What mom hasn’t run into the nursing police? These “lactivists” pop up in every situation — at a friend’s party, in public restaurants, at malls, even online. If you dare feed your baby formula from a bottle, you’re sure to run into someone who believes you’re ruining your little one’s future.
One young, busy mother of two reported that a woman stopped her from buying baby bottles at Target, vilifying FDA-approved formula. The mother didn’t feel like being bossed around on her children’s nutrition, so she lied to the older woman and told her she liked to put soda in the bottles for her two-month old girl — then she went on her merry way.
Every mom has individual circumstances — health situations, personal preferences, time constraints.
The breastfeeding guilt trip is on its way out. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) just issued a recommendation that clinicians provide primary care to support mothers in their efforts to breastfeed their babies. This support includes education on the benefits of breastfeeding, guidance and encouragement, as well as practical help from lactation specialists and others.
The biggest difference between this recommendation and the previous one, which the task force released in 2008, was a subtle language change from “promote” to “support.” This change acknowledges that every mother has individual circumstances — health situations, personal preferences, time constraints.
Some hospitals, in an effort to promote breastfeeding over formula, do more than just educate — they cajole. In New York City, for instance, hospitals keep formula bottles under lock and key, and medical staff have to cite reasons for giving formula to infants instead of allowing them to breastfeed. Whenever a new mom asks for a bottle, hospital staff will take time to explain the benefits of breastfeeding.
But under the new guidelines from the task force, medical professionals will be encouraged to support instead of promote breastfeeding.
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Researchers have proved again and again that breast milk provides the best nutrition for babies. Babies who are breastfed are less likely to get illnesses such as ear infections or to develop chronic conditions such as asthma, obesity, and diabetes. Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to contract breast or ovarian cancer or type 2 diabetes.
However, many mothers have valid reasons for choosing formula. Mothers who give birth prematurely may never produce enough milk to sustain their babies, no matter how much they pump. Other women develop mastitis early on, a serious inflammation of the breast that leads to a high fever and flu-like illness. Some children struggle to latch properly and can’t get adequate nutrition.
Working mothers have to take time away from work to pump every two-and-a-half hours on the job, which is especially awkward if they work in a cubicle and not a private office — not to mention the hassle of keeping the milk cold and carting it back and forth.
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For many young moms, the breastfeeding guilt trip causes nothing but a massive headache during an already busy time. It’s welcome relief that the task force is acknowledging the individual, and legitimate, circumstances of each mother.
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“Breastfeeding has real health benefits for babies and their mothers. Primary care clinicians can help new moms who breastfeed be successful,” said task force member Dr. Ann E. Kurth in an email to LifeZette. “Primary care interventions to support breastfeeding are effective in increasing both the number of mothers who breastfeed and how long they breastfeed their babies.”
It’s important for every mother to receive the help she needs if she chooses to breastfeed. But there are plenty of moms heaving a sigh of relief that, as the USPSTF acknowledges, they’re the ones best suited to make the choice about how to feed their children.
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