Check out this article published this week in the NY Times. How is the theme of this article similar to what Suzanne Zhang Gottschang posits in “Maternal Bodies, Breast-feeding, and Consumer Desire in Urban China?”
Check out this article published this week in the NY Times. How is the theme of this article similar to what Suzanne Zhang Gottschang posits in “Maternal Bodies, Breast-feeding, and Consumer Desire in Urban China?”
Breastfeeding. Hum yummy for the babies and exhausting for the moms. There are so many social beliefs that surround the breastfeeding ideology that eventually, some women are socially being “forced†to breastfeed their children. Those who do not generally find themselves under enormous social critics even though many places here in the U.S. do not allow women to breastfeed in public. Some women are so desperate that they are purchasing gadgets that help them with breastfeeding such as breast pumps etc…
When reading the article “sucker†I was confused about the mother describing her feelings towards breastfeeding. She seemed tired of it but then happy at the same time and did not want to succumb to using a breast pump instead of feeding her baby “right from the sourceâ€. I have experienced my cousin breastfeeding her baby in the middle of the night and was forced to do it even though she was falling asleep. From my experiences breastfeeding looks painful and annoying to a point where I will probably refuse to do it; I refuse to have a baby sucking my nipples. Oh yeah, some people may question the fact that many women get their nipples sucked anyways and if its saving or feeding nutrients to your baby’s life then it should be done. I would respond that my nipples being sucked by someone other than a baby brings pleasure, not pain and annoyance. But hey who knows, I might reconsider, after all, views are changed all the time especially after a dramatic change like giving birth. So this leads to the question and issues about being a good mother or not by breastfeeding your baby.
Breastfeeding is so traditional and socially accepted that women are seen as evil or bad mothers if they refuse to do it. However breast milk has been seen as a nutritional need for infants especially in places or low income households where proper nutrition is limited. Breast milk is so important that it has been promoted in by organizations throughout the world. These organizations use education as part of their program.
In “Being a godmother†article, it was explained why some women have changed their views about whether to breastfeed their infant or not. Some women’s decisions are influenced by family members or close relationships. Women everywhere have had many different experiences when it comes to breastfeeding. I thought it was funny when a woman compared herself to a cow because her breast was grabbed and put in her baby’s mouth. The articles were very interesting because of the fact that the women had so many diverse opinions about breastfeeding.
I really appreciated the Huber article “Sucker†placed in with the other readings because it spoke about many of the frustrations with breast-feeding that I have found not to be discussed openly in society today since there is a strong emphasis on breast is best. The notion that every child and mother is different I found to be a particularly needed viewpoint.
I was breastfed up till a year old when everyone told my mother that she had to stop breastfeeding because of my age, something that is interestingly highly debated today. As a young baby I had a rash all over my face that numerous physicians were not able to diagnose. Finally my mother went to a doctor who was trained in more holistic medicine in India and who had also been “re-trained†in the states when she moved here so that she could continue practicing. This doctor took one look at my and evidently told my mother not to drink cow’s milk while breastfeeding me. This worked and the rash was soon gone because my mother restricted cow’s milk from HER diet. Other doctors did not catch this because I was allergic to the milk protein only when it was given to be through breast milk. I have always been able to drink cow’s milk and am NOT lactose-intolerant.
When my sister was born my mother attempted to breastfeed her just as she had breastfed me. However, she claims that my sister did not want to breastfeed as I had and within 5 months she had stopped breastfeeding my sister altogether. After reading the Wayland study about infant agency in breastfeeding I thought of the very different experiences that my mother claims to have had with both of us. My mother was staying at home during the time that my sister was breastfeeding however, she was working full time during a large amount of the time that I was breastfeeding. It is interesting to note that while breastfeeding in theory would have been much easier to do with my sister, since she was at home with her, it was me that was breastfed extensively because I evidently took better to it and “wanted†to breastfeed. In order to continue to breastfeed me once my mother had returned to work she had to find an office and go in periodically with pictures of me in order to pump milk so that I could have breast milk during the day when she worked. I believe that this personal experience really puts into light the notion of infant agency and the idea that breastfeeding is different not just for different people but maybe also for different babies.
This week’s readings brought up a topic that has been discussed in society. There breast feeding is a personal decision made by the women, but there are ups and downs to both sides of this topic. Breast feeding can be painful and the woman needs to feel comfortable feeding in any situation. Sometimes it is not only the decision of the woman, but she can be influenced by friends and family on whether or not she should breast feed. This can make people feel uncomfortable, but there are also good things that can come out of breast feeding.
On the bright side breast feeding an infant provides nutrients that help build their immune systems. Breast feeding is good for the child, but on the other hand there are many critics that accuse women of being bad mothers if they do not breast feed. I come from a family that is mixed. I have aunts that breast feed, and I have relatives that do not breast feed. I have talked to them about it and the ones that did breast feed say that there is a lot of pain, and that they used to get strange looks from people if they were to breast feed in public. From the relatives that did not breast feed they said that they felt they had the freedom to feed their child whenever they felt the child was hungry.
Breast feeding has been in our cultures for centuries, and it has been accepted by all cultures. But on the other hand there has been a great deal of change in recent years, and more mothers are not breast feeding because they may feel that they are making others uncomfortable. At the end of the day breast feeing is good for the child and that is all that matters.