Breastfeeding Touches Close to Heart

'Breast is Best'. But for what and how long?

They say ‘breast is best’ and America seems to agree, only, for the wrong reasons.

Examples?

Christina Hendricks being considered an asset for bringing viewership to Mad Men for her, well, assets.

Katy Perry being dropped from Sesame Street as complaints and comments sparked controversy, such as: "You can practically see her t---.. That's some wonderful children's programming."


Despite what most Americans’ think, though, the purpose of breasts is to nourish babies, not stimulate audiences or sell something [or oneself].


According the government the benefits of breastfeeding are to optimally nourish and protect babies from illness, as well as provide benefits to mothers by lowering certain health problems such as breast cancer and diabetes.


But even despite how highly acclaimed breasts are in American society—breast augmentation ranked among the top five surgical procedures for women last year—when it comes to actually breastfeeding, people are disgusted and many women opt for the less optimal choice, formula.

So it doesn’t help when extreme breastfeeding circulates in the media. A video on YouTube, titled ‘Breastfeeding… at 8’, for example, has accumulated over 28 million views to date.



The issue then becomes not whether a mother should breastfeed, but how long.

From a developmental viewpoint, psychologist Will Braun says,

"I think a child really needs to learn to develop the capacity to soothe oneself, the capacity to tolerate frustration. When a child is constantly given a breast, it might thwart that from happening."

Since all babies and mothers are different, no definitive time frame of how long one should breastfeed can rationally be set. So, like diet and most other things— go for moderation, avoid extreme. Zero breastmilk is extreme, as is 6, 7, 8 years.


Happy Healthy Juicy Breastfeeding, Yes! ..Like everything else, In Moderation.

But we are like cows, see..

Earlier this week, the Daily Mail UK revealed that Gisele Bundchen will don the cover of Harper's Bazaar UK September issue, along with tidbits from her interview. Their opinion about the supermodel is blatant, as the article's title reads: 'Smug mother Gisele Bundchen says there 'should be a law' forcing women to breastfeed for six months'.

The title targets Bundchen's comment:

'I think breastfeeding really helped. Some people here think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think, "Are you going to give chemical food to your child, when they are so little?" There should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months.'

Forget law, instead, what she got was worldwide backlash. To date, the article's post has accumulated nearly 700 very opinionated comments, the majority of which were not in support of the super glam, super rich, super married-to-Tom-Brady, super claims-an-easy-birthing, super rapid-baby-weight-loss mom's opinion. Shocker!

Ok, perhaps 'law' wasn't the best choice of words but readers are taking what she said a little too seriously and personally, and are missing the point. In line with what she said about diet during pregnancy, all she's doing is advocating breast milk/feeding, as nature intended. Shocker, I know! But it's true: breasts aren't just decor, props, things to grab, things to fill with silicone.. ..things to salivate over, perhaps.. if you're a baby sucking the milk out of the mammary glands which are contained within. And what about this milk?

From the Surgeon General's Perspective, 'Breast milk is the best source of infant nutrition.' According to the WHO,

'Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. A recent review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants.'

Is that to say everybody can breastfeed? and for that long? [Rhetorical questions] No and no. It's meant to convey though, that it's 'optimal', or favorable— as they say, 'breast is best'— for most women [hence 'population basis'] and, more importantly, people [men and women both], in the least, should be educated about it.

So, power to Bundchen for encouraging breastfeeding! because I don't think enough people with the power to influence do.

The article goes on to 'report':

'..Gisele's comments are at odds with the experience of other celebrity mothers.. Denise Van Outen, 36, recently admitted that she gave up breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter Betsy after less than a month, claiming she didn't like the idea of being spotted nursing in public. ..TV host Kate Garraway said she struggled with breastfeeding her daughter Darcey. 'After three weeks I certainly didn't feel sexy, I felt a bit like a milk cow who existed only to provide food for her child,' she said.'

Umm, Garraway? Case and point. Breasts ARE meant to provide food for children! Her child included. And we ARE like milk cows! Shocker! ..While it may be difficult to accept humans as anything less than higher beings, we are— like cows, pigs, goats, dogs, cats, horses, rats, etc.— all, commonly known as, mammals. And the fact that females can make food is a pretty cool thing, almost superpower-like. I don't understand why people, women especially, don't embrace the power of the bosom but are, instead, so against [and even embarrassed by] it. Moreover, how is drinking milk from one's own species more intolerable than drinking milk from another animal altogether? Just wondering..

In response to all the hubbub, Bundchen responded with this 'special message':

'My intention in making a comment about the importance of breastfeeding has nothing to do with the law. It comes from my passion and beliefs about children. Becoming a new mom has brought a lot of questions, I feel like I am in a constant search for answers on what might be the best for my child. It’s unfortunate that in an interview sometimes things can seem so black and white. I am sure if I would just be sitting talking about my experiences with other mothers, we would just be sharing opinions. I understand that everyone has their own experience and opinions and I am not here to judge. I believe that bringing a life into this world is the single most important thing a person can undertake and it can also be the most challenging. I think as mothers we are all just trying our best.'

So you see? Gisele isn't the boobie monster. All she wants is the best for children— hers and, yes, even yours. Is that really so bad? Those quick to judge need to, um, relax, then take some courses in, say, nutrition, anatomy & physiology, business [because that's what formula is produced out of], and perhaps anger management. A toast! To Mama's milk! from Mama herself!

Happy Healthy Juicy Bundchen Breasts! ..oops, I mean, Team Bundchen! Breastfeeding! Rah!