Breastfeeding is LIFE giving and thus a way of life. A lifestyle that seems to be under attack in our supposedly progressive modern culture. When will people use common sense? If a baby seeks out his mother’s breasts for nurture and survival why must we have any debate on the value and place of the mother, child, and society. FATHER + MOTHER + CHILD = SOCIETY do they not?
Why do the very people that take their place as caregivers to the family persist to work against the place of Mother and Child?
In reading Would you want a midwife who asked you not to nurse in public? my own experiences came to mind.
This excerpt especially struck me because those concepts have shaped me as a nursing mother.“Nursing infants should not be a disruption in such a hearing, especially if their mothers are not having to get up and leave every time they whimper rather than nurse them. Asking mothers to not nurse in the hallways or not be seen in public during these hearings is defeating at least part of the purpose of midwifery, to ensure that postpartum and nursing is a healthy period where women are confident in their ability to care for their infants.”
In my almost 9 years of nursing infants I have allowed nursing on demand. Not everyone chooses this but MANY of us do. So to bar women from suckling their children while attending most any event is unduly segregating these mothers from the whole of society.
We do know how to best meet our babies needs and we do know how to do so tactfully. Others should not impose their ideas about what is appropriate for any mother or child.
After experiencing half of my brood needing more constant accessibility to nursing to thrive than what is considered to be average I think it a light burden on society to allow us that freedom to go about our lives amongst others. Are we to be under seclusion for several years because we have babies that need hourly feedings?
The world is missing much because of these restrictions and mothers are missing the very interactions that will make them wiser mothers with stronger families.Society will always loose healthy balance when taking the needs of all the members out of consideration.
To answer the question “Would you want a midwife who asked you not to nurse in public?” “No. I would not.” Just like I would not want one that would tell me that her role and knowledge as midwife was more important than my role and knowledge as mother.
We all make mistakes! As mothers our first mistake is usually believing the idea that others know more and that handing over the place we should be filling to someone else is best.
Posted on April 26, 2011