I think what gets up my nose with regards to this issue is the implication that at the individual level a mother's ease with birth and breastfeeding necessarily makes the woman a great or better mother. While I don't think the numbers have yet been crunched at a population level (probably because we can't think of what what parameters/indices we should measure to "measure" great or "better" mothering) I too would not be surprised if there was not at the very least a strong association with normal birth and normal breastfeeding and better mothering. I am certainly a strong advocate for both normal birth and breastfeeding. However, any of us who have worked in birth suite and maternity wards and in the community must know that on an individual level normal birth and breastfeeding ability and/or success do not a mother make whether she be great, fantastic or simply "good enough". There is no denying it (they) is (are) part of the equation, but just a part and in some situations very clearly overriden by other factors. I can only speak for myself, and I do, it is not the promotion of either the normality of breastfeeding or normal birth (both of which I advocate for strongly myself) that creates the heat but the over simplification of what makes a great, good, or good enough mother.
marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Denise Fisher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 5:22 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Breastfeeding > Breastfeeding doesn't often come up on this list, but when it does it > causes heated discussions - I don't understand why as a very reasonable > advocate of the normal, healthy way to feed a baby I feel so threatened > each time I post. :-\ > > Does having a normal birth, followed by a normal breastfeeding relationship > make a woman a better mother?? I wouldn't be surprised if, when big > numbers are crunched, that that is what statistically comes out of the > computer, while also accepting that you can't apply statistics to > individuals. Whether we like it or not we are driven by hormones over which > we have no control - all of our loving relationships are heavily influenced > by the hormones that are floating around us at the time. That's why normal > birthing is so important (read Michel Odent, plus heaps of others now), and > why breastfeeding is also incredibly important to the ability to mother and > form secure attachments. Please don't get personally slighted over that > statement - I'm not saying that all is lost for the mother and baby who > don't experience normal - but when you're starting from the abnormal, it > takes greater effort to get everything back to normal. > > Denise Hynd's support for normal birthing to ultimately support > breastfeeding is definitely addressing one of the barriers to successful > breastfeeding. However, there are still a lot of midwives and doctors who > set the mother up for failure of breastfeeding because of mismanagement, > despite their wonderful birth experience. Lieve will support me when I > mention the very, very poor breastfeeding rates in The Netherlands despite > home birthing. It's not a natural follow-on - it's another essential skill > that a good midwife must learn about and acquire and then share with her > clients. > > Yes there are barriers to breastfeeding that are beyond our immediate > control, but one of the biggest barriers is the uneducated health > professional. We're improving, and because of that I feel that some of the > social barriers are being knocked down by confidently breastfeeding mothers > - more women breastfeed in public without giving it a second thought; more > mothers seek a place to pump at work, or lobby for closer childcare. It's > happening, but only because these women start out with self-confidence, and > that's where the assumption of breastfeeding as normal, and facilitating > normal establishment of breastfeeding by knowledgeable midwives is the key. > > Self-confidence in an ability to birth naturally is just as important as > self-confidence to feed their baby naturally. Introducing doubt needlessly > to either process destroys self-confidence. > > Denise > > *************************************** > Denise Fisher > Health e-Learning > http://www.health-e-learning.com > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > **************************************** > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
