Media Representation of Breast & Bottle Feeding

Below is an article from Sheila Kitzinger's website. Kitzinger is a social anthropologist who has studied pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding from women's perspectives from all around the world. She believes that women should "have the information they need to make choices about childbirth" and is a "strong believer in the benefits of home birth for women who are not at especially high risk." She is a firm believer in breastfeeding. Below is a study published in the British Medical Journal looking at how breastfeeding versus bottle feeding is portrayed in the media. 

Media representation of breast and bottle feeding

Research on media representation of breast and bottle feeding was published in the British Medical Journal
Representing infant feeding: content analysis of British media portrayals of bottle feeding and breast feeding
Lesley Henderson, Jenny Kitzinger, and Josephine Green
BMJ, 2000, 321(7270): pp. 1196-1198
Media representations of breastfeeding often portray it as unusual, embarrassing, difficult or funny. By contrast, bottle feeding is presented as the normal and socially acceptable way to feed a baby. Analysis of one month of television output located just one TV program, Channel 4's soap opera Brookside , that showed a woman breastfeeding. The researchers found another 9 scenes in which breast pumps appeared (not in use). By contrast there were 170 scenes of bottle feeding (including formula preparation) across all kinds of programmes. Problems with bottle feeding were suggested only once in the TV sample while there were 27 references to problems with breastfeeding, including sleepless nights, 'droopy' breasts, sore nipples and being tied to the baby. Similar findings were echoed in the analysis of newspaper reporting. The conclusion: the media rarely present positive or just routine representations of breastfeeding and this may have profound implications for how women decide to feed their babies and thus for the health of the next generation.

Exclusive Breastfeeding: The First 6 Months

During the first 6 months of a baby's life, breast really is best. While this seems obvious to many mothers (yes, intuition and instinct is still alive and well for many moms), it really is news to many. Even nurses and doctors have recommended feeding infants rice cereal and other foods starting at 3-4 months of age. Yet as the research emerges, it is hard to argue that this recommendation should be continued.

The journal Pediatrics published a study done in the Netherlands in 2010 that looked at exclusive breastfeeding for various lengths of time. The results are clear: 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding led to a "significant reduction of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in infants," as well as reduced the number of infections for the next 6 months of life. The entire study can be read by visiting this link.

According to the Center for Disease Control's 2009 data, only one-third of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months in the United States. By 6 months, only 14% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding. To see data state-by-state, visit the CDC's website.

Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as giving only breastmilk (no formula, food, juice, or water) to an infant. Exclusive breastfeeding does include giving breastmilk that has been pumped using a breast-pump. Breastmilk contains ALL of the nutrients an infant needs during his or her first 6 months of life. It also contains precious antibodies passed on from the mother. That means that if a mother has built up antibodies in her system to that nasty cold everyone around town is getting ... her baby is most likely going to be protected. It also means protection from serious infections that cause diarrhea and pneumonia, the two leading causes of infant mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 1 million child deaths could be prevented each year by following the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. Visit WHO's website for more information.

Science aside, I can attest that as a mother, exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months offers many other benefits to mother and child. Each time an infant suckles at her mother's breasts, oxytocin (the love and bonding hormone) is released into the mother's bloodstream. Oxytocin is not only responsible for feelings of intimacy and love, but also help a mother feel more calm and relaxed. And what new mother couldn't use more of THAT? It also allows for hours of quiet time spent together - offering a place of refuge and quiet for both mom and baby.

While it has become somewhat "un-PC" or "controversial" to talk about the benefits of breastfeeding out of fear of hurting a mother's feelings that either cannot or choose not to breastfeed - I strongly believe that we must continue talking about and encouraging breastfeeding whenever possible. I recognize and understand that not every mother will physiologically be able to breastfeed her child. For those women, formula is a wonderful alternative. Yet many mothers that can are choosing not to breastfeed - often times due to lack of knowledge or convenience. I have known several mothers that stated they had to give formula because they did not produce enough milk, stating they were having to breastfeed every 3 hours or less. Unfortunately for these women, they did not understand that breastfeeding every 2-3 hours is normal ... and that their bodies were producing enough milk. But lack of knowledge caused them to stop breastfeeding. This is unacceptable. Women MUST be informed.

Additionally, the United States has become an overly-sexed culture that often views the woman's breast as merely a sexual object. While this is certainly one function of a woman's breast, it is most certainly not the only function (and I would argue, most definitely not the most important one, either!). We live in a culture where it is okay to have women parade around in underwear (or less) on prime-time television, yet it has not been okay to expose a breast to feed a child. In recent years, most states have passed laws that allow women to breastfeed in public (and sometimes private) locations. While I am grateful that women are finally being protected so that they can feed their children, the fact that we even had to pass these laws speaks volumes about our nation's attitude toward breastfeeding.

I encourage everyone to become a supporter of breastfeeding mothers! Encourage friends and family by sending them information from the above websites. Start conversations. Express support whenever possible. Let's change the attitude toward breastfeeding in our nation, so that when Little Bear is old enough to have her own children, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is considered the norm - and not the exception.

Learning that Sometimes ... Life Hurts

Even at a very young age, Little Bear is learning that life isn't always fair and that sometimes it just plain hurts! The lessons at this age are simple ones: being forced into the car seat when she'd rather stay in my arms, toppling over while seated and bonking her head on the floor, waving a toy in the air - only to have it, also, bonk her on the head (that one actually just happened while I was writing this intro.).

As a mother, hearing that wail that I've come to know as Little Bear's "I'm unhappy and hurting" cry always takes my breath away, even if just for a moment. It must be physiological and instinctual, something ingrained deep inside a mother's being. It's that "mother bear" in all of us, ready and willing to protect our child - no matter the consequences. Learning to set that instinct aside when appropriate isn't always easy.

When Little Bear topples over and bonks her head on the floor, my first instinct is to scoop her up and comfort her. And sometimes, after a really hard fall, this is exactly what she needs. But most times, what she really needs is simply some reassurance that everything is okay. And this can be done with a simple look from me ... with a smile and calm eyes, rather than a look of panic. Often I will simply set her back upright and say, "You're okay." I find myself saying this a lot lately as Little Bear tests her physical strength more and more each day.

It's a great responsibility, being in charge of life lessons for another little human being as she grows and learns. It's a wonderful privilege, too. We want Little Bear to understand that in order to grow and succeed, risks must be taken (wanting that toy just out of reach might mean toppling over!) ... and that sometimes she'll get hurt along the way (it doesn't feel good at all to fall on your face, either as an infant or as an adult). But we also want Little Bear to know that getting hurt doesn't mean she should stop ... and it doesn't mean that someone is always going to be there to comfort her (though sometimes, of course, we will). Hopefully Little Bear will learn that life isn't always fair, that it sometimes hurts, and that that is okay. Sometimes she simply has to learn patience and acceptance (sorry, kid, you have to stay in the car seat another 15 minutes), and other times she will master what she set out to do (it took her 3 tries, but she finally grabbed that green ball she wanted). Learning when to let go and when to keep at it is a life lesson we all could use more work on.

The world can be a big and scary and wonderful place, filled with unexpected pot-holes, difficult lessons, pain. hurt, and beautiful surprises. Preparing Little Bear for this big world can seem a daunting and impossible task at times. But then I see the little lessons she is learning each day, and I am comforted, knowing she will be ready ... in time ... to step into that big and wonderful (though sometimes painful) world.

Store-bought versus Home-made: Chocolate Cake

Kyle's 31st birthday is today. Usually, for birthdays, I enjoy making a home-made cake. This year, because we are in the middle of moving and I don't have my kitchen supplies with me, I decided to buy one from the store instead. I bought a chocolate cake with mousse filling from Costco and it only cost $17.99 (not bad, considering it was for an office party and served 48). Unfortunately, the list of ingredients is almost too long to include. To make my point, though, here it is: sugar, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogentated palm and/or palm kernal and/or coconut and/or soybean and/or cottonseed oils, palm oil, canola oil, TBHQ, milk, eggs whites, water, cocoa (with alkali), cocoa, pasteurized milk and cream, contains 2% or less of the following, dextrose, sucrose, emulsifiers (propylene glycol mono&di esters of fatty acids, mono&diglycerides, soy lecithin, sodium steradyl, lactylate, sorbitan monostearate, polyglycerol esters, of fatty acids, polysorbate 60), corn sugar, modified corn starch, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium alluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, sodium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate), salt, caramel, color, nonfat milk, xantham gum, corn starch, rice flour gum, cellulose gum, confectioners sugar glaze, carragenan, high fructose corn syryp, carbohydrate gum, natural and artificial flavors, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate, beta carotene (color), modified food starch, cheese culture carob bean gum, whey, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate, citric acid, dipotassium phosphate, corn syrup, locust bean gum, sodium tripsterrate, sodium sorbate, artifical colors (FD&C Red #3, Red #40, Blue #1 & #2, Yellow #5 & #6, Blue #2.


Now let's compare that list with that of a home-made chocolate cake with mousse filling: cocoa powder, salt, flour, baking soda, vegetable oil, buttermilk, sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, eggs, water, bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream. 


Yes. That's right. And not only can I pronounce the name of every ingredient in the second list, I know what each ingredient is. And we wonder why we have health problems in our culture. Whenever and wherever possible, let's feed our children (and ourselves) REAL food made from REAL ingredients. (even if that food is a chocolate birthday cake!). Point made, I hope.

Ina May Gaskin: A Must Read for Mothers-to-Be

Not many people have heard her name, much less know what an incredible woman she is. I didn't learn about Ina May until my last semester of nursing school, when an instructor (and midwife) quoted her in a presentation. I don't even remember what the quote was. But the name stuck with me, and I ordered several of her books. I was blown away by the depth, sincerity, integrity, and strength of this woman, Ina May. So who is she?

Ina May Gaskin is a certified professional midwife. She began delivering babies by accident, back in the early 1970s, when the group of people she lived with needed someone to help out during deliveries. Over the years she taught herself, and others, about childbirth. At first she learned from books. Then, a physician that lived nearby agreed to assist and teach. She has stayed at what she calls "The Farm" (where their midwifery practice continues today) for nearly 40 years now, educating women and assisting in births.  But what makes Ina May so different and special?

Over the past 30 years, nearly 96% of births at The Farm occurred at home. Only 1.5% required emergency transport to a hospital. Nearly 99% of the births occurring at The Farm occur vaginally, leaving a c-section rate of just 1.4%. That's right: 1.4% c-section rate! How does that compare to the rest of the United States? Right now the c-section rate stands at 24.4% - and is rising. That's right: one out of every four babies in our country is delivered by major surgery. This is outrageous and unacceptable. It not only puts a mother at higher risk for post-surgery complications, it also puts the baby at risk for a long list of complications (including breathing problems, premature birth, and instrument injury). Additionally, Ina May assists women at The Farm in delivering naturally, with no need for epidurals and other medications (which can not only leave a baby lethargic and "sleepy" upon delivery, but also get in the way of the body's natural production of oxytocin - the "love" hormone that helps mother-child bond during the first few hours after birth).

Ina May teaches internationally about how to improve maternal and fetal outcomes during labor and delivery. She speaks to midwives and physicians all over the world about low-intervention methods during childbirth. Her philosophy toward childbirth includes appropriate medical intervention. She is not opposed to c-sections and other invasive medical techniques when necessary - but she strongly believes (and has shown) that most of the time, these interventions are completely unnecessary! She is a living testament that through proper prenatal care and education, in addition to providing a relaxing and gentle setting for birth to occur in, women in our society can continue to enjoy the experience of natural childbirth.

Ina May encourages women who are pregnant (or thinking of becoming pregnant) to stop listening to and stop watching all the horror stories of labors gone wrong. Because, quite simply, almost 99% of women will delivery naturally. Even with twins. Even with a breech birth. Without serious complications. The media, movies, and television love to dramatize birth and make it into something it simply is not. While pregnant myself, I heeded Ina May's advice. Instead, I picked up Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery. Whenever I began to doubt my decision to have a natural labor, Ina May's words would encourage and inspire me. Story after story of women telling their experience of labor and delivery. I could hear the pride and joy in their words as they described what it was like for them to labor unmedicated, surrounded by loving and caring midwives, husbands, and friends. There were also one or two stories of women who did need a c-section - and their stories also inspired and encouraged me. The more I would read, the more calm and reassured I became.

I encourage every woman who is pregnant or plans on becoming pregnant to buy a copy of Ina May's books. She has a new one (Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding) which is also a lovely and informative read. It is time to reassess the direction in which childbirth is moving in our country. With infant and mother mortality rates on the rise, we need to decide, as a culture, if modern medicine and hospitals as a first line of defense is really the right choice for most women. It is also time to say STOP to how birth is portrayed in movies and on television, turning it into something that is scary and unbearable - rather than something that is beautiful and empowering. So find a copy of Ina May's books for yourself, read it, re-read it, and buy a copy for your friends and family.

Tag Blankets!

Over the past few weeks I have watched Little Bear (who is now almost 7 months old) become absolutely fascinated with tags. Whether it is on a stuffed animal, a piece of clothing, or a soft toy ... she zeros in on the tag and ignores everything else! I've watched her sit for 10 minutes with a multitude of toys around her, playing only with a tag. She is getting better at her fine motor skills and enjoys using her fingers to make the tag move. She also seems to love the feel of tags in her mouth and can chew on one longer than almost anything else. One of Kyle's friends informed me about "tag blankets" - something I had never heard of before. I looked them up on the internet and knew instantly that the idea would be a hit with Little Bear. 

Two sets of tag blankets & bibs.

A "tag blanket" (or "taggies" ... as I've also seen them called) is simply a small double-sided blanket that has a multitude of tags sewn around the edge of it. It's a simple yet brilliant idea. They are made in many different sizes and cost anywhere from $15 - $30. I thought it would be a lot more fun to sew one myself since I could not only save money, but also personalize it with the colors and patterns I wanted. Little Bear and I made a trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics (in between snow storms) and spent a solid 30 minutes looking at fabrics, ribbons, and iron-on patches. It was a lot of fun - and Little Bear enjoyed riding around in the cart looking at all the colors around us. 

Close-up of blanket & tags.

I always recommended going to the "scrap" section of a fabric store where you can find remnants of fabric at really good prices! If you are really feeling thrifty, you can usually find fun shirts/skirts/etc. at Goodwill and re-use that fabric. If you aren't feeling very creative, you can always rely on little bundles that the fabric store cuts and puts together of fabrics that go well together. These usually cost around $10 and will supply you with enough fabric to make several blankets. When choosing ribbons, I suggest buying several different widths of ribbon in order to add more contrast and something a little different. 

Soft material with sew/iron-ons added.

Because there are so many websites explaining how to make a basic tag blanket, I won't re-explain the process. My only recommendation in addition to the instructions on the websites would be to have fun with adding iron-ons and sew-ons. Make sure that all iron-ons are also stitched, just to make sure they are secure and can withstand multiple washings and many hours of baby hands pulling on them. Here are several links I found that explain how to make a blanket:

http://extraordinaryordinarylife.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/tag-blanket-tutorial/

http://www.chicaandjo.com/2008/07/22/make-your-own-taggie-blankets/

http://www.ehow.com/how_4870092_make-baby-tag-blanket.html

It only takes about 30 minutes to make a tag blanket ... less time once you know what you are doing. They would make a wonderful home-made gift to give a friend with a little one. I went ahead and made matching bibs out of the same material (I just traced a bib onto fabric, sewed them wrong-side out with a few inches to pull them through right-side out, then did a final stitch around the edge and a little velcro on the ends - takes about 10 minutes). They make a great looking gift set! I love receiving home-made gifts from friends and am trying to give more of them this year, as well.

Nursing Pads

Prior to giving birth to Little Bear, I thought I had prepared for everything! I had cloth diapers, clothes, burp clothes, swaddling blankets ... all ready for the big day when our family of two would suddenly become a family of three. Little Bear was born on a Saturday morning. By Tuesday, my milk had started to come in and I was painfully engorged. I remember sitting at my midwife's office with my shirt complete soaked in breastmilk. It was streaming out so hard and fast that I was soon drenched from chest to waist. I suddenly realized that I hadn't prepared for everything: I didn't have any nursing pads!

There are always going to be things during pregnancy and motherhood that take us completely by surprise. Maybe I skipped the chapters on nursing pads in all the pregnancy books I read ... or maybe leaking breasts  just didn't seem that exciting to write about. Whatever the reason, I completely neglected to realized exactly how much breasts can leak those first few months!

I was able to find disposable nursing pads at our local drug store. They were made by Lansinoh and worked great. You simply slip a pad between your bra and breast and forget they are even there. I haven't used them for a while, but I believe you put the purple side toward your breast (there were not instructions on the box so I had to figure it out by trial and error). You could use one pair for quite a while (a day usually); it was easy to tell when it was time to toss them because they would feel "crispy" from soaking up the milk. I ordered a pair of washable, plastic pads but never used them. I wasn't sure how they worked when I ordered them, but when I got them in I realized that they put pressure on your nipples and actually stopped the flow of milk. This seemed like a very bad idea (mastitis and clogged milk ducts can occur from this) so I never tried them out.

My midwife said that using nursing pads at times, especially when out and about, is not an issue. However, she did say that the breasts DO need to leak freely and that sleeping without nursing pads and a loose shirt was a good idea. This meant many nights of waking up with a soaking wet shirt AND sheets, but I heeded her advice. I eventually started sleeping with a towel under me so I didn't have to change our sheets every other day.

I eventually found washable nursing pads made from organic cotton which I liked A LOT. I bought 3 pairs so that I'd always have a clean pair available.

I noticed that after 4 months my breasts stopped leaking so much - both in the day time and night time. The exception is when "let-down" occurs while nursing Little Bear. Milk begins flowing out of BOTH breasts (not just the one they are nursing on), so I still will stick a nursing pad or burp cloth on the opposite side I'm nursing on. This is usually worse in the mornings, or after going several hours without nursing (when the breasts are more full). Everyone, I'm sure, is different. The amount of milk produced will vary from woman to woman ... and the amount a baby demands will vary from baby to baby. Women may also notice engorgement and leaking more when their baby begins to sleep through the night (I noticed this immediately), or their baby begins eating solids and skipping one or more nursing sessions. That is the beauty of the human body: it adapts and varies to best meets the needs of each individual mother and child. Wonderful, isn't it?