breast-feeding

Breastfeeding, the Next Olympic Sport

This week’s cover of Time shows a young mother breastfeeding her son—a boy, nearly 4 years old, who is standing on a chair to reach his mother’s breast.

The article, “Are You Mom Enough?”, talks about attachment parenting, a movement led by pediatrician Bill Sears, MD. The movement encourages, among other things, breastfeeding for an extended period, one counted in years, not months.

This got me thinking. Never mind breastfeeding beyond 12 months—how are moms supposed to breastfeed for even the first 6 months straight, as the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend (with continued breastfeeding plus the introduction of food for at least 12 months)? That’s about 182 consecutive days, 8 meals a day, 1,456 total meals. And how are they supposed to manage some of that breastfeeding outside of the house?

There have been so many stories in recent months of breastfeeding moms being run out of grocery stores, sequestered in smelly bathrooms, criticized for exposing a little skin (not nipple!) while feeding their hungry child in public.

Let me tell you, breastfeeding can be hard. I’m a first-time mom and I JUST am able to confidently say (fingers crossed) that I can breastfeed my 3-month-old regularly without placing frozen gel pads on my nipples, bleeding through my shirts, wincing at every feeding, worrying about the latch (lips flared, chin up!).

It’s hard enough trying to maintain a good milk supply. But on to top of that, trying to breastfeed in public without hunkering Quasimoto-style over your child, sheepishly scanning around to make sure you look “tastefully covered,” counting the microseconds until your baby is done eating, then juggling (literally) the baby and exposed boob and zipping it all up in with a certain flair, is quite an accomplishment.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. Every time I look down at my baby, I know I’m giving her the best I can give. (And not all women have a difficult time breastfeeding.) But if women are to attempt to breastfeed every meal while also joining the rest of the human race, they are going to need to do it out in the open.

Yet somehow, seeing Lady Gaga’s nipple pasties is more accepted than seeing a baby’s mouth attached to real nipples.

Here’s my solution:

Make breastfeeding a new Olympic sport. Millions of people would be watching and the sight of a baby feeding would no longer make people squirm.

What other physical and emotional endeavor is so demanding, takes practice, requires specialized equipment (hello, nipple gel packs), requires perfect timing between partners, is done in the early hours of the morning and the wee hours of the night—but in the end gives so much satisfaction and sense of accomplishment?

We would be judged on such categories as latch technique and best sucking rhythm.

Think of the possibilities! People would be clambering to get the top lactation consultants. Kids would grow up bragging, “We won the 2012 gold—and no allergies!”. The public would respect the dedication and passion of breastfeeding moms as much as they do that gold-medal Olympian.

Until then, every time I look down at my little one, I’m going to whisper, “Let’s go for the gold!”

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File under: In the News

Contributor

Shirley Lin

Shirley Lin, RN, BSN is Director of Content Management at Sharecare with experience in professional, patient and consumer healthcare content. During her career, Shirley has worked with the leading providers in medical and patient content, including managing content for the Epocrates medical app and leading strategic product development for Krames Patient Education.

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Comments

  1. AnneLouise

    Other Olympic breastfeeding events: How fast can you cover up your breast at work when you have to pump in a not-very-private cubicle! How many things can you do with your other hand/arm that’s not supporting the baby!

    May 11th, 2012, 3:29 pm
  2. Monica

    Great article! So, so true. As an expecting first-time mother, the more I learn about and try to prepare for nursing my son, the more I realize that there is WAY more to this than I thought. I am realizing that the challenges nursing mothers face to keep going are so huge and really do affect every aspect of a nursing mother’s life. I have such a new found respect for nursing and that’s only because I’m about to attempt it myself and have taken classes and read books on it. If only others knew how difficult, yet how important, it is and truly appreciated a nursing mother’s strength and determination, no one would give a nursing mother any look other than one of admiration. I like your solution, Shirley!

    May 11th, 2012, 7:14 pm
  3. Jo

    As a grandmother who was breastfeeding in the 1970s, and an infant/toddler parent educator and early childhood specialist, it is so sad to see how little progress has been made in the social acceptance of this simple act of giving life to our kids! In fact, it seems the pendulum may have swung backwards? No matter! Please, all of you moms out there, just feel comfortable, STRONG, and confident in your choice to optimally nourish your baby both nutritionally and emotionally. If you are certain in your decision you won’t be so quick to worry about the eyes or thoughts of others when you are breastfeeding, whether at a restaurant or your less educated mother-in-law’s. Do I advocate exhibitionism? Of course not! That would be running around bare-breasted with no infant in sight-LOL! But pulling a breast out for what nature intended should NEVER be offensive to anyone, and if it is, PLEASE REMEMBER: It is their problem, not yours, and you are NOT under any obligation to try to solve it for them. You have enough to worry about with potential latching issues, etc. I am astounded at the 69% figure for thinking breastfeeding is “ok if covered.” Sorry, I don’t buy it. Cover if you personally wish–or, and this may be the very best reason–if your baby otherwise gets too distracted from his/her sucking task, but breast feeding needs to be accepted for what it is: the way babies eat–regardless of covers, no covers, special rooms, not special rooms, etc. Until it is, we moms and our babies will remain second class citizens. I don’t accept that. Do you? Human rights–to health and life–trump any local “politics” or “moral judgements.” Be strong and ignore any flack that comes your way. You don’t have to be an activist–just feed your baby! My best wishes to you!

    June 5th, 2012, 4:54 pm