Bytheway... Breast is best – but mums have a choice
A LADY in my local area is planning a protest outside her gym. The reason? She had been asked to leave its Jacuzzi — in which she was breastfeeding her eight-month-old baby. The management told her it had a strict no eating or drinking policy in the spa. Personally, I’d have been more concerned about a baby being in there in the first place.
Nonetheless, the mum concerned is staging a ‘milk-in’, where she and her fellow lactating mums will all breastfeed outside the gym’s doors to make a stand against her treatment. It’s their way of launching World Breastfeeding week, which runs from this Thursday until August 7.
Aside from doing it in a Jacuzzi, I truly admire women who breastfeed. I failed to do so, though I don’t think that makes me a better or worse mother. It should be actively encouraged — but never enforced. Indeed, I can’t over-emphasise how important it is to breastfeed but it’s not for everyone. Every new mum should have a choice and not feel forced into one method over the other. When I gave birth, midwives on the day shift were encouraging me to breastfeed, while those on the night shift were keen on the bottle. I struggled to produce enough milk, so I went with the bottle.
This year, World Breastfeeding Week is focusing on ‘circles of support’ for mothers. These include peer support from other breastfeeding mothers, support from family and friends, from health-care systems, the workplace and from legislation itself, which provides protection against things like aggressive marketing of formula.
These support systems didn’t necessarily work for me. I was 40 when I had my baby, so my peers had left their breastfeeding days behind. I gave birth abroad, so I was quite isolated. I felt that some people within the health-care system looked down on me for daring to opt for the bottle. As for the workplace — well my schedule is hectic, so that made it challenging too. But I do wonder if I had tried harder — and had these support systems been in place — would I have stuck to it. Still, I have no regrets.
There are many benefits to breastfeeding. For babies, it reduces the risk of colic, coughs and colds, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure later in life. For mums, there’s less risk of breast or ovarian cancer, stronger bones and a faster return to their pre-pregnancy figure. They don’t need to mess around sterilising bottles either. The bottom line is we all know breast is best. Let’s hope this week helps more women choose it.
SEE worldbreastfeedingweek.org