“I’m going to be very blunt in the hopes that it awakens more people to the dangers of infant formula.”
Those were the introductory words of a post written by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. on Psychology Today’s Moral Landscapes blog. The post, entitled “In light of last week’s posts: Is Pushing Formula Evil?” originates from the question — why do institutions push formula on normal infants?
That is a very legitimate and important question. It is one that I have asked numerous times on this blog, raising issues like lacking lactation training among health professionals, giving formula samples as a “breastfeeding prize”, the impact of formula samples given in the hospital, and ways to know that your health care professional is not supportive of breastfeeding. All of those issues, all of those posts, originate from the premise that the vast majority of mothers do want to breastfeed and that all stars should be aligned to ensure that they have every chance possible to meet their own breastfeeding goals.
However, there was more to the question when Dr. Narvaez asked it. The full question, as written in her post (emphasis hers), was: Why do institutions push formula on normal infants when it is VERY RISKY? Yes, she used ALL CAPS . Other than the last paragraph of her post, which includes a few bullets on changes that she would like to see in the health care system, the rest of Dr. Alvarez article doesn’t address the initial question at all. Instead, most of the space is taken up with a description of just how risky formula is. The problem, however, is that instead of listing scientifically verifiable facts, she used loaded judgmental non-scientific terms like fake food and junk food and starvation diet to describe formula feeding and used vague (and to a great extent unproven) terms like ill health, depressed and lower intelligence to describe the impact of formula feeding on babies. Her remarks were, of course, also short on footnotes or other references.
Her aim, as she stated at the beginning of the post, was to “awaken more people to the dangers of infant formula.” In my experience, using loaded judgmental non-scientific terms isn’t a good way to awaken people. It is, however, a really good way to get people to shut down and block out anything you have to say. It is also a really good way to get them angry.
Some people, like Suzanne from Fearless Formula Feeder, think there is an upside to Dr. Narvaez’s post. “In fact, I kind of liked it,” she wrote in her post called Good versus “Evil”: How ignorance can bring out the best in the breastfeeding/formula debate, noting that it “brought women out of the woodwork” to tell their own stories, and also brought out professionals (like therapists and lactation consultants) who told her that her approach was wrong and damaging.
Personally, while I agree with the positives that Suzanne mentioned, I worry that the damage will be much greater than the upside. I think that Dr. Narvaez’s post adds fuel to the fire and gives greater legitimacy to the argument that lactivists are cold-hearted, uncaring, uncompassionate, “Breasfeeding Nazis“, when most of us are nothing like that. We didn’t need Dr. Narvaez’s horrible post for people like Amy from Just West of Crunchy to write the Top 10 Things Breastfeeding Advocates Should Stop Saying. We didn’t need Dr. Narvaez’s judgmental words for Best for Babes to come up a Credo that notes that “ALL moms deserve to make a truly informed feeding decision and to be cheered on, coached and celebrated without pressure, judgment or guilt” and that “ALL breastfeeding moms deserve to achieve their personal breastfeeding goals without being undermined by cultural and institutional Booby Traps.” We didn’t need Dr. Narvaez’s drivel for Suzanne to start her Fearless Formula Feeder blog to support formula feeding moms “without being a boob about it.” We didn’t need Dr. Narvaez’s ignorance for Katherine from Postpartum Progress to call in experts to address breastfeeding and postpartum depression on her amazing blog. I didn’t need Dr. Narvaez to prompt me to write When it is Not Breast or I Won’t Ask You Why You Didn’t Breastfeed. The positive discussions were already happening, I think.
Yes, I think we were moving in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean that the fire was out. The fact that my friend Casey from Moosh in Indy worked harder than anyone I know to breastfeed her child and still feels the heavy weight of society’s judgment on her shoulders as she raises a bottle to her baby’s lips, is extremely sad. As she wrote in her post, the one about me not being able to breastfeed, the assumptions made about bottle feeding mothers are hardly ever good ones. So this strong-willed, loving, amazing woman who I’m so proud of, now wears a bracelet on her bottle feeding arm that says “Thank you for judging.” Partly tongue-in-cheek perhaps, but maybe sadly necessary too.
Many of us in the breastfeeding community have been working extremely hard to extinguish the fires that burn in the breast versus bottle debate. We need to continue that work, so that women can be supported in their feeding decisions no matter what. We did not need this woman to come along and throw more fuel on the fire. By “we” I mean both breastfeeding advocates and formula feeding moms. We need less judgment and more support in all corners. We need to work together to put this fire out, not to fan the flames. As Lauren from My Postpartum Voice noted, if you need to preface your article (as Dr. Narvaez did) with “NOTE TO MOMS: Don’t read this if you are feeling vulnerable, guilty or overstressed. NOTE TO ALL: I’m not a therapist but a researcher in child development,” chances are you shouldn’t be writing it.
I know that World Breastfeeding Week has come and gone for another year (I wrote about breastfeeding in front of teenagers over at Care2.com and got to show my Covering Up is a Feminist Issue video in the community keynote at BlogHer ’11 in San Diego), but as usual the discussion doesn’t end there. Dr. Narvaez has taken us two steps back. We will need to work that much harder to create true support for breastfeeding moms and for formula feeding moms. For every person who rolls their eyes and says, “not another breastfeeding post”, I’m sorry…blame Dr. Narvaez because we have to keep fighting this fire until it is out.
Image credits: Fire photo = neiladerney123 on flickr, bracelet photo = used with permission from moosh in indy.
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
The more I learn about labour/birth/breastfeeding/parenting, the less judgemental I feel. As you mentioned, judgement and condemnation adds fuel to the fire, and does not create positive change. I have found that the best way to help a woman struggling with breastfeeding is to put a hand on her shoulder and say “I know this is hard.” When I open my heart and truly listen to a woman, I think I have gone MUCH farther than any resources, facts or scary stats that I could be offering her. Does it always result in the woman continuing to breastfeed? No. But I think it results in one more Mom feeling supported and confident, and that is my only goal.
Listening and supporting is always the way to go.
I always wonder what the motivations are when someone writes an article such as Dr. Narvaez’s. Or rather, I wonder if people even take the time to evaluate their own motivations when they write similarly inflammatory pieces, *especially* when they use value-laden terms and even moral-judgment terms in a piece in which neither type of term is appropriate.
What’s more, these approaches don’t often, if ever, change or open minds. Quite the opposite, in fact.
In my edu psych classes, we use Psychology Today as an example of pop culture science…and where not to go for reliable scientific data. You are absolutely right about this adding fuel to the fire. We all know breast milk is best, but what’s also best is feeding your child period.
Amen! Your last statement is what gets lost in this mess and this fight. (I had a tongued tied son who literally could not breastfeed myself)
Seconded. I was ultimately able to exclusively breastfeed, but only after working with my midwife / lactation consultant for six weeks. Pumping 8-12 times a day, half an hour at a time. My baby had an exaggerated tongue thrust and couldn’t latch, so we had to train her to do it right. Until I was able to exclusively breastfeed, I had to supplement with formula because I never did, and still don’t, respond well to pumps. I felt so ashamed of this, so guilty… but that guilt came mostly from me and all the “breast is best” messages (which to this day still raises my hackles) rather than from anyone in my circle of acquaintances. I was lucky. I had educated support. Many women don’t get that. And at the end of the day, the number one rule (as my midwife told me again and again) is “feed the baby.”
I agree with you, although, to be honest, even the best-intentioned lactivists trip up sometimes (although not in such a crassly hyperbolic manner as Darcia and co.) Best for Babes had their own fat on the fire moment with their recent Laila Ali interview.
You’re right. I’ve made mistakes before too. We can all learn from our mistakes and do better next time.
Reading Darcia’s replies to comments she received is even sillier than the post itself. I can see what FFF meant when she said she actually liked the post. I did too.
It was absurd.
And then when she got into it about the Baby Boomers? Oy vey.
My babies are loved.
There’s a lot more I could screw up in not loving them than from my boobs not working.
Thank you for this. For being you. For helping me. For helping others.
Loved and ADORABLE!! Let’s not forget that part. Seriously, I almost stole your “bebop” at blogher
Keep on rockin, momma.
I did try to steal Vivi, but she so clearly wanted her mama that I had to give her back.
Yes. This. Right on, as usual. Thank you, Annie, for your always educated, gentle approach.
I did not read the article & I won’t. As formula feeding mom of 2, I sometimes feel judged & attacked that I didn’t breastfeed longer (I did try with both & formula fed for different reasons for both). I mourned the loss of breastfeeding my second & still sometimes mourn it to this day, 13 months later. Those of us who formula feed are NOT, are NOT terrible mom’s. And you are right the breastfeeding community did not need this. I fully support breastfeeding, it is the way to go if YOU CAN. There are the people out there who do look at the formula feeding mom like she is killing her baby, but MOST people I know are like, hey you gotta feed your kid, so do what works for you.
People like this just make me SOOOOO angry that I cannot even think to put anything into words.
Thank you for being sensitive to those of us that tried & then did what we thought was right & that is making sure our babies were fed & growing.
Lisa B.,
You’re right, you shouldn’t read this article. I too formula fed my child, and I had no intention of doing so (it never crossed my mind until we were there), this article would have destroyed me in those days.
My opinion is that Darcia is living in a fantasy if she believes that this approach will have greater success than “breast is best”, (which I hold akin to Nancy Regan’s “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign). Catch phrases are great, but let’s give people the tools, support and resources to succeed rather than blanket condemnation of all.
Lara,
Thank you. It is nice to know there are other moms out there. I mean intellectually I know there are, but I would say 90% of my mom friends were able to breastfeed as long as they wanted to. Which is great for them, but being surrounded by that sort of makes you feel slightly inadequate.
Yes Breast is Best, I don’t deny that, but those of us who can’t or don’t want to are not evil people. Thanks for the post.
Lisa, I’m there with you. When I was struggling to breastfeed, nothing cut me more than the fact that all my friends seemed to be able to do it with no problems whatsoever. Ultimately, the only reason I was able to was because my midwife was also a lactation consultant. I am forever indebted to her, and wish everyone could have access to someone like her.
I think more people than we think struggle, and more than we think formula feed (if only part time). And I also think the majority of the problem doesn’t lie with us, the women, but with the fact that we are expected to do something that frankly does not come naturally to most (even if it is natural!) without any support whatsoever.
Thanks for saying this so eloquently, Annie. The trouble with posts like Dr. Narvaez’s (well one of them) is that they miss the audience completely. Breastfeeding advocates know and understand the problem she is getting at: formula is considered the norm for infant feeding rather than a medical intervention. However, she fails at figuring out who she ought to be addressing this with and what kind of language is useful in doing that (and communicating the struggle more generally). Truthfully, it’s not something I have figured out myself.
I think what is being missed here is the idea that the mamas aren’t bad or lazy for choosing formula, but formula is poorly made from crappy, overly processed junk. There isnt really a better choice, nutritionally speaking, available on the market. I love the idea of milk-sharing and wet-nursing, but there really needs to be a more healthful alternative for families who have to choose something besides breastmilk. Instead of bashing each other, we should be demanding healthy food for infants! The drug companies who make the stuff are the ones who need to change, and stop putting all that corn syrup and crap in there. Thank you for a great blog.
Rose – while I don’t totally agree that formula is made from crap (although I understand why you might feel that way), I do agree that we should be focusing on getting the healthiest, most affordable breastmilk substitutes (or, as an alternative, making highly screened banked milk more readily available) to the women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed. It seems kind of punitive to not encourage research to help those who aren’t breastfeeding, especially as the ones who suffer are the kids everyone is supposedly trying to protect!
Rose:
I agree that there are a lot of less than ideal ingredients in formula, but I wouldn’t call it “crappy” or “junk”. As I mentioned in the post, I don’t think that using loaded words like that are really helpful to anyone. I do agree, however, that more needs to be done to ensure that women who are not able to breastfeed or do not want to breastfeed have the safest and most nutritious product possible for their babies. I’m just not sure that the current system is the best way to do that.
Formula companies spend tons of money on marketing, in order to sell more product, which then makes investors happy, so they then have more money to spend on research and product improvement, which they then turn around and market the heck out of again. All of that marketing contributes to some women’s failure to meet their own breastfeeding goals. If that money were going into (a) lactation support, (b) milk banking and (c) R&D into better formula, that would be great. But spending it on marketing is a waste and a problem.
“If that money were going into (a) lactation support, (b) milk banking and (c) R&D into better formula, that would be great. But spending it on marketing is a waste and a problem.”
Yeah, I agree. On the other hand, the reluctant capitalist in me whispers “but formula companies are a corporation like any other… why should they have to be held to different standards?” Asking them to fund lactation support/research is like telling Coke they need to promote Pepsi, you know? In an ideal world I agree with you, but I just take issue with Big Formula (which, as a very wise woman on my site just pointed out, is one and the same with Big Pharma, a terribly corrupt industry, and I hardly ever see people railing against the makers of depression meds for convincing everyone and their brother that they have depression simply because they are feeling “sad”) having to be more altruistic than any other big corporation.
I think that the government should be responsible for doing this type of research, not a company which has employees to pay and profit margins to meet. I do see a lot of research going on to prove the superiority of formula, and I wish that this funding could go into REAL lactation research – finding out what is in breastmilk, exactly, that makes it so amazing. Or figuring out real ways to counteract insufficient supply, or mitigating other breastfeeding problems.
Here in Canada there is significant regulation of pharmaceutical marketing, but with the formula companies they just say “pretty please”.
I agree that we shouldn’t depend on the formula companies to do the research or to fund lactation support. I just wish that somehow the current cycle could be broken.
I apologize if the terms “crappy” or “junk” offend anyone, I use those same terms to describe the chips or popcicles I let my kids have. When I say “junk”, I mean: not whole food (processed). I’m certainly not intending to condemn other mothers food choices by using those terms, but I think the formula industry is doing a horrible job, using the most inexpensive ingredients they can to make the most profit. I really feel that in order for the fire to be put out, the nutritional gap between BF and FF needs to become smaller. How do we do that? By forcing the companies who make formula to be more responsible, do more research, make better food for babies. They should not be able to get away with making nutritionally subpar products in toxic containers, sometimes laced with bug parts. This is not about being a good mother, it is about better business practices, in my opinion. All mothers want to do what is best for their children.
Rose:
If the only options I had to feed my child were growing my own bananas or feeding them store bought chips or popsicles, I’d be pretty stressed out about it. We don’t have the climate here to grow bananas and it would be virtually impossible. If I then had people telling me every day that I was feeding my children crappy junk and that they would be sick, depressed and less intelligent because I was too lazy and selfish to grow bananas for them, it really wouldn’t make me less stressed about the horrible situation that I was in. It would make it much worse.
As a mother stuck in that situation, I would be lobbying the chip and popsicle companies to improve their products so that I could give my children better nutrition. I would hope that others would join in that fight too and would hope that the government would support me through regulation and funding research and maybe some banana plantations to give bananas to the children who cannot grow their own. I would be angry at the chip and popsicle companies, but I would not need other parents or experts telling me that what I was feeding my children was junk.
What does surprise me, honestly, is that there is not a greater lobby among formula feeding families to improve the product, improve the ingredients, and get BPA and other toxins out of the containers. I guess part of the problem there is that they would likely end up having to pay even more money for that formula if the product was improved and that may be unaffordable for a lot of formula feeding families.
I don’t have all the answers, but I think part of it comes from educating health care professionals about lactation (so that they don’t try to convince moms to give up when it is unnecessary for them to do so) and educating health care professionals about the risks of formula (without using meaningless but loaded terms like “junk”). But at the same time, those health care professionals need to first and foremost support the mother.
Interesting points, Annie. I think it might come down to a philosophical disagreement on what constitutes “junk”. I don’t love reading the label of my childrens’ hypoallergenic formula container, but I also see how the ingredients have helped them grow and thrive, and I’m not entirely convinced that they aren’t the right ingredients for them to be consuming. We have a joke in my house that every time my son’s whole preschool is felled by the disease of the week and my son is healthy as a horse, we say a little thank you to his Superpowered Alimentum (the damn stuff costs so much it should be superpowered). I’m not using this as anecdotal proof of anything – my daughter, on the other hand, is a sick kid. I don’t blame the formula, b/c most of her illnesses are caused by some developmental issues we can credit to my inadequate womb…:( …. but my point is, I think a lot of FF parents are thrilled with the results of the formula they are feeding their kids, esp. after suffering traumatic experiences with inadequate milk or whatever… it makes you think of formula as a miraculous substance and ignore the scary-sounding ingredients. You know?
I also think it’s a hard issue to discuss b/c when scientists are paid by formula companies do embark on research to improve their products and make them “closer to breastmilk”, they get a lot of flack in the media for not just promoting breastfeeding. Therefore, our best scientists are not working on such endeavors in fear of professional backlash. We need to change the tone of the conversation, I believe, before we can have completely unbiased, quality research on both sides.
Well said, FFF.
As a formula feeder who is not as fearless as you, I can throw one more point in the mix: parents (especially mothers) who feed their children formula already face public and private judgments every day. It takes a lot of emotional energy out of a person, so the idea of being the “poster child for formula” by publicly taking on formula companies and lobbying around ingredients (as Annie suggests above)… ugh, just the thought depresses me!
Truth be told, I have never resented the ingredients in formula, nor the price. I’m still thankful I had the option to use formula and that my kids are so healthy.
I too use my humor in unusual ways when it comes to formula. When someone asks why my children are such good eaters, or so tall, or never get sick … whatever, I will say it’s because their mother breastfed them for so many years.
Coffee with Julie:
Julie, I can understand being to exhausted to take on the formula companies. I think that is the reason that so many people allow so many companies to get away with so many things. I know that not every mom will be up for it, but hopefully someone will.
“What does surprise me, honestly, is that there is not a greater lobby among formula feeding families to improve the product, improve the ingredients, and get BPA and other toxins out of the containers.”
There is! It is called “voting with your pocketbook.” Similac did remove BPA from all containers, except for liquid formulas in cans (instead of plastic bottles).
http://abbottnutrition.com/News/pressreleasedetail.aspx?ContentTitle=Abbott-Leads-by-Achieving-BPA-Free-Status-for-its-Infant-Formulas&year=2009
I really don’t get the “formula is made of junk food” argument. The ingredients in basic Enfamil and Similac are nonfat milk, vegetable oils (not hydrogenated), lactose, whey protein, and then prebiotics and vitamins and minerals. Basic food, that is processed for safety and digestibility. It can’t be compared, nutritionally, in any way at all to chips and popsicles. I have breastfed my children, but am considering switching my current baby to formula around 3-4 months, so that I can get back on a medication incompatible with breastfeeding. I have been reading a lot in the midst of my decision making, and I just don’t get the “formula is junk” argument at all. It simply isn’t true.
The problem with that kind of thinking is that formula MUST be processed in order to be digestible and give the right balance of nutrients to infants. Infants cannot digest solid foods and other animal milks are too high in protein, too low in carbohydrates and fat, and missing essential vitamins. I am sure there is plenty of room for improvement, but saying that formula is a processed junk food like fast food or chips is misleading, and dangerous because it leads women to think they are better off feeding their baby plain cow, goat, or plant milk, or some kind of homemade concoction. These options are extremely DANGEROUS to young infants. Formula is the only safe alternative to breastmilk. I think the closest thing you’re going to get to a “whole food” breastmilk alternative, is those genetically engineered cows that produce human milk, although I’m not quite sure if that’s going to work just yet.
Corn syrup is dangerous to infants in my opinion. It is the same corn syrup used in soda. That is why I was comparing it to junk food.
“It is the same corn syrup used in soda. ”
Nope, corn syrup or corn syrup solids are NOT the same as high fructose corn syrup, which is used in soda. Nutritionally, corn syrup is just sugar, no more dangerous than table sugar or honey. Moreover, corn syrup is not in all infant formulas. The basic formulas use lactose for the necessary added carbs, other sweeteners tend to be used in the specialty formulas as they may be more digestible for some babies than lactose.
Thanks for bringing a much-needed voice of reason to this insane situation, Annie. I completely understand why you’re worried Narvaez’s post will do more harm than good, but I (hope?) I speak for the formula feeding community – or at least the ones well-versed in this sort of drivel – that we are more than accustomed to being talked down to, insulted, etc.; and, when a person goes so far off the rails as this woman did, we don’t take it too much to heart. I get far more concerned with articles like the Laila Ali interview that Rina mentioned, to tell you the truth. It’s when people who are respected and held up as examples of “strong”, “smart” moms are perpetuating stereotypes and encouraging judgment that I start getting ornery.
I do worry that lactivism is given a bad name by people like this, though, and it is frustrating for me because I start seeing so much anger and resentment in my little community towards breastfeeding advocacy (and sometimes, in the most extreme cases, towards the very ACT of breastfeeding, simply because the practice gets associated with the people promoting it), and it saddens me. I think good, positive lactivism is needed to normalize and support breastfeeding, and I wish we could all work together to encourage better information, support and science for ALL types of infant feeding so that women can make an informed choice in every sense of the term.
I suppose I am one of the ones that has become hostile to BF and any sort of BF advocacy. Im a sexual assault survivor, raped at the age of 16. Got pregnant the first time at 17. my daughter was still born at around 21-22 weeks. So for that time how I was going to feed wasnt an issue.when I became pregnant with my son that of course changed. The pressure to BF was tremendous. I had WIC tell me I didnt love my son, if I could have sex I was over my rape and could BF. Quit making excuses. I was also on antidepressants even while pregnant, risky yes I messed up I get it.. but it was the lowest dose to keep me functional, not to alleviate my depression, which was tied in to my rape and loss of my daughter. when my son was born the hospital LC forced me to try bf, yes FORCED and insisting on handling my breasts despite me telling her to stop. WIC insisted that I quit my depression meds which had increased in dosage thrice and BF. BF would cure my depression these quacks claimed. Take all this on top of being ejected from a playgroup story-time at the public library because I gave my son a bottle at 8 month’s old, yes Im hostile toward BF advocacy and BF in general. The Gods honest truth I find the thought of a child suckling on my breast incestuous, repulsive etc. I avert my eyes when I see a woman NIP because I cant stand the smug look on her face of so called contentment and enjoyment of such an act. Because it is these types that would tell me Im lazy, selfish and have 0 compassion for me as an SA survivor because there is none in the lactavists community unless you want to BF. IF you cant your just selfish and need to get over being raped. Women get raped all the time and BF, your nobody special they say. Its not BF as a feeding method that I have issues with, but the attitude that goes along with those who practice it and they think if they do it all other must follow suit. Almost cult like IMHO. I want to tell some of them in public to please cover and use discretion when they nurse.I took my son the library about a month ago, it was story-time, but he wanted to get a Marvel Comic book. Sitting there was one of the moms who kicked us out 8 years ago, BF fully exposed in front of 30 other kids under the age of 6. My son knows that BF is a way to feed a baby, but he looked at me and said Mommy why is that lady showing herself.. I dont want to see that. Filed a complaint with the library, but doubt anything was done about it. She and I made eye contact, she knew who I was being a small town and all. Sorry to sound like a prude, but my 8 year old son doesnt need to see the fully exposed breasts of any woman whether or not a baby is on it. He has seen NIP done discreetly and understands the lady is simply feeding her child in those cases. I still usually remove us from the situation because as FFF stated above in some cases I associate seeing the act with the people that promoted it.However I dont need to go and complain about a discreet nursing mom, when I can simply avert my eyes and leave if it bothers me so.
Stephanie:
I completely understand not wanting to breastfeed after being sexually assaulted. The way you were treated by the hospital LC and WIC is awful. People working in breastfeeding support roles need to focus on supporting the woman first, not simply pushing breastfeeding. They need to stop and listen before pushing ahead.
I nursed in public. I was content and enjoyed the act of nursing my children. I was not and am not smug about it. I do not tell others that they are lazy or selfish and I do have compassion for sexual abuse survivors and other women who cannot breastfeed for whatever reason.
As a breastfeeding advocate, I understand how important it is for women to see other women nursing. Breastfeeding is difficult and a lot of moms have never seen another mom nurse until they are holding their own baby. It seems foreign and unnatural to them. I think it is important for women to breastfeed in public, covered or uncovered (as they and their baby prefer), so that society will see breastfeeding as normal and so that women have breastfeeding role models.
I’m curious, would your son ask why a woman was showing herself if she was wearing a bikini or a low cut shirt? Because even when I nursed completely uncovered, just the fact that the baby’s head was there meant that I was more covered than a lot of women are when they are walking down the street.
This lady showed no discretion. Both breasts were fully exposed, you could see the one sans baby completly. This wasnt a little bit of cleavage or the top of a breast, we are talking fully exposed nipples and all. Her shirt was hiked up above both breasts I assume so she could switch sides. Women should be able to NIP, the child has to eat and never ever would I consign a woman to the toilet or public bathroom. What disturbed me is there were children present, very young kids and call me a prude, but I believe that certain parts of our body, including breasts are not meant to be shared with the public. I dont think they are dirty, they are just meant to be private. My 8 year old son should be able to go to the library or anywhere in public and not have to see that. Im not talking about never seeing a BF woman, he has seen that plenty of times done discreetly. Hes 8, modest and shy. I dont dress immodestly myself and try to set a good example for my son
I’m sorry you have had a bad experience with lactivists. It sucks that you have experienced judgement for not breastfeeding from anyone. I’d like to address one thing in your argument, though. Every time a discussion about breastfeeding and NIP in particular comes up someone has to bring up the women who “whip em out” or “show everything” OMG eleventy!!! In my entire life I have never seen a woman in public just let her boobs hang out. So, it happens, but it’s extremely rare. And it’s every bit as unfair to paint large swaths of women who NIP as doing so indiscreetly as it is to judge all formula feeding mothers as selfish or lazy.
If we shouldn’t judge a woman who feeds her baby formula (and we shouldn’t), how about we not judge a breastfeeding woman no matter how much skin she shows. There are various reasons why a woman might show more skin than others including the size of her breasts and how much her baby wiggles. As an adult, if you don’t like it don’t look. If you have children who ask questions perhaps a simple, “She’s just feeding her baby, and I guess that baby likes to have both at the ready.”
Narvaez’s post is quite inflammatory as you say, particularly the bit about it being a “starvation diet”. Yeesh! But, as a breastfeeding advocate I’m getting pretty damn tired of trying to walk the line between trying to encourage more breastfeeding and not possibly offending any mother who has ever used formula. Lately, I just don’t say anything because it seems like nearly every formula feeding mother thinks any pro-breastfeeding talk is an attack on her choice (or lack there of).
I think lactavists and BF advocates need to back off more than anything. We have books, pamphlets and the inter net to do research and help us decide the pros and cons of both BF and FF. If we want information and help it should be the lady who wants to BF to make the initial contact, not the other way around. I personally find it unethical to approach a woman in the hospital when she is most vulnerable and attempt to educate her about BF. Downright predatory in nature if you ask me. WIC has great information on BF and offers great help and it should be there for those who desire it. Not once however did WIC offer me any information on how to properly sterilize and prepare bottles or anything. They pretended such information didnt exist, thank GOd my mom was able to teach me the simple and old fashioned way to do it. BF should be viewed not only as a lifestyle choice which it is, but also as a medical decision. A medical decision can only be made by a woman with the help of her doctor. As far as NIP, I have heard the like it dont look argument many times and 9 out of 10 that is just what I do. Most moms do it covered or very discreetly, not have both breasts fully exposed in front of children no less. My son has seen my cousin nurse her children and she does it covered, he has had friends moms who BF, all discreet. I dont think under any other circumstances would any mom on here tolerate a woman exposing her breasts in front of their kids. Same should be with BF, just use some discretion, there are nursing covers and nursing clothes that allow the job to be done while being tasteful and discreet. The breasts is a private part of the body, the bottle is inanimate object like a cup. To compare a bottle in public to a fully exposed breasts is apples and oranges. Im an amply blessed woman no way would I have ever been comfortable NIP, especially in front of children and men outside of my family. I will not judge a woman for BF but I will judge a woman for exposing way too much of herself, whether that be BF or wearing a lowcut tight top that doesnt cover anything.
“there are nursing covers and nursing clothes that allow the job to be done while being tasteful and discreet.”
So, you missed the whole point that not every woman can afford nursing clothes and not every baby will tolerate being covered. How should any woman know how much skin is “too much” for you? We don’t. So we do what we need to do and only worry about ourselves. If I worried about who didn’t like seeing part of my breast or my exposed (fat) belly or back while breastfeeding I won’t have succeeded in nursing my daughter.
How much is a bloody receiving blanket? I had dozens of them with my son. A little bit of skin is one thing.. the whole breasts or both is another. Im sorry but hiking up ones shirt and exposing both breasts fully in front of young children in a public place is vulgar and distasteful. Your right to NIP doesnt trump the right of others, should be you be asked to leave for NIP no, should you be asked to cover if children are present, yes. You dont need special nursing clothes or covers to discreetly BF They are on the market for those who desire them. Funny how moms who dont have these special things can still find clothing and receiving blankets to be modest. So if I wanted to wear a low cut top that exposed all but my nipples would you be fine with that? I dont think so. BF isnt an excuse to be immodest no if and sor buts.
Fully exposed breast equals too much skin. I think most people would agree.
Do you know there are some states, New York for example, and some in Canada where it’s not against the law for women to be topless in public? Again, too much for you, but no too much for everybody.
Most people might, but not all. Where Iive, it is legal to go topless. Most mrn and women choose to wear shirts most of the time, just as most breastfeeding moms try to be discreet. But complaining about someone’s choice won’t get you any further than complaining about someone’s hairstyle or tattoo. People have the right to find it distasteful, but they don’t have the right to dictate what others can and cannot do.
I find the “what about the children???” argument amusing, both because breastfeeding isn’t something sexual or perverse and because my children have seen ano awful lot more “interesting” things just by virtue of using public transit in a major city. I’ve learned to explain things to them and in general I think they benefit by being very open minded to different people making different choices.
From my post, “and not every baby will tolerate being covered.”
And actually, according to the laws in most states, a woman’s right to NIP does trump other people’s right* not to be offended. I actually don’t give a flip what other people where. Policing the clothing and bodies (the complete body) of women is very anti-feminist. Wear a string bikini to the library. I won’t complain. “Modesty” is different for everyone, and is different from society to society. It can not be quantified across the board.
*No one has a right, protected by law, to not be offended.
If I put a blanket over my baby’s head while nursing, he yanked it off. How would you like to have your head covered and be all hot and sweaty while you ate?
I never understand such judgment coming from someone asking not to be judged.
My children wouldn’t bat an eye at a woman breastfeeding, because they’ve been raised to understand how mammals feed their young, including humans. I think it is a human right to understand how the human body works, and children are humans. They need to see more women breastfeeding in public so they don’t grow up to freak out about it. I feel so awful for the woman you complained about, feeding my baby in public was very difficult for me because I’m extremely shy and feared conflict with people like you. Breastfeeding was also very difficult for me in the beginning with my first especially, it was next to impossible to latch him on without being somewhat exposed — impossible if a blanket was covering my child. I hope that woman didn’t feel like I did, and that you haven’t scared her into staying at home with her baby — or weaning just so she can go out in public and not get stared at by people with their own hang ups.
I am so sorry to hear of what you have gone through. The rape and then loosing your daughter. No one has the right to do the things they did to you. WIC had no right to tell you that you were over the rape. No one has the right to tell you when you should be over anything including the rape or the loss of your baby. I have had to gently tell friends who have made statements condemning moms for not breastfeeding in general that there are situations like sexual abuse where it can be very difficult to breastfeed. They said they were not aware of this and thanks for telling them. This was even coming from friends who had experienced multiple pregnancy losses and should have been more sensitive. They knew how difficult it was to go through pregnancies after the losses, so they should have been more empathetic to how difficult it could be to go through these things after sexual assault. Pregnancy and childbirth is also very difficult for those who have gone through sexual abuse. Unfortunately, many even in the medical field are not aware or not very sympathetic to the facts and have added to the trauma women have experienced. I am very sad that instead of helping you heal through gentle breastfeeding help, they added to your trauma.
I agree wholeheartedly with your post. I formula feed, and facepalmed anyway at her post, not just on behalf of other FF parents like me, but on behalf of anyone who tries to get women and children the best medical care possible. The second someone with a Ph.D. after her name, much less someone in a medical field (which I consider psychology), starts advocating one-size-fits-all medicine for women is the second we all become poorer in the medical world. Women have had to fight for centuries for adequate medical care that addresses our needs, and doesn’t just brush them off as “all in our heads.” Bad medicine doesn’t help anyone, I don’t care how they feed their children.
What’s scary is that this woman is a researcher at Notre Dame University, her profile is here: http://psychology.nd.edu/people/faculty/narvaez-darcia/ . Her research specializes in morality, which makes her statements even more outrageous. This is why I’m to the point where I laugh when people say research proves “breast is best;” you don’t know who those researchers are, what their agenda is, or if they’re complete idealogue quacks like this woman. That someone as immoral as she is able to publish “research” that will be used as yet another bully stick to beat moms like me around with makes her comments more than just the ramblings of a kook fringe lunatic. No, this is a public health issue now. I’ve emailed the Chair of the Notre Dame Department of Psychology, his name is Dr. Daniel Lapsley http://psychology.nd.edu/people/faculty/lapsley-daniel/ . No response as of yet, but I will be placing phone calls. I encourage others to as well. Someone like Dr. Narvaez is a menace to women whether they’re breastfeeding or not, and her “research” ought to become as toxic as she purports formula out to be in academia.
To be fair, research does prove that breast milk is best for babies. Some babies, yes, can’t process breast milk for lots of reasons and there are some moms who can’t breast feed for lots of reasons…but that doesn’t make it less true. Solid scientific research designs are generalizable and can be repeated. Studies involving breast milk meet these standards.
Not to mention, there is no money in researching to prove the benefits of breastfeeding (I hate saying that; it should be, this Dr. Narvaez’s article notwithstanding, the risks of not breastfeeding — breast is not “best”, not a gold standard few can achieve, it’s normal) — unlike say, researching how to imitate breastmilk and advertise formula as “just as good” or “closest to mom’s milk”. Lots of money in that, and lots of people take the word of those researchers. Hmm, wonder why the formula companies would want to convince people that their product was like breastmilk, if there was no research proving how good breastmilk is…
I guess I would consider myself a breastfeeding and bottle feeding cheerleader. I also don’t push people to do things that they are unable to do or unwilling to. There is a difference between dialogue and bullying. I will share my opinions about breastfeeding and my experiences with it hoping that I can help others. Sometimes I wish people were less quick to jump on the guilt/ defensive bandwagon. Parenting is hard whether you breast feed or bottle feed and I seem to find that there is just no positive dialogue anymore just snide comments about who does or doesn’t do something. I DO however wish that formula was better quality, please don’t bully me for this comment I have seen how it is made and know the ingredients. Companies can do better to improve on the formula that sustains our children. This has nothing to do with how we feed our children just that we can always have room for improvement and to better ourselves and our families.
Well done, Annie – as usual, your thoughtful, rational, and sympathetic approach is right on target.
As a moderate, I just wanted to say that I had mixed feelings when I read Dr. Narvaez’s blog. Her blog was inflammatory and one-sided and was full of misinformation. AND she left out alot consideration of women’s psychology. AND I think she has been studying this issue for many many years, as an academic, not a therapist. AND she may have access to alot more information than most of us do. (I know that , as a clinician, I have access to my university libraries, but I can only focus narrowly on a small area at a time, and can only pull so many articles at a time, I get frustrated as it is difficult to keep up on all the research.) . I’m not saying that how she said it was compassionate, I’m not saying that all women should breastfeed, I’m not saying that all women can breastfeed…….I’m thinking she might, have some valid points..such as, on a global scale, not a local scale, violations of the WHO code regarding formula distribution are responsible for infant death. And, you know, human breastmilk is still the best nutrition for a human baby. AND that doesn’t mean that a woman doesn’t have a right to choose. AND I also think women are intelligent enough to know what is best for them and for their family at a given time. Choice opens one door and closes another, and I think that women are allowed to make choices without being judged. Her blog was inflammatory, was judgmental but I also think she is being judged very harshly, she had some valid points.
Kathy:
Violations of the WHO code on a global scale are certainly responsible for infant death and there are statistics from the United Nations on that. Many lactivists, public health advocates, poverty experts and others have made that point and continue to make that point without using inflammatory language. I don’t think that her piece contributed anything to productive discussion or problem solving.
Hi Annie – Okay when stated succinctly like that, I get it, but your pic of a flame is pretty inflammatory as well. I just think that she probably has some knowledge that I don’t have, and I give her that nod, as research is wide & deep. I don’t think women s/b bullied into bf, or made to feel guilty, and of course there are always circumstances that make well, almost, anything, hard to do, impossible to do. So that’s fine. i think what I mostly object to is that there seems to be a movement afoot that wants to overthrow the idea, hard won by science (fighting through the heavy marketing of the formula companies) that human breastmilk is a special formulation. And that, just like with other whole foods, it has not yet been duplicated by people in a laboratory. I think that women are intelligent enough to understand this and also are intelligent enough to make their own choices. It is a complex issue and not either-or.
Kathy, I think your point is valid. The point of the blog is to raise issues that relate to moral developments and there is a lot of rhetoric around feeding and food that is deemed “moral.” In her post describing the controversy she definitely admits the cavalier attitude of the post and thanked those for sharing their stories. But her bottom line did remain the same–we live in a world where FF is the norm and she wanted to challenge the assumptions.
This method of challenge/inflaming is typical of PT though. A few months ago they ran a cover story on why black people were less attractive than white people.
Wel, I dont read PT so much….I subscribe to a few choice blogs online (this is one of them -kudos) . I am a licensed mental health professional, and know a few ppl who blog for PT and they really dont police their contributors, so shoot down an other illusion LOL.
I agree with you Kathy.
One thing I recall hearing from one the best LC’s I look up to is about what started her on her path to becoming a LC. It was inflammatory language. It took that to get her clued in to the issue. She was an OB nurse and was told that by allowing the behaviours and practices that the health care providers have and use, that she was an unpaid formula company employee. Lots of people may not respond well to that but it sure changed her opinion and now she fights the other way as she was not OK being seen in that light.
Hi Kim – Interesting thought process and telling abt the fx of advertising/marketing on our lives. And there is a movement afoot to debunk the hard-won evidence that breastmilk is a special whole formulation. BUT that doesnt mean that women as individuals should be denied choice OR that BF is best in all cases at all times.
You didn’t like the flame picture? The title to this post and the flame picture are one of my favorite’s of Annie’s so far — I thought it was clever, rather than inflammatory.
Great post, the quickest way to get someone to not listen is tell them how bad they are for their choices.
When will people realise that this heavy handed approach simply won’t work and only serves to get people’s backs up.
Educate and inform and then leave mothers the hell alone to come to their own conclusion without prejudice and mis-information.
Thank you for this. I am a formula feeding mom because I have to be. My son’s medical condition (VLCADD) makes breastmilk deadly due to the fat content. I run in “natural” & “attached” parenting communities and I constantly feel like I have to explain & defend feeding formula to my son. The majority ofthe time, it’s my own self-imposed guilt but sometimes it’s because of the reaction I get when I pull out the bottle.
I’ve been on the receiving end of a very popular lactivist/intactivist telling me that I didn’t try hard enough to find better options for my son. Two of the top specialists for my son’s disorder evidently know less than this woman & her naturopath friend. The vitriol & judgment only hurts the cause. It doesn’t help babies & it doesn’t help moms.
Dana K:
I’ve never head of VLCADD before. You learn something new every day! I’m curious, is it the type of fat in breastmilk or the amount of fat in it that is deadly?
I would never tell another woman that she didn’t try hard enough to find better options for her child, but if she was looking for other options, I would support her in doing so. I have experienced numerous cases where experts in a particular field are lacking in knowledge about related fields (like lactation), so I understand people questioning things, but that doesn’t excuse judgmental behaviour.
It’s mainly the type of fat, but the amount of total fat factors in, also. These disorders have only been on the radar ~10 years. Infants with related disorders (like MCADD) can continue to breastfeed. Klaw’s geneticist was/is incredibly supportive of nursing & we tried to find a formula/breastmilk balance that would be safe but his bloodwork did not approach normal until he was fully weaned. Some infants with VLCADD are able to thrive on a formula/breastmilk combo. Klaw just isn’t one of them. Even now, he’s limited to 6g fat/day (in addition to the formula).
There are only 2 prescription formulas that can be used for this disorder, so commercial formula isn’t safe, either.
If interested, I link to several informative resources on this page: http://www.reallywhatwerewethinking.com/p/vlcadd.html
And apparently, if I’d waited a few minutes, the proper expert would have posted
.
Ha! Thanks! It’s rare that I randomly come across people who have heard of VLCADD; it was nice seeing what you wrote, too!
It’s a genetic metabolic condition that makes long-chain fatty acids dangerous – the severity varies. In infants, the treatment is to replace long-chain fatty acids with medium chain fatty acids (among other things). Some babies can be mostly breastfed with just a portion of their diet in a special medium-chain formula – or even just monitored if they’re not symptomatic. Others have to be more restricted.
Because it’s so rare, it’s definitely not something that the average person will know about – and I’m sure it invites plenty of “your baby can’t be allergic to breastmilk” commentary. (And, yes, it’s not exactly an allergy, but actually a lot more serious).
Thanks for this information. It is impossible to keep up with all of the research out there….and it is a shame that you were judged /feel judged.
Honestly, this person was the only person to come right out & (very) publicly judge me. I kept the public argument going because the “tips” she was giving me about all the things I should have tried before “giving in” to formula could kill a baby with VLCADD. A significant portion of VLCADD+ babies died by 6 mos of age before these disorders were added to the newborn screening (heel prick). Those first few weeks & months are critical for survival. I couldn’t walk away with my conscience intact.
Dana K,
You dont have to justify your choice to anyone. You are doing what is in the best interest of your baby. My son is now 8 and I still fight the fight to keep other women from having to go through what I went through. If people ask you why arent u BF, you tell them that is none of their affair because its not. FF doesnt make one a bad mom. BF doesnt make one a better mom and one doesnt get a gold medal for feeding their child. That is an obligation of all parents regardless of feeding method and I think many moms who BF think they should get a medal. Sorry doesnt work that way with childrearing.
Another great post Annie. I have a hard time understanding why anyone who wants to support breastfeeding moms feel it has to be done by putting down / using judgmental language. It rarely ever works and i really do think it does ‘the cause’ more harm then any good.
I generally hate articles like the one by Narvaez. As a passionate advocate for breastfeeding, I am well aware that my pro-breastfeeding comments can feel like judgement to a new mother who is using formula for whatever reason and feels unsure and vulnerable already. Articles like this just make these moms feel worse about themselves.
On the other hand, I do see value in abrasive articles like this for *other* people. Maybe it will be read by the mother-in-law who keeps buying a mother bottles “just in case the nursing thing doesn’t work out,’ or that husband that suggests his wife would feel more comfortable nursing in the bathroom, do you know what I mean? Maybe this article is meant more for society as a whole instead of nursing mothers in particular. A struggling mother needs encouragement and hugs, but her support team of family and friends may need more of a smack upside of the head lol.
I have to say that while I normally agree, here I disagree. I thought the piece was great. Sometimes you need that kick-in-the-butt response to get people to think about what they’re doing, and when it comes to the cost of formula use in the US, it’s no laughing matter. As I’ve pointing out in my own post on the topic, a review in Pediatrics found that the cost of not having 80% of women exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months is over $10 billion in health care and is also costing the lives of 740 people (mainly babies) EVERY YEAR. The whole notion of choice and too many women saying they “can’t” breastfeed (when in reality, the number for that, physiologically-speaking, is VERY low – around 5%) is killing our kids, plain and simple. And something has to be done.
One more addition – the reason Dr. Narvaez wrote this piece was because these positives you believe are happening, aren’t on a larger scale. She wrote the piece in response to the CDC’s findings that hospitals are still engaging in practices that COUNTER breastfeeding. And that needs to change.
I think the 5% is a conservative estimate. I dont think we will ever really know for sure. Women “cant” Bf for a variety of reason, whether its physical, medical, emotional or other circumstances they are all valid reasons and not “excuses”. Dr. Narvaez did a great disservice by downplaying the severity of PND. It can be caused by or aggravated pressure to BF. I oppose bans on formula adverts and free samples because it implies that women are too feeble minded to make an educated choice on how to feed their babies. It should be a choice yes, a womans breasts are apart of her body and nobody has a right to tell her how to use them or not. Just because you have a child doesnt mean one gives up their right to self determination and bodily autonomy. Are you saying choice that women shouldnt have a choice in how they feed their babies? Certainly you dont support mandatory or forced BF?
I am very much with you Tracy.
I am not sure she meant to target mothers but aiming to hit the hcp’s, the people in charge of policy and procedure, the educators, the people who need to wake up and realize how their decisions and practices impact these babies.
Actually, PND can be aggravated by abrupt weaning or not bf at all. Hormones and all that. A lot of doctors fail to mention this to their patients for fear of making new mothers feel guilty for contemplating switching to formula, and because of course, very few doctors actually study breastfeeding and are likely not even aware of the link. No, women aren’t stupid, but it is impossible for woman to make an educated choice when they aren’t given all the information they need, when doctors say “there there, it’s OK if you don’t breastfeed” (that’s what my ped said, and there was really no reason I personally couldn’t breastfeed other than it was hard at first.)
You know why formula companies advertise and give out samples? Because it works. If formula was only available to those babies that really need it, these companies wouldn’t make nearly as much money. They are not in this business for the good of moms and babies, it is in their interest to help ensure more and more mothers stop, or don’t even initiate, breastfeeding. It’s not as though we aren’t all well aware of the formula option, they don’t really need to take out yet another ad in a parenting magazine to spread the word. I know lots of women, smart women, who did not breastfeed, or who weaned to formula because they believed it was “just as good”. But I can think of only one who actually researched the risks of her choice before determining that in her case, the benefits of ff did in fact outweigh those risks.
Tracy:
I agree that needs to change. I just don’t agree with her methods for making it happen. I don’t think that a blog post on Psychology Today full of loaded language is going to make hospitals jump up and change. I think more structural changes are needed, including changes to hospital procedures and changes to lactation education for health care professionals.
I think that she went abt it in an aggressive manner AND she wasnt educated abt PND so much. Well, now she is, and u had alot to do with that, which s great. And, she is part of an academic research team that is gathering data that, if it gets published in peer reviewed journals, will eventually feed into the discourse which eventually influences the clinical practice of pediatricians, obs, midwives, psychiatrists, etc and will also feed into discourse abt public health policy, which influences the structure of hospital protocol. As far as child development, an example of this is Bowlbys discovery abt biological origins of attachment, and also Klaus’ discovery of the sensitive period right after birth. Hospitals changed b/c of that research. Hospitals will change b/c of research such as hers. What ppl do with the info or how they choose to live their lives, and exactly how much each subtle factor influences an individual baby/child’s development, is not known. And women can choose what to do. And the research indicates that breastmilk is a particularly wholesome substance, that has not yet been duplicated in the laboratory. Lest I sound totally crunchy granola, you now, I drink beer & I eat fast food once a month or so, but I’m not trying to say this is as good as whole foods prepared at home.
Great post. I loved FFF’s on this issue to. I think it is so important to consider the way in which we try and advocate- and as you pointed out so well- when you make people angry or feel judged- they stop listening. So approaches like this are 100% ineffective and you are right- add fuel to the fire. Which doesn’t help. But I also think it increased the conversation amongst moderates with a more supportive and inclusive approach. So maybe one step forward, one step back?
Maybe, and then again, maybe not…
I’m debating how to weigh in on the issue because I am pro-breatfeeding, but formula fed. I recently read a comment elsewhere in which someone complained about mothers grieving the loss of being able to BF, suggesting that grief was superficial and that they don’t know what real grief is. Having lost 5 babies prior to having one successful, although high-risk pregnancy I do know grief. Having survived sexual assault, and being estranged from my (adopted) family because they side with my attacker, I have personal experience with discomfort.
However, I did BF for 12 days, wanted to BF longer (health issues changed things – long story, not important to this discussion). I FF my DS, I grieved the loss of BF’ing, (not guilt, just sadness). The article in PT is hateful in many points, but is it really worth my speaking up and offering my 2-cents worth? I feel negatively judged by some for FF, and by others for not using a cover when I did BF.
I don’t need to (as some would say) fight the fight because I did what was best for my son, my husband and myself. It’s not worth fighting the fight when my goal is to understand, learn and share. I think that’s where Darcia missed the mark in her goal to use every moment of her time on her soapbox.
That’s a good point that you make at the end, Lara. Darcia didn’t realise that you can accomplish more by listening than by talking.
HUMANS. I see this as a very human reaction to the words, they keep getting written and yet NOTHING changes. Why does Nestle get to keep violating the WHO code? Why is marketing even an issue today? The politics of this world are more geared to fighting wars and lining the pockets of executives. We know that. I see this as another evidence of the oppression of women, we don’t always have the choice and we just rebel, lash out, get angry and start defending our circumstances. Many articles like this are written every day and it’s the same thread of response “I couldn’t breastfeed because of A, B, C, and D.” And then the lactivist-style response, all hell-breaking loose, and for whatever reason the flames kinda die out until the next shocking article gets posted.
All I know is that I am TIRED of the blinders that have been put up. It’s not about YOU – I know people will sit, and spend hours typing and telling their story about how they could/couldn’t and then expressing their whole guilt issue (the 10 things lactivists should stop doing are a interesting in that way… ) yada yada.
Articles like this are shocking and blunt and make us angry and happy all at the same time. It’s another reminder of how we’re continually oppressing ourselves and in-fighting. I’m not saying to break out the white flag and sit around the campfire, but there is a serious health crisis on our continent that is NOT GOING AWAY. How many ways does it need to be put before people listen and changes are made? The World Health Organization, BFI, lactivists, LLL, moms, and bloggers aren’t able to get it across despite scholarly references AND simplistic and shocking language.
Personally – I don’t care where the words are coming from anymore because it doesn’t seem to matter, the human response is predictable and seems to just revert right back to “me”. I would prefer that the viral content on my lactation-related feeds related more to direct action to bring the formula marketers to their knees.
Yes – the author threw a whole lotta fuel on the fire, so those who are passionate and ignited with anger from this whole issue should redirect their anger and seriously consider that it’s “not about you”. This Dr. Narvaez wants to light a fire under someone’s butt to get something done (I don’t agree with her method necessarily), because it’s about the crisis. Go and step into health care in the eyes of a conscious health care provider and you can see what needs to happen, now, yesterday, 10 years ago… and then examine how ridiculous it is that this is still somehow about “me” and “my situation.”
If it makes you angry to hear about formula, write some letters, support breastfeeding initiatives, learn the language, and get active in your community and armed with resources. If it makes you angry about the damn lactivists and their language, go and spend a day, a week, a month working in health care and start adding up the links. As a health care professional myself, I feel like all I’ve spent my career doing is pulling people out of the river long after they’ve drowned when all we have to do is spend a day on preventing people from going in the water in the first place.
Well said.
well said expressed my mixed feelings well
This drives me absolutely crazy! Yes, breastmilk is best for babies, and I’m glad the word is getting out. But formula is not poison! Babies thrive on it, get strong on it, grow up into toddlers on it. As for whether it lowers intelligence, so many other factors matter so much more that I seriously doubt you could point to a single adult and say, “Wow, he’s stupid. It’s the formula he was fed as a baby.” No one can do that because, as it turns out, once children are older we can’t tell the difference between a formula-fed baby and and a breast-fed baby.
No Drama Momma:
No, they cannot come to that conclusion because (a) that would be anecdotal and (b) there is no proof that formula is tied to lower intelligence. Some studies did say that, but a review of them indicated that other factors, such as socio-economic status, were not ruled out as contributing factors.
However, other things have been proven and I do see people who look at health issues that they are dealing with (e.g. allergies) and wonder if they would have been less severe if they had been breastfed.
You know what, though? Every new study or article about the “benefits” of breastfeeding is greeted the same way, no matter how objective the writer, no matter how many facts are presented: People get up in arms about being “made” to feel guilty for not breastfeeding and feel compelled to defend their choice. I get what you are saying, and Dr. N doesn’t speak for me as a lactivist, but I honestly can’t say I believe that an article that was more science and less shock value would have been gotten a better reaction. Some people don’t want the truth, no matter how it is presented. And the fact is, not breastfeeding does have risks. Not being able to talk about them for fear of upsetting someone doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
Andrea:
You’re right. An article that was more science and less shock value might be received the same way by a lot of people. However, I would feel confident standing behind a science-based article while still supporting choice and not judging moms.
I agree, Andrea. I live in the States and was confronted with a lot of anti-BF sentiments from friends and even had formula samples just show up to my house. When my daughter lost more than 10% of her weight (took my milk 6 days to come in), the LC asked how I felt about supplementing and I started to cry…she then quickly told me there was no reason to supplement if I didn’t want to. Given how fragile I was, if it hadn’t been for her supporting me in my decision, I might have given in to formula. The idea of the virgin gut was/is very important to me and I didn’t want to sacrifice that if wasn’t absolutely necessary.
StephanieMZ,
I’m glad you found an understanding LC and were able to work through the breastfeeding difficulties you faced. But I also think that if we’re going to discuss risk, it’s important to weigh the risks of a theory (ie virgin gut) versus the KNOWN risk of dehydration or hypernaetremia or FTT. This is what your medical professionals were likely concerned about. I know the legend is that all doctors are out to sabotage breastfeeding, but I just don’t think it’s that simple. Physicians are charged with protecting and healing us. If they see a baby in danger from starvation in those early days, they are going to push for the fastest, easiest way for that baby to be fed. I would have preferred they offered you alternative solutions like pumping, SNS, or donor milk, but if those were not viable options, formula would have been the go-to.
Andrea and others….
I think that we ALL need to take a step back and approach the breastfeeding/formula issue with a bit less anger. I know it’s difficult; trust me, I do. As someone on the “other side”, I get extremely agitated by certain things and will go to less logical places because of it. And I understand that the formula companies suck, and that people can be cruel and ignorant and don’t respect your right to breastfeed wherever and for how ever long you want (all things I would gladly fight against right there next to you). The history of infant feeding is rife with chauvinistic, prescriptive advice which takes the parents out of parenting, and it’s normal to feel defensive and angry about that. But this pendulum has swung too far, leading to poor excuses for “science” and a reliance on observational studies and an overreaching belief in the “natural” being good… ultimately, this results in women being scared and guilted into doing something that should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I know we may disagree on the validity of the scientific case for formula being “risky”, but I guess I don’t see why people can’t let mothers make their own decisions about this, just as we let them decide whether to smoke, work, do IVF, wait to have kids, become obese, become anorexic, and get divorced – all things correlated with worse health or worse developmental outcomes in observational studies. Informed choice needs to mean that women are informed by unbiased facts, not passion.
As always, you are a brilliant writter who inspires me to share your message with the women in my life. These judgemental pieces do nothing for our community of women. Thank you for bringing this to light and for sharing your voice. I always look forward to what you have to say!
I don’t think formula is on par with soda. But I am also weary of most mass produced food environments. When there is profit to be made, the consumer is rarely the first concern
The studies ive seen on corn syrup are mostly done by the corn refiners association. Not the most unbiased of lobbies.
There isn’t any doubt about whether basic corn syrup is different than high fructose corn syrup, all the controversy is about whether HFCS is more dangerous than other sugars.
This post describes the difference between HFCS and corn syrup solids: http://www.thefitshack.com/2007/06/19/high-fructose-corn-syrup-vs-corn-syrup-solids-whats-the-difference/
I’ll point out that this post is very anti-sugar, which is appropriate for adults. However breastmilk is *high* in sugar and formulas need added sweetener in order to properly nourish a baby. The mainstream formulas (Enfamil Premium and Similac Advance) use lactose, which is the sugar in breastmilk, but some carb sources are more digestible for some babies.