October 1 to 7 is World Breastfeeding Week, and this past Saturday North American moms were seen nursing their babies publicly …
Moms gathered in parks, libraries, health centers and government buildings in Winnipeg, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax and Tennessee this week and breastfed in order to show other moms they shouldn’t feel like they have to hide in washrooms or cover up when nursing. These public manifestations of basic nutrition were organized by the Quintessence Foundation, to promote the benefits of mother’s milk and make breastfeeding more socially acceptable.
Organizer Frances Jones told Canadian Press, “Women feel pressure to nurse in washrooms because they’re sometimes met with negative glances and rude comments. Many people object to public breastfeeding, but have no problem with scantily clad women in beer ads. We’re very confused about form versus function when it comes to the human breast.”
In further proof of this confusion, an Edmonton mom’s Facebook account was shut down for containing breastfeeding pictures, considered to be in violation of the networking site’s terms of use, which doesn’t allow for nudity on the website. Approximately 26 000 people have joined a Facebook group called “Hey Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!” in response.
Meanwhile, in Boston, an appeals court judge overturned an initial court decision and ruled that Sophie Currier, a medical student, should be allowed extra break time during her nine-hour medical licensing exam so as to pump breast milk for her daughter, thus keeping her on “equal footing” with the men and non-lactating women who take the exam.
“Breastfeeding first – breastfeeding within one hour of birth” is the theme for this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, promoting the idea that the initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth is the first and most vital step towards reducing infant and under-five mortality. A recent study shows immediately starting breastfeeding can reduce infant mortality rates up to 22 percent. The mother’s milk produced in the first days after birth, is called colostrum, and many doctors believe it is the perfect food for newborn babies. It is very high in nutritional content and contains antibodies and leukocytes which help stave off infections and diseases. It also coats a baby’s stomach to help prevent gastrointestinal infections such as diarrhea, the major killer of babies in the world’s poor nations.
This article was published Friday, October 5, 2007.
