don’t really need another reason, but in case you’re still on the fence about whether breastfeeding is a good idea… A recent study shows that people who were breastfed are less likely to develop celiac disease. Celiac sufferers can’t eat wheat and gluten. Continuing to breastfeed while introducing products that contain wheat seems to result in about a 50% reduction in the incidence of the disease.

Mississippi is one of those states where breastfeeding your child in public just might be criminal. But that is set to change soon.

Senate bill and House Bill 527 would protect the right of Mississippi mothers to breastfeed their children in public. They would legislate that breastfeeding is not indecent exposure, disorderly conduct or breach of the peace. They would also make a mother’s breastfeeding an excuse from jury duty.

South Carolina is considering similar legislation.

A woman in Ann Arbor was recently told by the local YWCA that she could not breastfeed by the pool, because they have a policy that there can be no food or water in the pool area. I’m sorry, but this just makes me want to laugh. Whether or not she nursed the baby there, the milk is still going to be in her breasts. So, if you’re going to take the stance that nursing a baby is having food by the pool, I guess you’re going to have to ban all lactating women from the pool area. You can read the article here.

New Web Site Launched to Raise Breastfeeding and Milk Bank Awareness
Irreverent slogans highlight serious subject, raise awareness and funding for breast milk
banking and breastfeeding issues.
Columbus, OH (PRWEB) December 28, 2005 -– Writer and breastfeeding mother Jennifer Laycock today
announced the launch of The Lactivist, a new web site aimed at raising both funds and awareness for breast
milk banking and breastfeeding advocacy. Selling t-shirts with witty slogans like “nip/suck,” “That’s my
baby’s lunch you’re staring at,” and “My baby thinks I’m boobylicious!”, The Lactivist store takes a humorous
and oftentimes irreverent approach to a subject that is still a source of great controversy in the US.
“In my own situation, my mind was set on breastfeeding, but nobody told me how difficult it would be,”
admitted Jennifer. “I did a lot of reading and decided even before Nora (Jennifer’s daughter) was born that I
wanted her to get the full benefits of my breast milk. I got involved with my local breast milk bank when I
realized I had extra milk that I’d pumped—and that my milk could actually help others who were unable to
produce milk for their babies.”
Jennifer, who has already donated more than 27 gallons of her breast milk, is now looking to put her money
where her milk is. She’s designating a portion of the profits from The Lactivist directly to her local breast
milk bank.
“The benefits of breast milk are so numerous that when a mother’s own milk is not available, the next best
option is pasteurized human donor milk,” explains Georgia Morrow, Director of Mother’s Milk Bank of Ohio.
“And we rely on donations of both milk and money, which is why we’re so excited about Jennifer’s
involvement. One of our primary goals is to spread awareness of how important breast milk is for babies, and
items on Jennifer’s web site go a long way toward that goal.”
The Lactivist web site was quietly launched on November 9, 2005, but has already received a great deal of
recognition for promoting breastfeeding awareness and breast milk bank advocacy. In addition, the site has
been the focus of a series of articles on The Lactivist blog authored by Laycock entitled, “Zero Cash, A Little
Talent and 30 Days” (http://www.searchengineguide.com/laycock/) which tracks the development of her site
and its journey to success over a month’s time.

Massachusetts moms who give birth in hospitals will no longer leave carrying diaper bags provided by formula companies. While hospitals can still hand out free formula, they can no longer hand out gift bags that imply hospital promotion of formula.

“There’s no free lunch and there’s no free gift,” said Beth Sargent, an independent lactation consultant from Needham. “A gift is something given freely without the anticipation of a return. There is absolutely an anticipation of return.”

Not surprisingly, a spokesperson for the company that makes Enfamil called the decision “over the top”.

You can read the entire article here.

When Lori Rueger was declined a Victoria’s Secret dressing room to nurse her daughter, she became one of many breastfeeding moms who have become politically active. Her intent was simply to nurse her baby privately and discreetly, but when she was informed that Victoria’s Secret has a policy against allowing women to nurse in their stores, her story became one of the many examples South Carolina “lactivists” cite to support the state’s need for legislation to support breastfeeding moms. You can read more about breastfeeding activism here.

**Victoria’s Secret maintains that their company policy allows breastfeeding and that this was simply a misunderstanding.

Everyone knows that changes in cabin pressure during takeoff and landing can cause pain inside your ear; adults are often advised to chew gum and parents are advised to give young children something to eat or drink to help alleviate the pressure. For babies, the recommendation is that they either nurse or suck on a bottle or pacifier. But while some poor woman was trying to fly home with her 7 month old baby, she was repeatedly asked by a flight attendant to stop nursing and wait until the plane landed where she could feed in the terminal. When the woman tried to tell the attendant that it was her legal right to breastfeed her child on the plane, the attendant responded that it was “company policy”. Apparently they would rather disturb the other passengers with a screaming baby than risk having a nursing baby offend those seated nearby. You can read about it here.

A recent study published in Pediatrics says that women still need more support to continue breastfeeding past 4 weeks. So, is the support not available, or are women simply unaware of the opportunities for support? Are there no La Leche League groups near these women, or is that to inconvenient or intimidating? Why do 32% of women not even attempt breastfeeding? You can read more about the study’s findings here.