World Breastfeeding Week (Aug 1st – Aug 7th)
Imagine this:
You go out to dinner to your favorite restaurant. The hostess is walking you to your table, you sit down and order your food. Halfway through dinner you look over at another table to find another guest unsnapping her nursing bra to feed her baby.
How would you react? Because a lot of people would probably be uncomfortable or may even say something. I am here to tell you a REALLY big surprise!!!!
Women have boobs! We all have skin, and we all have bodies, but most importantly no matter what age we are, we all must eat!
Breastfeeding in the Past
Breastfeeding just like today was very common in the past. It was so common that wealthy women or royalty typically would not breastfeed their children thus hiring a wetnurse. The career of a wetnurse was probably one of the first steps in raising women’s social status. Women found it an honor to be chosen and paid as a wetnurse.
Breastfeeding Today
Women of the 21st Century are A LOT busier and have more responsibilities than the women of the 1500s. We run households, maintain appointments, have our own careers and we breastfeed. Now I know majority of families have a nice balance of responsibilities these days (my husband and I do), however we still have the overall maternal responsibility we all feel.
Women that work a fulltime job get about twelve weeks of maternity leave, but breastfeeding occurs at least a minimum of six months (at least that is what is recommended). It can also occur as long as three years, so how does a busy woman handle this?
Nine times out of ten, you will find her pumping in the workplace bathroom or hiding in her car. So, this natural, powerful life sustaining act becomes this secret that gets shoved in the corner. And no one should “put baby in the corner.” Even when women talk about breastfeeding it is usually in hushed tones and little whispers. I want to tell you: our bodies are a gift, and we are miraculous creatures that should be celebrating these natural bonding sessions.
I do have to take a moment and shout out the Veteran’s Affairs, at least the one in Pittsburgh. They have added nursing pods throughout the hospital so nursing mothers have a sterile place to go. I commend any workplace that are trying to add places like this for women to go to.
A Mother, Her Child and Her Milk
Women have been breastfeeding for millions of years. It is the most natural act of motherhood to breast feed your child. Colostrum, or “first milk”, is full of antibodies that gets transmitted from the mother to the infant. It is the best way for the baby’s immune system to get amazing defenses against illness.
Furthermore, there are properties in the breastmilk that helps development of the GI tract and the brain. Above all it creates this loving connection between mother and child.
Breastfeeding is what defines us as mammals, so you could say women hold the power of our definition! It is depicted in various forms of art throughout history and almost feels as if hundreds of years ago the act of breastfeeding was worshipped.
So please tell me, how is something that is so natural, completely beautiful and happens multiple times a day is still so tabooed??
World Breastfeeding Week
August 1st through August 7th is World Breastfeeding Week and it started in 1992. The mission of this week twofold. We know how beneficial breastmilk is for infants, so the first part of their mission is to improve the health of babies.
Ultimately the knowledge of breastfeeding, the act of it and the benefits of it, needs to be heard. So why not give it a whole week!!! The main mission I think is to promote as well as protect women’s rights to breastfeed. Anywhere. Anytime.
Breastfeeding in Public
Okay, I am not a mom. I have never breastfed, but I know moms that have. I remember a cousin going to her car covered up to feed her baby. If that was because that is her comfort level, cool, whatever. However, if feeding her baby in a car is because of societies perception on breastfeeding in public. This is SOOO not cool!
Me personally I would want to cover up, but I also do not want to go to the bathroom. A bathroom is full of so many germs that I am trying to protect my baby from with my colostrum. If you don’t want to cover up, GREAT! Then don’t!
Just do you!
Like I said before we all have bodies, and we all have skin, and we all need to eat (no matter what age we are!) If you are not breastfeeding and you are uncomfortable with a woman breastfeeding her baby in public, then I have a few suggestions:
- Just don’t look.
- Stand naked in front of a mirror and stare at yourself until you are comfortable with your own body.
- Try eating your food in the bathroom.
Whatever you decide to do, please please please do not push your uncomfortableness onto a mother who is just trying to feed her baby.
