I need to unpack something.
Over the last week, I’ve been sharing my experience for world breastfeeding week.
My favorite celebrity, pelvic floor PT, shared an important post too. Validating moms who struggled or had trouble breastfeeding. It’s important and I don’t disagree. But I want to take it a step further.
Let’s change the culture around how we support moms. Not just I see you. But, I see you and how can I help? Especially new moms. Moms learning to breastfeed. What would their journey look like if they had all the support?
- From their partners, who had the same goals as they do.
- From their families. No pesky comments “you’re still breastfeeding?” “The baby has to eat again??”
- From employers. Paid maternity leave with enough time to allow mothers to bond and heal and allows for time for her milk to come in, manage the breastfeeding learning curve, and support to pump when she returns to work.
- From insurance companies. Doulas covered. Lactation consultants covered.
Breastfeeding has long term benefits for both mothers and babies! If we view breastfeeding as a preventative health issue, that changes the mindset and culture around it. This is a feminist issue, a racial issue, and inequality issue. Everyone should be able to get behind it.
- This is a way to reduce childhood obesity.
- It can help reduce depression and anxiety in mothers. The hormone oxytocin is thought to be largely responsible for this.
- Each year of breastfeeding is associated with a 4.3% decrease in breast cancer risk. Women who breastfeed for 1–2 years over their lifetime have a 10–50% lower risk of high blood pressure, arthritis, high blood fats, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- Fewer non-Hispanic black infants (74.0%) are ever breastfed compared with non-Hispanic white infants (86.6%) and Hispanic infants (82.9%).
- Approximately 1 in 6 (17.2%) breastfed infants born in 2015 received formula supplementation within the first 2 days of life. How do you even know if you can do it at 2 days???
Now, of course there are some situations where mothers actually cannot breastfeed. Check out this other post from fellow WI pelvic floor PT and author of some of my favorite resources for the pregnant and postpartum person, Jen Torborg. Also, my rockstar-cancer survivor-cousin, underwent chemo while she was pregnant with her daughter, and was advised not to breastfeed because of this. But you know what? People rallied to get her donor milk! I've already expressed how milk sharing and donation should be more of a thing.
LET's SUPPORT MOMS. Let's end "mom guilt". There is no mom guilt when someone has all the resources and support she needs! There is only an empowered mama!
Let’s shift our cultural mindset to preventative health behaviors...breastfeeding included.
Love this info? Then you may also like my guide on how to do a Mama Timeout & Reset. Check it out here
0 Comments