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By Lisa Lactivist, on June 24th, 2011 This amazing story is by Noelia Valdez who was born in Argentina, moved to America at 15 and had her first baby at 16 years old.
My breastfeeding story, struggles, determination and love
I always knew that I want to breastfeed my kids, in fact I never think in other way to feed a baby. I remember when I was a little girl, while my friends bottle feed their dolls I breastfeed them. It seem to easy at that moment I always say “oh I can’t wait to have my baby and breastfeed him or her” and I’ll never forget how I tell everybody ” I going to have five kids”. At that moment (about 6 or 8 years old) the fact that my mom was a teen mom, it was normal to me, later on she told me about this and who much she struggles with me.
All my mom speaks go to the trash when I get pregnant at 16 years old, But even that I knew is not right, even that everybody tells me that I can’t, I was determinate to rise this child, to breastfeed him, to love him with all my heart and even more. I know thats is not the best to have a child at 16, but he didn’t ask to come, and is on his way now, so I deside to give him the best of me.
During those 9 months I read as much as posible to prepere my self, that was hard because I came from a family who asumme that they know everything and never take the time to learn something new. I keep reading and learning about almost everything, I went to a natural child birth clases all by my self, I read about vaccines, how to bath my baby, who to know if your baby is ready for solid food, even potty training. I never read or recived any information about breastfeed a baby. No body tell me how hard or how many struggles I could have. I asume it was easy, just put the baby on the breast and he do the rest…OMG!!! I wasn’t preper me for that.
On September 14th 2001, I was 2 weeks over due, so my ob-gyn send me to the hospital for induction, my natural child birth plan was ruin, but the health of my baby was more inportant. When I get to the Hospital I was 3cm dilated, oh I was so happy that lavor start on his own, I breath on every contraction but I knew this was the lavor that I dream about, but I never feel so scare in my life.
On September 15th 2001 at 1:20pm. My son Lautaro born on a drug free delivery, beautiful baby boy, he weight 9lb 2oz. My most beautiful wish came true , may be he came a little early in my life, but after all this is what I dream of since I was a little girl. Oh gosh my heart was bumping so hard, “he is perfect, I can’t wait to breastfeed him” I tell my mom. But the nurses take him, they say “we need to check him and then we bring him back” ok I say, I was so happy and I didn’t know what to expect, what are the rules on this hospital and I was scare to ask.
I take a shower and wait for my son in the room, 2 hrs later I was worried so I ask was going on, I call the nurse and ask for my baby. I wasn’t prepare for what comes next. They bring my baby, he was sleeping, I carry him in a football position and take my breast out “he already eat” say the nurse “what, what he eat? why?” I reply, “we give him formula, there is a pack under his crib” I just cry and say again “why?” she replay in a very mad way “because your baby needs to eat”.
How hard was this to me, I was sad, I was mad but more than ever I was determinate to breastfeed my son. I start by holding him close to my breast, alot of skin to skin contact. No body tell me that, it was just instict I gest. He was very sleepy the first day, any way I attemt to breastfeed him every hour without any success. He already had a very bad nipple confusion and I didn’t know what to do, no body in that hospital wants to help, in fact they were pushing me to use formula. Ten years ago I even know that lactation consultant exist, I realy feel hopeless, my mom didn’t breastfeed me and my aunts who both had infants at that time bottle feed them.
I never understood why they give him formula, I was so frustrated that I forget about my fears and call the nurse again, she give me the most stupid excuses “oh because you are so young, we think that formula it was the best for you and your baby, is hard for a young mom to nurse”. Oh realy?, so because a woman is 4 or 6 years older that me thats make breastfeeding more easy? that frustrate me more, why they assume that I don’t want to breastfeed? in what way formula was better for me and my baby? it was very confusing to hear that from a health professional. To make the thing worse my nipple were flat, my milk was already there and my breast was sore.
The next day my mom bring me a breast pump, I start pumping no only to give my baby “My Milk” but for my effort to give my nipples in shape. While I was puming another nurse came in and told me ” if you can’t breastfeed, give him a bottle, his starving” ohh how mad I was, but at that moment I knew it I can’t let him get between my determination on breastfeed my son, they no going to understand me. So I smile and say “ok give me the formula” as soon as she left I throw it to the trash.
Once at home, I was so engorged, the pain was afoul every attemt to nurse him frustrated me more.
Any way I keep trying, I didn’t know how to hold him, who to make him latch correctly. He only was able to take a tinny part of my nipple and that was very painful. I cry for 2 days straigh, more than once feel to give up, but I couldn’t fail my son, he deserve the best and I deserve this beautiful experince in life, at that moment I didn’t know that breastfeed my son could be so beautiful. It was just the right natural way to feed a child. Women breastfeed their childrens for years, even before the formula was invented, so why not me? what is the different between those woman to me? even many years ago woman has childrens very early in life, be a teen mom is not a reason for not breastfeed.
I keep pumping, “at least he has mine milk” that was enough for me I want to do what nature make me for, nourish my child.
Day number 3 came and after taking a shower to relief my breast it came to my
mind “a nipple shield” I scream calling my mom, she say “what? what is that?” “a nipple shield is a silicone nipple to put in my nipple, that may be work”. She went to buy one, two hours latter finaly I was breastfeeding my son from the breast. How beautiful, oh gosh all my life I was having this picture in my head and it was finally happend. That day I understand that breastfeed my son is more than feed him, is a conection that I never had with other human being, is pure love.
Weeks fly fast and a 8 weeks old we wean the nipple shield and both master the art of breastfeed. Soon enough to start school, at that moment I’m even care about nurse in public, I was doing the most natural so what my school mates think of me to be honest I do not care, no person in this wolrd could be more inportant that my
son, there is no person in this world that I could love more than my son.
I was happy and sad at the same time. Leave my son when I go to school, the absent of my baby’s father, the lack of support from my family who always was telling me “you can’t graduate, you are ruin your life, you don’t know how to raise a child, you this, you that…etc”. All this take me to a deep post partum deprecion. To make everything worse, the idea to let my mom take care of my son while I go to school kills me. Don’t take this in a bad way, I love her, but the true is that she never take care of me, she didn’t have any experience with babies and she was telling me to give
my son yogurt at 2 months old. But I didn’t have a choise and I realy apreciate her help.
For this 2 months I pump for my son, so he can have my milk (not yogurt) while I’m at school, everything was going great and I was prepare to start my senior year. But more barriers came to my right of breastfeed my son.
Here comes my new challenge in motherhood, school was from 6am to 2pm, take my pump with me for pumping sessions between clases or at lunch time. Soon I found out that my school not allowed me to pump, if I want to pump must do it in the bathroom sitting on the toilet, what of curse was very disgusting.
The pain of my congestion breasts was terrible and I have embarrassing leaks all day, and the nursing pads fail to handle it. Hopefully my mom agree to take my son to school at lunch time for a feeding. Oh how thankful I was with her, I couldn’t survive the other way. It was hard, no only because I was a student and a mom, but also I was a inmigrant from other country learning a new lenguage trying to finish high school so my hard work was doble.
Months past fast and then I remember what the nurse told me ” we think that formulait was the best for you and your baby, is hard for a young mom to nurse” wow!!! I can’t imaging me with all the work that I had, getting up to prepare bottles. I was realy happy for my determination to breastfeed, now I just take my breast out and continue sleeping or even do my homework with him in the breast.
I finish high school then I start a my nursing carrear, while having a part time job selling newspaper on the miami streets, and of curse continue with my ESOL clases. I did it!!!, life was very busy but when I was breasfeeding my son life stop and I was able to breath again, to take this time to enjoy our self, that was my break my reward
for a long day of hard working finaly my tight body can relax with a warm hug.
Breastfeeding my son was the picture that I had in my mind when I was a little girl, but I never knew how inportant can be this to me. To be honest I was depress, very depress and this wasen’t something new, I didn’t have a nice childhood, my mom was a teen mom, my dad leave when I was 1 year old, I meet him for the first time when I was 13 years old and my mom had a hard time keeping a relationship, many mens enter and leave our life all the time, it was a very disfuntional family. But the idea of having someone to love, have a unconditional love in my life help me, I have to admit after 3 attemt of suicide, the birth of my son save my life. When I was 14 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post traumatic streess disorder (something happend to me when I was 5) with severe depretion I always try to hurt my self, I was hateing my life, before my son came to this world all my sky were very cloudy. Those bad memories it seem to no matter any more since I saw that pregnancy test.
Now I have this little person to love, to give the best of me, breastfeed my son was more than feed him, it was pure love. I never felt that way before, his eyes looking at me with a thankfull expresion, everytime he smile at me with my nipple in his mouth it was a life saver therapy.
He change me, breastfeed him change me. I feel proud of me for never give up, for trust my body and my maternal instit. If I have to past all my bad experience in childhood to have him at the end I do it again.
I may be feel sad or depressed sometimes, life isn’t perfect. But when I looked at my son and start remember those days, his smell, oh how beautiful. Dosen’t exist any anti-depressed more efective than breastfeed my son. Is hard to put in words how our heart feels, but if someone ask me what its feel when I nurse my son I say ” I feel like my heart is trying to get out from my breast, as a milk”.
I breastfeed him for 24 months untill he wean him self, no body can take that away from me now, that beautiful picture is going to be with me until I say my last good bye. No body take never a picture of my son nursing in my peaceful arms, in my gentle breast. But I remember every little second, I no have it in my mind, I have it in my heart. Now I know what nature put our breast close to our heart.
Ten years past from those days, Lautaro is an amazing almost 10 years old now, very kind, always trying to help others. He is in 3 grade with a 6 grader level, very responsable with his school work.
His teacher just told me:”he is amazing, is a joy having him in my class, he is very polite and always volunteer to help his peers. He love you to dead, in one of his redactions he wrote how inportant you are for him, and how him wants to make you proud”. I was in tears when she told me that.
I can’t be more proud of him, and you can see it in my face. He is an awesome big brother, he care about his sibling so much, he teach them, and he always was there to help me, or just give me a glass of water when he saw me breastfeed his little sibling. Last week I was breastfeeding my 4 months old and Lautaro say ” Wow mama he is getting so big and he is so healthy because you give him your milk, you give me your milk too, good job!!! and by the way thanks mama”. you no have any idea how my heart start jumping in my chest to hear that from my son.
People can say, that teen moms, are iresponsable, they can say teen mom can’t finish high school , that they marriage fails, that their kids are bad behaved or fail school, they can say we are to young to take good care of our kids, even say that we can’t breastfeed.
Well I’m the proof that all this is wrong. I’m not saying “is easy” because is not, in fact is realy hard, now with my 4th son I’m a stay at home mom, I been married with a wonderful men for almost 8 years now, I own a home and Im just enjoing taking care of my kids full time.
Motherhood is not easy, not only for teen moms, for all new moms. But at the end we realize that we can do it and is the most rewarding career of our lifes.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teen-and-Young-Mom/114956148591575
http://mylifeasateen-youngmom.blogspot.com/2011/06/it-was-january-1st-2001-after-celebrate.html?spref=fb
Noelia Valdez
By Lisa Lactivist, on March 9th, 2011 This is from the Flintshire Feeders site which is an ever growing resource of good info and proper help but there is one page devoted to the dark side – bad advice given by ‘experts’ on the subject of breastfeeding. I’ve copied and pasted some of it here but for all of it, in it’s gory detail please check out the Flintshire Feeders site. If you see any more terrible advice please let us know.
Webchat advice session on Gurgle.
This “BF expert” has a book and DVD to sell, a fact which is made clear within the very first minute of the session.
Having read the “advice” below, why not compose a note to the Royal College of Midwives? Perhaps asking them to distance themselves from the views of their former colleague, and stating how they would have answered the Q’s on that webchat?
{Of course, proper recognition of roles & qualifications in this area is a whole other topic!}
Alternatives would be to complain directly to the host of the webchat – Gurgle ( link to FB page), and to any other organisations you see asking this person to portray a Breastfeeding Expert.
The very first answer given was to:
Mum1 (Josie) “my little man is very, very demanding.. im really struggling to keep up with him.. i know its stilly but i feel like im failing giving him bottles..its just so exhausting and time consuming.. and at night cos hes so hungry it takes him quite a while to latch on sometimes..  any advice? it breaks my heart when i cant provide for him..hes six days old x “
Expert: “Hello Josie, Poor you having such a stressful time. Don’t feel that you are a failure for giving him bottles – your little man will just be very grateful that you are giving him some food rather than leaving him to cry and struggle to latch on. Your baby might find it easier to latch on if you gently squeeze your breast vertically to match the shape of his mouth – more details on this can be found in my book and DVD. If he still can’t manage to latch on easily you could try using a nipple shield but do be aware that it will only work well if you have a good supply of milk which your baby can easily get through the shield. If your baby can’t get enough milk out of your breasts to satisfy him, try using a breast pump so that you can express your own milk and give it to him in a bottle. If you simply can’t provide him with enough of your own milk, please don’t feel bad if you give him formula as well. And finally….. do ask your community midwife to spend some time with you and see if she can help you get the breastfeeding sorted.”
Mum2: (Laura) “i’m going to have a give up breast feeding my 3 week old hes put on so much weight he was 7lb 9 when he was born 3 weeks non hes 10lb 6 which is fab but the boy never stops he will feed off both breast for 40 mins at each feed. as he empties both breasts how ami going to express my milk i start going to a weekly appoiment next week so i’m thinking about bottle feeding but wanted some advice as i breast fed my last for 6 months no problem so what advice should i need to know about bottle feeding x “
Expert: “Hello Laura, you have to stick with the reality here, if your baby always empties both breasts that makes it very difficult if not impossible to express spare milk to give him at your weekly appointment. If you simply cannot express enough breastmilk, you may need to give him formula milk and the advise on how to make up feeds and sterilise bottles is clearly given on the cartons or formula, sterilising units etc”
And the final words with which she encourages all the mothers watching the webchat?
“Thank you all for taking part and sorry if I didn’t get around to some of your questions, and sorry that some of my answers had to be rather brief. My book on ‘Breast and bottle feeding’ are available in Mothercare and my DVD ‘Breastfeeding without tears’ is available on Amazon. I hope you all enjoy breastfeeding and give it your best shot, but remember this ‘You are the brand new mother, not an expert so if breastfeeding doesn’t work out the people helping you are the failures not you!’ “
Expert: “Hello Laura, you have to stick with the reality here, if your baby always empties both breasts that makes it very difficult if not impossible to express spare milk to give him at your weekly appointment. If you simply cannot express enough breastmilk, you may need to give him formula milk and the advise on how to make up feeds and sterilise bottles is clearly given on the cartons or formula, sterilising units etc”
You can read more on unhelpful online material from this Ffeeders post.
And also on the Flintshire Feeders FaceBook page
By Lisa Lactivist, on February 25th, 2011 Dorset Mum of the Year – Joanne Dewberry has very kindly given me some space on her blog in her ‘day in the life of’ section.
Mine is not a particuarly rock and roll lifestyle at the moment but if you are interested you can read the whole story here:
http://joannedewberry.co.uk/day-in-the-life-of/a-day-in-the-life-of-lisa-lactivist/
By Lisa Lactivist, on February 10th, 2011
This is from I want to Breastfeed which is the website of Jo who is a La Leche League breastfeeding peer counsellor.
Jo writes beautifully and her site is well worth looking at.
So in the eighteenth century they had nipple shields which were shaped like the ones we see today but instead of soft silicone, they were apparently made of solid silver, ivory and even wood. I just cannot begin to imagine how they must have worked, and yet they featured in a segment (about 11 minutes into the programme) on the Vanessa Feltz Channel 5 show which featured Breastfeeding ‘Guru’ and ‘Breastfeeding Consultant’ Clare Byam Cook. They featured as an interesting comparison and curious antique and interestingly reflected the attitude of said Breastfeeding Guru: a strong focus on the problematic or ‘unnatural’ side of breastfeeding.
There has been lots in the media about breastfeeding recently – sensationalist headlines talking of harming babies by breastfeeding and breastfeeding causing allergies. And here we now have someone – who the media keep using as their resident breastfeeding specialist – talking about alligator babies and how the size of your breast does matter. When is the media going to support evidence based breastfeeding information and internationally recognised institutions that have spent years supporting mothers to feed their babies the way nature intended?
It is true, as Clare Byam Cook says, that some women would have been unable to breastfeed in the past and we should remember that just because we live in a modern world, it doesn’t mean we can all breastfeed without having to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems, but it is also true that lots more women would be able to exclusively breastfeed to around six months, like the World Health Organisation recommends, if they had the right support, guidance or information from friends, family or the relevant support worker, counsellor or consultant. The media could help spread this message. Instead they seem, rather misguidedly, to want to undermine it .
By Lisa Lactivist, on January 11th, 2011  Thank you so much to everyone that voted for www.lactivist.net in the Bundle Jungle Work at Home Mum Awards 2010.
Lactivist is a runner up for Blog Of The Year 2010!
I am so proud to get this award, a lot of work goes into Lactivist and it is nicer than I thought it would be to have that recognised.
There was some very stiff competition and all the other nominees are great bloggers – Analytical Armadillo, Dr Momma, Single Dad Laughing and And Three Makes Family
and the winner was Really Pants which is a number 1 resource for real nappy news, reviews, product launches and competitions! They now have 3 new fantastic real nappy using contributors who will be reviewing products and writing feature articles.
Thank you again for voting – if you haven’t checked out www.thebundlejungle.com yet it is worth doing to meet very friendly approachable and knowledgeable people.
Lisa
By Lisa Lactivist, on December 20th, 2010 This is from the Analytical Armadillo - http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/12/what-lactivist-is-and-isnt.html
“Earlier I read How To Support Women Without Demonising Formula and whilst I’m in absolute agreement that demonising women is pointless, hurtful and damaging to breastfeeding advocacy; another part of me as “A Lactivist” feels yet again attacked as a “Breastfeeding Nazi”.
“It can be very tempting to further the normalization of breastfeeding by demonizing formula, or worse, by demonizing formula-feeding mothers. It calls to you. The information’s right there, and, if you breastfeed, it makes you feel better about yourself and better about your struggles and your hard work to bring it up. I remember! It’s so tempting to respond to the Similac recall with “Serves you right, you should have breastfed” or “Boobs don’t have bugs, this is mom’s fault.” Formula sucks.”
Firstly would someone explain to me what demonising formula is? If someone says x is a risk of formula – is that demonising it? if so do we not tell mothers about the risk?, do we lie? I ask this genuinely as I also feel that there are a lot of posts and articles online claiming the “benefits are minimal”, or “it’s nearly the same nowadays” as per my entry “When you can prove formula is nearly as good we’ll talk” – a lot of women still believe these claims are true.
Demonising women is another issue entirely, but more about that in a second.
Some of the strongest advocates in the intactivist movement are mothers who circumcised their first children. Marilyn Fayre Milos, for example. Some of the strongest advocates for gentle discipline are those who chose corporal punishment first. Some of the strongest proponents of natural birth are those who experienced an over-medicated labor or an “unnecessarian”. Many cloth diapering mothers chose cloth because their babies’ bottoms reacted badly to disposables.
Most lactivists have never fed their babies an ounce of formula, and some (certainly not all) really seem to enjoy making that fact very known. They should be proud, but sometimes comments cross the line. Formula-feeding mothers are referred to as “lazy”, “selfish”, “lame”, “stupid”, “irresponsible” and worse. I’m not pulling this from my own imagination; I am a member of many natural parenting groups and have seen all of these accusations in the last month.
 I won’t dispute things like this are said, just like some non breastfeeders will openly state they think “breastfeeding is disgusting”, “women who do it are perverts” or “too attached to their child”. Is this all non breastfeeders? No and it would be silly to suggest it was. There will always be the gang of school bullies in the playground or the gossips over the fence But are these people “lactivists” as a group?
No, No, No, No, No!
What is a Lactivist?
I googled this and here is a good round up of what I believe a Lactivist to be:
Lactivism (portmanteau of “lactation” and “activism”) is a term used to describe the advocacy of breastfeeding.Harmon, Amy. (June 7, 2005). “.” The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2007. ..
“I believe anyone who believes in, supports and promotes breastfeeding and the value it provides to mother, who fights the good fight to enable women to MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE when it comes to breastfeeding (e.g. safely breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding education, access to help, not having formula shoved down your throat at the hospital, etc) makes you a lactivist. In other words, it’s not just about how far you yourself go, it’s also about enabling women everywhere.”
For me, lactivism is about supporting the legal rights of mothers to breastfeed where and when they want, for as long as they want, and it’s about making sure people are educated on the subject so that they can make informed choices which are right and healthy for their family. I don’t think an individual’s ability to breastfeed, or the length of time that they do it, has anything to do with whether a person can be a breastfeeding advocate.
I think a “lactivist” is someone who actively works to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding.
Is calling non breastfeeding mothers “lazy”, “selfish”, “lame”, “stupid”, “irresponsible” and worse, in anyway fulfilling the criteria above? Is it aligned with the role of a lactivist at all? No. As has been pointed out this is actually harmful to breastfeeding advocacy and doing nothing to educate or support breastfeeding? One could argue to advocate for something you have to fully understand it, and anyone who fully understands the politics of breastfeeding – wouldn’t say the statements above!
 “Acts of lactivism” I’ve observed recently include: writing to a supermarket that their leaflet was factually incorrect, reporting breaches of the laws surrounding the promotion and sale of infant formula, supporting a mother’s right to express at work if she wants to or even telling Facebook, “Hey breastfeeding is not obscene!” They don’t include telling a mother who finds beetles in her baby milk that it’s her own fault for not breastfeeding?! That’s like saying if you find a roach in your meal in a restaurant, it’s your own fault for eating out! Utterly ridiculous.
Whilst many of the women who say the above things may not have ever used formula, just like the other movements mentioned most Lactivists have either a) had to use some formula, or express and supplement at least in the shorterm, b) had a really hard time breastfeeding and feels passionate others get better support, c) have worked in a role that led to them witnessing the poor care of mothers and/or learning a lot about breastfeeding or d) have learnt about breastfeeding and it’s barriers and have a feminist streak so want to empower others. The most passionate women are those who have endured something, or observed it, got through it and want to help others.
A true lactivist does not seek to demonise women, but to empower and support those who need help. To present accurate, unbiased, unjudgmental information on which parents can make a truly informed choice. Yes we fight the myths and yes many of us feel a need to point out information is wrong when it is. But most of us understand the myriad of factors that influence breastfeeding choices and chance of success – and we work damn hard in a system that promotes breastfeeding so often, yet values it so little.
Please next time give women who make comments such as the above a different title, don’t demonise the Lactivist. Without Lactivists there would be no Baby Friendly accredited hospitals, no breastfeeding support organisations, helpines or volunteer drop in groups – and definitely no online breastfeeding resources not sponsored by formula manufacturers or the government.
If you believe lactivism is about true breastfeeding advocacy, please share this article.
By Lisa Lactivist, on December 8th, 2010 This is so funny! And rather scary too.
It is from the Dou-La-La blog – “Birth advocate, postpartum doula, childbirth educator and birth doula-in-training, eventual lactation consultant, gradually gravitating towards midwifery itself”.
http://dou-la-la.blogspot.com/2010/09/breast-is-best-sponsored-by-simfamil.html
INT: STERLING COOPER DRAPER PRYCE, DON DRAPER’s OFFICE. PEGGY OLSON and PETE CAMPBELL sit expectantly on the sofa, an easel bearing the Simfamil logo and a photo of a smiling baby next to them. A box with canisters of various brands of formula is on the floor.
Enter a typically taciturn DON. He glances at the easel and continues to the liquor cabinet without breaking stride, pours himself a scotch, then turns his attention to the pair on the sofa. DON remains standing.
DON
I’m not sure why this took 2 weeks. This should have come easily to you, Peggy.
DON
Just tell me what you have.
PEGGY
(takes a moment to square her shoulders, then continues)
This has been trickier than you might think. We’ve been reviewing the latest improvements by Simfamil as well as the improvements to formula made by competing brands and -
DON
Competing brands don’t matter.
PETE
(leans forward)
What? What do you mean?
DON
The other brands aren’t the problem we have to worry about. That part’s easy.
PETE
(huffily)
Listen Don, I’ve worked long and hard to get us this account. Simfamil is not going to want to hear that Enfilac isn’t a threat that we take seriously. The market data shows that coupons and sampl-
DON
Enfilac, Simfamil, Nestle, their strategies have all been the same. Look at this.
(He grabs a one canister after another out of the box, reading their labels aloud, then tossing them aside.)
“More like mother’s milk”. “The closest thing to mother’s milk.” “Now with more of the same ingredients found in breast milk”. They’re all vying to make their product more like breast milk than any other brand. What’s the problem with that, Peggy?
PEGGY
(thoughtfully)
Well, because there’s just no comparison with breast milk. We’ve looked at all the research, and the brand never matters. Formula just can’t measure up, no matter what brand. So . . . (she gestures at the discarded canisters) . . . how do we set Simfamil apart from them?
PETE
(enthusiastically)
A new package design? Some prettier, younger models as the mothers?
DON
We take on breastfeeding itself.
PEGGY
But you just sai . . . didn’t we just say there’s no comparison to breastmilk?
DON
There isn’t. Formula can’t compete with breast milk. We can’t fight the research and mothers know this. Almost every mother in America wants to breastfeed. There’s no suppressing the truth. Women know that breastfeeding is best. So we’re not going to argue with that.
PEGGY and PETE look at each other silently. DON tosses back the rest of his drink and pours another.
PEGGY
I give up. You don’t want to promote the new ingredients of Simfamil. Are you saying we should try to find research that makes it look like formula is better?
PETE
We’ve tried. It doesn’t exist. (PEGGY nods.)
PEGGY
So what do we do?
DON
We promote breastfeeding.
PETE
What?
(He goes to the liquor cabinet and pours himself his own drink, gesticulating)
I can’t believe you’re not taking this seriously. This account is one of the biggest we’ve ever had a shot at! With everything I’ve gone through with my father-in-law and losing the -
DON
Breast . . . is best.
PEGGY looks incredulous, then seems to start thinking. DON walks over to the easel and rips down the poster with the logo and baby on it, and writes “Breast is best” on the blank sheet underneath.
DON
(continues)
The research says so, doctors say so, there’s no arguing it. And if we attack breastfeeding itself, it backfires, because the facts are the facts, and that makes us not only the bad guys, but liars too. What does the word “Best” imply?
PEGGY listens intently, then starts to write.
DON
Best. Perfect. Ideal. They all have one thing in common. They’re impossible. Unattainable. There is no such thing.
PEGGY
(catching on)
Women may dream of being perfect mothers, but they know it’s just a dream. So if breastfeeding is perfect, we need to give them permission to be imperfect. Not just permission, but encourage them to be imperfect.
DON
Exactly. So how do we get them from understanding that breast is best to buying formula?
PEGGY
We hire our own experts.
PETE
AHA! Actors pretending to be breastfeeding experts who will say that formula is better! I get it.
PEGGY
No, no, not at all. We hire real experts. And we set up our own hotlines for women to call when things go wrong, and promote those hotlines. And we sponsor information that’s given out by doctors themselves, too.
DON lights a Chesterfield. A confused PETE shakes his head and shrugs helplessly, sitting back on the couch.
PEGGY
(building momentum)
And we make up pamphlets and other resources that look like they’re designed to help moms with all the problems that mothers are likely to encounter, emphasizing how many things can go wrong. We focus the whole campaign on helping women navigate the terrible, perilous, grim experience that breastfeeding is likely to be. We mention every single thing we can think of: Sleep deprivation, slow weight gain, cracked and bloody nipples, [PETE winces] how hard it is to nurse in public and how hard it is to have to stay home instead, and on and on. We’re the good guys, we’re just trying to help – it’s not our fault that breastfeeding is so difficult and unpleasant. We look altruistic and supportive – we’re not trying to get women not to breastfeed, we’re just here to support them in case it doesn’t work out.
PETE
(lightbulb finally going off, however dimly)
And then we make sure it doesn’t work out. What about that part of it?
DON
The information we give. Do we give out accurate information?
PEGGY
Some of it is, and some of it isn’t. Little things that undermine breastfeeding, subtle things, things that will jeopardize her supply. Like telling her to never nurse a newborn more than 15 minutes at a time, for example. and saying that frequent feedings for a newborn are 3 to 4 hours apart. The mom will be lucky if her supply ever comes in at all, and when it doesn’t, she’ll just think something was wrong with her. Because she’s not perfect – and that’s okay.
DON
And then we swoop in to save the day.
The three look satisfied. PETE and PEGGY stand.
DON
Come up with a new slogan by the time we meet with Simfamil tomorrow.
PEGGY
I’ll have it by the end of the day, actually.
(She exits. PETE follows behind.)
PETE
(turning back for a last word, hand on the doorknob)
Bert Cooper is going to think you’ve gone off the deep end, you know.
DON
He’s thought so before. He always gets used to it.
PETE raises his eyebrows, shakes his head and exits. DON goes behind his desk, puts out his cigarette, and reaches for the phone.
CUT TO: INT: JOAN HOLLOWAY’s office. She picks up the ringing phone.
JOAN
Yes, Don? . . . Of course I have the best . . . Model them? . . . In your office? Now? . . . You’re lucky I’m such a liberated woman, you know. I’ll have your secretary hold your calls.
ZOOM IN to her cleavage, then FADE to black.
By Lisa Lactivist, on October 6th, 2010
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(this image has been authorised by Wendy Austin
for free use and by Wendy Austin’s management
and uploaded by Austenlennon~
Austenlennon 17:15, 6 October 2007 (UTC)
austenlennon with full permissions.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wendy_austin.jpg) |
Some of you will have seen a link on the DBM Facebook page to an item which was broadcast last week on Radio Ulster concerning breastfeeding. The programme is presented by Wendy Austin.
A DBM member brought it to my attention and I have made a complaint to the BBC via their website. The complaint that I sent is copied below.
During the course of the programme the tone was very negative in regards to breastfeeding, and the language used by the presenter was offensive, seeming to label breastfeeding advocates ‘breastfeeding gestapo’ on more than one occasion. Northern Ireland has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the United Kingdom, and despite valiant efforts in some quarters, only a tiny minority of mothers breastfeed. With local press coverage like this, it’s not hard to see why.
If anyone else wishes to make a similar complaint you can do so (fairly quickly!) here, or if you’d like to hear the broadcast (it’s only available online until Friday so you’ve got to be quick!) the link is here. You need to scroll to about 42 minutes in & the piece lasts about ten minutes in total.
I’m writing to express my concern about an item broadcast last Friday as part of your ‘Talkback’ programme with Wendy Austin.
I feel that the section regarding breastfeeding failed to present a balanced range of opinions and not only represented breastfeeding unfairly, but also cause offenced to breastfeeding advocates in the community by repeated use of the words ‘breastfeeding gestapo’ and ‘mafia’. The programme link is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00twxhw/Talkback_01_10_2010/ and the section to which I refer starts at about 42 minutes in.
Several people were interviewed during the course of the item. None of them had (apparently) any breastfeeding training or represented the breastfeeding community. I also feel that it failed to acknowledge or discuss any of the efforts being made to SUPPORT mothers in our communities – much of which is done on a voluntary basis.
During the course of the discussion it became clear to me that the presenter had an agenda which was fairly ‘anti’ breastfeeding and despite the fact that several of the commentators called breastfeeding ‘best’ they then went to to simply discuss negatives. Many mothers do face difficulties, but most of these can be overcome swiftly with access to good support and many mothers (myself included) continue to enjoy a happy nursing relationship, a good social life and work too! I am sure it would have been possible to approach breastfeeding mothers for an alternative viewpoint if you had wanted to. For the presented to invite ‘members of the breastfeeding gestapo’ to ring in a put their points of view was simply offensive – who was going to call in when that was the agenda?
There was much discussion about the ‘inconvenience’ of breastfeeding, and none about the dangers related to formula feeding and the inconvenience that can bring. There was no discussion about mother’s rights in the workplace with regards to lactation breaks and expressing which many mothers would have found very helpful I’m sure.
I also feel that new mothers who might be considering breastfeeding (which is in fact not the ‘best’ but simply the ‘normal’ way to feed a human baby!) might have been put-off by the very negative attitude of the guests and the presenter. This has health implications for both them and their babies.
In regard to the programmes obligations under the broadcasting code, I feel that there were a few areas where issue can be taken.
Firstly, section 2:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code/harmoffence/
2.3 In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context (see meaning of “context” below). Such material may include, but is not limited to, offensive language, violence, sex, sexual violence, humiliation, distress, violation of human dignity, discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race, religion, beliefs and sexual orientation). Appropriate information should also be broadcast where it would assist in avoiding or minimising offence.
I feel that the use of the word ‘breastfeeding gestapo’ on at least two occasions constitutes offensive language, and that appropriate information to balance the discussion was not presented. This could have been in the form of a proper contribution from a breastfeeding mother with a positive story of her breastfeeding experience (not simply the short voxpops at the start!) and by having a healthcare professional give correct information in relation to the subject being discussed. No-one was there to challenge the use of the offensive terms, and asking members of the ‘breastfeeding gestapo’ to phone in does not, in my view, enhance fairness.
In addition, I believe that section 5 of the code was also not adhered to:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code/impartiality/
5.9 Presenters and reporters (with the exception of news presenters and reporters in news programmes), presenters of “personal view” or “authored” programmes or items, and chairs of discussion programmes may express their own views on matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public policy. However, alternative viewpoints must be adequately represented either in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole. Additionally, presenters must not use the advantage of regular appearances to promote their views in a way that compromises the requirement for due impartiality. Presenter phone-ins must encourage and must not exclude alternative views.
I do not feel the programme represented a range of views. I feel a very one-sided agenda was persued. Wendy Austin’s use of demeaning language did not invite alternative views.
5.10 A personal view or authored programme or item must be clearly signalled to the audience at the outset. This is a minimum requirement and may not be sufficient in all circumstances. (Personality phone-in hosts on radio are exempted from this provision unless their personal view status is unclear.)
Wendy Austin did not state clearly her opinion on the subject although it could be argued that it became apparrent as the programme progressed both through her ‘leading’ the guests and her choice of words. She did not appear, to me, to be impartial.
If BBCNI wish to redress the balance I suggest there are a number of places they could start.
First of all, you might wish to do another piece, this time showing the alternative viewpoint.
I think in the interests of fairness you might involve other representatives from the community onboard to give their experiences. You will find that not everyone has a negative breastfeeding experience to relate.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
‘Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths’ Project
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