No taboo in breastfeeding
Public breastfeeding has become a sensitive topic. While some are for it, others remain adamant that women should cover up in public spaces. CHANELLE LUTCHMAN reports . . .
WOMEN are the worst critics when it comes to public breastfeeding. This is according to two women, from different organisations, who say there is nothing taboo about a mother feeding her hungry child.
The founder of the Normalise Breastfeeding South Africa campaign, Anel Olson, said mothers should be left alone to breastfeed when and where they please.
“Why are we policing a woman’s body? Society needs to take a step back. The best nutrition a baby can get is from its mom, and society expects them to cover up or sit somewhere in a toilet and breastfeed. How can we dictate to a mom when, where and how she can do it?” questioned Olson, who refers to breast milk as liquid gold.
There are many benefits of breast milk, she said.
“The best nutrition a baby can get is from its mom. If the baby gets sick, the milk will have antibodies to fight off the illness. If a baby is dehydrated, the breast produces water milk, especially for the child.”
Mother of two, Claudia Blackwood, of La Leche League South Africa, added: “Unfortunately, everyone has an opinion on how a mother should care for her baby, which makes it hard, and as a new mom you are overwhelmed and need support and confidence.”
She said doctors and nurses encourage moms to breastfeed “but when you hear and see comments about how breastfeeding should not be done in public, you feel isolated, lonely and embarrassed”.
Blackwood continued: “A baby needs to feed just like we need to eat. They do not have a set time. If your baby is howling, you need to feed. You cannot keep your child crying for a feed. Some breastfeeding mothers refuse to leave the home during their child’s first six months, out of fear of how people would react if she had to feed. More often than not, it’s the women who are uncomfortable.
“If a man is uncomfortable, he would walk away, but women tend to be more vocal about it. We need to stop this and start building up the mothers.”
Blackwood added that society had sexualised the breast, which was why women are looked down on if they decide to feed in public.
“We always say breast is best and they are using their breasts for what it’s supposed to be used for. Society is dictating to women through adverts that they can use low tops and show off their breasts, but cannot breastfeed their babies.”
Meanwhile, the MEC of Health in KZN, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has encouraged mothers to breastfeed their children.
“There is merit in breastfeeding. If you give your child breast milk, you’re giving them food and also medicine to protect them against early childhood illnesses. So we really want to advocate for this.
“We’re also not happy about people who are saying babies must not breastfeed in public and that babies must only eat in the corners, or in the bathrooms and in the toilet.
“This means when you’re in a restaurant, you must deny your baby food because that is considered a bad space to breastfeed. So, we really want to talk about those issues. We need to get community dialogues on breastfeeding.”