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I agree with you Elizabeth. Working on a ward where we have alot of
young women through our young women's clinic. Very rarely they have
issues with feeding, they just seem to get on with it, whereas the older
women seem to have major problems with attachment and supply. Mind you,
many babes start off on the wrong foot with left over drugs from their
birth, especially those born by LUSCS, they just don't seem to even know
how to suck, it is very frustrating.
Out of the 100+ women I atttended at home only one had
significant problems needing long term assistance. Another very good
reason to fight to maintain real choices for women!
Regards
Sally
-------Original Message-------
Date: Sunday, 02 June
2002 11:57:47 AM
Re: Melbourne's child letter 'Breast is still
best'
My daughter took issue with the writer's
comment on the midwife 'assisting younger, more inexperienced
mothers'.
As an 18yr old, and the baby newly born, I
described what to do without touching; she listened, and breast fed
for 14 months - no dummies, no bottles. I find that young mothers have little or no difficulty at
all - it seems to me that it is the older, more 'educated' mother who has
problems. In fact, its a reflection on our society and our
health system that Western women experience problems. Why is this??
Having worked with Indonesian women; a
multicultural population of women in the Middle East and Aboriginal women
- I never saw the problems with BF that I see in the West.
Those women just get on and do it, naturally. Many of the
Middle Eastern women don't wish to feed immediately, and many are
uninterested until the milk comes in. Many don't express,
they rest. When the milk comes in, they feed thereafter for
about 2 years. They bond well with their children and usually
have many. It is not unusual to observe women with their faces
veiled, the breast exposed and the baby suckling contendedly. Women
returning to the workforce have government instigated breast feeding
breaks in their work-day for about 12 months.
The 'baby friendly initiative' I believe, was
aimed at developing countries whose children were dying of diarrhoeal
disease through contaminated water, incorrect formula and lack of
hygiene. It has been taken up with such vehemence in the
West, a crusade if you will, with extraordinary focus on
technique. No wonder mothers and many midwives find it
daunting. One woman asked me once 'What about
mother-friendly?'
Personally, I'd like to see mothers returned
to their homes as soon as possible after birth in hospital (given that
there's no option to be at home where they belong to birth their babies),
have support from ABA, have support from a community of workers who will
cook, clean and look after any other children (particularly if there is no
extended family) and allow 40 days of peace and quiet, relaxation, and
with the mother and baby doing what other mammals do with little
interference.
The crux of the matter, I believe, is our
health system, which purports to empower people to take responsibility for
their own health but in fact, does the opposite. If we, as
midwives and lactation consultants, are forever explaining, checking
position and suckling, and the other numerous, onerous tasks and rituals
that comprise breast feeding in our world, what message does this send to
new mothers? I'll tell
you; the mother is inadequate, at fault or to
blame.
However, this is not true. No,
the mother is a victim as surely as we, the female health professionals
who have subordinated womanhood to our health system and the medical
hegemony.
Liz McAlpine
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