One of the authors of Reclaiming Sex After Childbirth: the survival guide, Jodi Cleghorn has shared her story of cross nursing her friend's baby on Type-a-Mum. Her assistance during the first couple of weeks of her friends new motherhood got her friend through the hardest moments of establishing her own breastfeeding relationship with her child. Cleghorn writes:
"Those two weeks were enough to get things back on track Michelle and Kynan. It didn’t solve all of the breastfeeding issues but it got Michelle through the roughest period, when she was most vulnerable to turning to formula."
Michelle's story reminded me of my own early breastfeeding days. I know that if it weren't for my lactivist friends I would have compromised my newborn daughter's gut flora with artificial infant milk. Genuine support during those early breastfeeding days is truly priceless! Sadly the responsibility lies with new mothers themselves to ensure they set up a good breastfeeding support network for themselves. But many women don't realise what forms of support they are going to need until the time comes, or until it is too late. Cleghorn's insight on this particular issue is brilliant. She states:
"...[T]he failure of a mother to breastfeed should not a personal strike against her, rather a failure of the community as a whole to support her in this most precious and important of jobs."
If breastfeeding were valued as it should be, new mothers wouldn't have to ensure they have adequate breastfeeding support, our society would simply provide this! Prior to industrialisation and the mass production and marketing of artificial infant milk women had better breastfeeding support. Women grew up watching other women breastfeed, it was the norm. They learned from the women in their lives, and when they struggled they had a community of lactating women right there to help cross nurse while they perfected the art themselves, just as Cleghorn did for her friend.
While it saddens me that breastfeeding in the industrialised world is so under-appreciated to the extent that cross nursing is seen as unusual, it is heartening to read about Cleghorn's experience and to know that there are women out there who are offering this kind of support to other mothers.
While it saddens me that breastfeeding in the industrialised world is so under-appreciated to the extent that cross nursing is seen as unusual, it is heartening to read about Cleghorn's experience and to know that there are women out there who are offering this kind of support to other mothers.
You can read the full article here.
2 comments:
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for your mention of Jodis article about breastfeeding and for popping a link in for our ebook - Reclaim Sex after Childbirth. You are absolulty right - without genuine support in the early days - its all too easy to give up and to think that "you don't have enough milk" or "your body just isn't up to feeding" or other things people are fed.
Jodi is an icon - her selfless action meant so much to Michelle, to her family and to the breastfeeeding community.
Thanks again for your article. I'll follow your blog with interest now I know its round!
Hugs Annie - Co-writer of Reclaim and weekly columnist at TypeA Mom.
Hi Sarah ... thanks for mention of my article and sharing some of my words in your blog. I have to admit that it was a slightly narcistic moment where I goggled my name to see what was coming up and was thrilled to find your post.
I'm not sure about being an icon ... but I know that I had a close friend who was in need, who had made breastfeeding a priority. What I don't think I mention in the article is that Michelle said that milk for her son was one thing - but the belief I had in her, that she would breastfeed, was a gift the went beyond that breastmilk. It came at a time when all her friends and family were rallying behind the formula tin - wanting to ease her struggle without really understanding it.
I shall be back regularly and have just emailed the link to your placenta article to my sucessor at Down To Birth as they are currently working on an issue focusing on honouring the placenta.
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