The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that all women who have just had babies need to exclusively breastfeed for six months. Holy Cow, literally! That is a long time, and those six months will not be easy. Recently, exclusive breastfeeding has been given a certain stigma in the U.S. that it is awkward, old fashioned, and for poor people. The CDC conducted a survey from 1999-2006 of U.S. children who were breastfed. The results showed that women in the U.S. do not exclusively breastfeed their babies like the CDC suggests. As future mothers, or current mothers, we need to get over get over this stigma that breastfeeding is old fashioned, awkward, or for poor people and breastfeed proudly.
Why should we get over the stigma? Why should mothers exclusively breastfeed? Why is the CDC cracking down and encouraging that a baby’s first 6 months should include exclusive breastfeeding? The truth is, both women and their babies cannot afford to NOT breastfeed. Women who choose not to exclusively breastfeed miss out on wonderful health and emotional benefits, and at the same time deny their baby of getting benefits as well. Click here to find out 101 reasons to breastfeed your child.
I have always loved this quote about breastfeeding, “If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers’ needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market. The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically. Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breast milk, since the beginning of human existence.” -Gabrielle Palmer
This is quite a humorous commercial that promotes breastfeeding. The message that it gives is true: Why take the risk?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m64569p9QpU
Yeah I totally support breastfeeding – I don’t get why people don’t do it. If it’s so awkward to do it in public (which I totally admit I’d be) then use a breast pump in the privacy of your home and give that to the baby. I was talking to my boyfriend the other day and he thought it was 6 months at the MOST and didn’t seem to keen on breastfeeding in general. I think it weirded him out a bit. Luckily I think he’s nuts and I’ll definitely be breastfeeding my baby whether my man likes it or not. I think a lot of people just don’t understand it and don’t realize it can be a discreet thing.
By: Emily on November 13, 2009
at 3:37 pm
Breastfeeding is the way to go! I have not had children so my opinion may be biased, but I think that all women who are able to should because it is so much better for the baby than formula. If it is too hard to breastfeed then definitely use a pump to give your child the milk from a bottle. I really liked that quote at the end of the post, it is so true and it just shows the real benefits of breastfeeding. The benefits definitely outweigh the costs.
By: juliemcintyre on November 14, 2009
at 7:01 pm
Thank you so much for supporting and encouraging breastfeeding! I breastfed my 2 boys until they were each 14 months old. I got pregnant with my second when my first was 10 months old and I continued breastfeeding for 4 months. 98% of all moms out there are physically and mentally able to breastfeed, and start their newborn’s life by doing it. There is no good reason to explain why so many stop, except the fact that they experience lack of support and societal pressure. It’s time to enpower women to make breastfeeding a first step in their baby’s life. Breastfeeding moms rule!
Read what I felt compelled to put together on the 10 things people don’t tell you about breastfeeding on my post at:
http://perfectingmotherhood.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/10-things-people-dont-tell-you-about-breastfeeding/
By: Perfecting Motherhood on June 16, 2010
at 4:21 am