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Some women have problems in breastfeeding but don't receive enough support and help to overcome
difficulties. Many have difficulties with breastfeeding in public because of other people's attitudes towards exposing their breasts. With some, going to work prevents them from breastfeeding and/or pumping breast milk.
One major factor undermining breastfeeding in US is way infant formula companies advertise their products. They send free samples to pregnant mothers and to hospitals, give free gifts to doctors and nurses, and leave impression in their pamphlets that formula is almost as good as breast milk. No wonder 'supplemental bottle' is often used when there is just a minor solvable problem with breastfeeding!
Another reason why babies are weaned early is because people have misconceptions about weaning. Most people in Northern America and in other western countries think that breastfeeding is only for first couple of months of an infant's life, or mostly up to year. However, in most other cultures worldwide children wean much later, and in most of history children weaned much later. According to Katherine Dettwyler's studies, comparing humans to our closest animal relatives shows that natural age of weaning in humans should be between 2.3 and 7 years. Children who are allowed to wean themselves, usually do so between 2 and 5 years of age. [4]
It seems that everybody agrees that breast milk is better, but that whole society is negative about breastfeeding? Why is that? In course of history many different parts of female body have been fetishes for men, for example ankles, necks, and tiny feet (in China), so why are North Americans so obsessed with breasts as sexual objects in our age?
In my opinion reason is because whole society is about to forget what is real purpose of female breasts. That is shown for example in Katherine Dettwyler's experience in her 'Women and Culture' course in fall of 1993. One of her undergraduate students was totally flabbergasted to discover that biological function of women’s breasts was for feeding children. With obvious shock and disgust evident in her voice she asked, 'You mean women’s breasts are like a cow’s udder?' [5] If you can see breasts as 'wonderful milk-making machines' meant for babies, then you won't worry anymore what men think of your breasts or what they look like!
We have a vicious cycle on our hands: less women breastfeed, less people get to see real purpose of breasts. At same time media everywhere constantly touts perverted view of female breasts, which makes people view breasts as sexual. That in turn makes it harder for women to breastfeed, since many of reasons for not breastfeeding are linked to erroneous idea that woman's breasts are sexual organs.
So less women breastfeed, harder it becomes for women to breastfeed. This cycle self-promotes view that female breasts are sexual and that women are mere sex objects, which can lead to more pornography, sexual crime and abuse of women - all while little children are robbed of their best nutrition.
The cure?
Women, breastfeed your babies! Men, understand real function of female breasts! Everybody, forget about breasts being sexual!
----------------------------------------------------------------- References [1] Carolyn Latteier in TV program "All about breasts" Transcript available at http://www.newshe.com/allaboutbreasts1.shtml
[2] Breastfeeding trends through 2000 Ross Products Division http://www.ross.com/aboutRoss/Survey.pdf
[3] Pediatricians' Practices and Attitudes Regarding Breastfeeding Promotion PEDIATRICS Vol. 103 No. 3 March 1999, p. e35 http://www.pediatrics.org/
[4] A Natural Age of weaning, Katherine Dettwyler http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/detwean.html
[5] Katherine Dettwyler as quoted in Breastfeeding at Municipal Pools in Canada http://mediaworkswest.com/BACE/BMPC/BMPC- Part8.htm -------------------------------------------------------
The author is a breastfeeding mother with a website 007 Breasts at http://www.007b.com/ discussing how media and society have influenced us to see female breasts as taboos and sexual objects and how this relates to breastfeeding. Other topics are why women fail to breastfeed, wonders of breastmilk and breastfeeding, bras and breast health, breastfeeding pictures, normal breasts gallery, topfreedom.
