Being vocal in our stand against harassing mothers feeding their babies in public is an important part of supporting breastfeeding, women, children, and families. But is that enough? Not everyone is comfortable with approaches such as social media debates, nurse-ins, and talking to a TV crew but there are other, possible more effective, means of inspiring systemic change.
Black Breastfeeding Week is bittersweet. It says, “Hey, there is enough of an issue that World Breastfeeding Week is no longer cutting it.” If anything it’s a black versus black week; it’s about trying to change the outlook on the breastfeeding from within the black community. We need to do whatever we need to do to raise the rate of black women breastfeeding.
Jennifer Borget, news anchor and blogger shares why she breastfed her son on TV in a news report and how she has become a breastfeeding advocate for World Breastfeeding Week.
The immediate separation that’s typical in most U.S. hospitals may not be as ideal as time spent snuggling together – skin to skin – for at least 60 minutes immediately after birth, and as much as possible for the first 48 hours. Studies have shown that even brain development is enhanced in babies who had ample skin to skin contact in those early hours and weeks after being born. Your baby instinctively knows that nestling into your chest is the best place she could be.
At its mother’s breast, a baby is at home. This is where all things begin. Our babies learn to socialize, their brains develop, their little bodies learn to regulate temperature, breathing, and heart rate, and their physiology stabilizes. All this happens on the chest. The profound capacity inherent in a woman’s body has been ignored, overlooked and dismissed for far too long. It is time that we collectively see nursing as the profound act that it is and place value on the product, the process, and recognize the mother as a powerful phenomenon.
In some ways we have come so far in how women are treated and viewed in society but in other ways women, particularly mothers, are dismissed as their real value being only in their appeal to the opposite sex. I wonder if we’ve lost something. Then I wonder what that means for me and I’m only 14 years old.
Welcome to The Leaky Boob, your trusted companion on the journey of nurturing and nourishing your little one. We understand that feeding your child is a unique experience for every family, filled with joys and challenges alike. Our mission is to provide you with evidence-based information, practical advice, and a supportive community to empower you in your breastfeeding journey.
Hi, I’m Jessica, the founder of The Leaky Boob, Lactation Educator, Parenting Educator, Parenting and Relationship Coach, and mom of 9. I’m so glad you are here.