What We Really Need to Support Breastfeeding Moms in NYC
Posted October 10th, 2012 by Diana LimongiThis post originally appeared in the LadydeeLG blog.
Breastfeeding, while natural, is not easy, even if your kid does latch on. (Just like giving birth it hurts like a b*tch.) You have to deal with cracked and bleeding nipples, sometimes even mastitis. This is a lot to deal with when you are trying to figure out how to take care of a newborn, when your hormones are on a rollercoaster, when your feet are swollen, when your body has taken a beating… On top of all that, the city of NY wants to guilt women into breastfeeding? Mothers really don’t need one more thing to stress them out after giving birth.
When I saw the posters in subway cars announcing the benefits of breastfeeding (part of the Latch on NYC campaign), a few thoughts came to mind, but my main concern was this: There are not enough policies in place to protect breastfeeding mothers. You cannot encourage mothers to breastfeed when maternity leave is only 12 weeks (if you are lucky), when maternity leave is not paid (at least not by law), when employers are not willing to provide mothers with safe spaces to pump milk, and when society in general looks at a mother breastfeeding like she has three heads, like she is doing something out of this world (when in reality, it is the (second) most natural thing in the world.) Doctors recommend that babies are exclusively breastfed for 6 months; however, the policies surrounding maternity leave do not match these recommendations.
The NYC.gov website states: “Ninety percent (90%) of NYC mothers start breastfeeding. However, by the time the baby reaches two months, only 31% of NYC mothers are still exclusively breastfeeding.” This is not a coincidence. A lot of mothers have to go back to work after 12 weeks, or even less time. How can you, on one hand, tell a mother that it is best to breastfeed her baby for six months (“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life.”) yet on the other hand, there are no laws to support her in doing so? How can she do this when she has to go back to work 4, 6, 8 or 12 weeks after her baby is born?
I gave birth at a “baby friendly” hospital. Among other things, the hospital doesn’t have a nursery, babies room with mommy 24/7, and they encourage breastfeeding, so much so that formula was harder to get than pain medicine (a nurse actually made that joke). According to a nurse, formula was kept under lock and key. I don’t have statistics to know what the success rate of this hospital is, how many women who gave birth there continued to breastfeed their babies (and for how long), but I can share some insight on my experience. If you read my earlier blog, “My truth about breastfeeding” you know that I was never for or against it, it is something that just happened naturally: I was lucky, my son latched on, I produced enough milk, my employer was understanding and I was able to pump, and I was incredibly lucky to be able to breastfeed him for 15 months. (in case you’re wondering, NO, I still can’t believe it.) While I had a positive experience, largely in part to my son’s ability to latch on, many women around me were having a difficult time. The woman I shared a room with had a baby who could not latch on, and he cried, and she was frustrated to the point of tears (completely understandable). The hospital offered breastfeeding classes, and they too had women who were frustrated that their babies were not latching, that the milk hadn’t come in yet and that it hurt.
You cannot guilt someone into doing something, because then it will be done for the wrong reasons. Furthermore, breastfeeding is such a personal experience, and so much of it depends not only on the woman, but on the baby and on the environment. I have friends who were adamant on their desire to breastfeed, but their children would not latch on and they had to resort to formula. I, was not particularly inclined, but was just lucky it all worked out. I am sure that there are women who choose (for whatever reason, I am not judging) to give formula instead of breast milk. There are women who due to medical reasons, cannot breastfeed.
The bottom line is this: breastfeeding is a personal choice. The City of NY can launch a campaign to promote the benefits of breastfeeding but it should not make women feel guilty about choosing to not do it (or being unable to). It would have been best to back up the pro-breastfeeding campaign with laws that support mothers, (both “stay-at-home” moms and working mothers) and provide opportunities for breastfeeding to be easier. Here are a few things that could be done:
1. Designated spaces for pumping in the workplace and around the city
2. Lactation consultants COVERED BY INSURANCE and additional support for breastfeeding mothers.
3. Paid maternity leave that allows for at least six months’ time off work, plus a flexible schedule if you are a breastfeeding mother.
Investing money on good quality healthcare during pregnancy and in the first months of a child’s life can make a difference in the long run, to both mother and child. If for no other reason, the City should be on board with these ideas because in the long run, they will save money. Breastfeeding is a huge money saver, cheaper than formula, but it also has been linked to less allergies, infections, etc. Helping women establish breastfeed will in the end save money on healthcare costs. Women need to know that they have resources and support available to them, and that if they choose to breastfeed, there are policies in place to back them up, to protect their jobs, to help them get through.
To end on a happy note…here’s a thought: instead of offering women gift bags with formula, why isn’t there a gift bag with goodies that help breastfeeding mothers, such as: Lansinoh lanolin cream, vitamins, fenugreek, breastfeeding pillow, gel soothies for pain and discomfort, a reduced price certificate for a breast pump and breastfeeding book. Now…that’s a real goodie bag.
11 Comments
October 20, 2012 at 12:39 pm by SoniI have nursed my kids in front of reietlvas, in restaurants, at the street fair, in parks, and at church. BUT,I was always covered up. I threw a light-weight blanket over my shoulder extending down to cover the breast. At first I was worried the baby was getting to hot, but was told by a nurse that babies were used to warmth, being covered, etc I remember as a teenager having a distant relative just whip her breast out to her uncooperative daughter. I was embarrassed. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been, but I was. I decided not to subject others to this. There is still a way to feed a baby without showing the world what I’ve got. One last thing: my cousin, a pediatrician, stated that every day I should try to get a bottle of my milk frozen so that for days when I wasn’t home or would be out in public, I could give the baby a bottle rather than grapple with nursing. It was a wonderful suggestion and I used this for each of my kids. They are now grown and doing well in the world.
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October 10, 2012 at 11:15 pm by WendyI didn’t get past the first line, breast feeding hurts! It might hurt for some, but I found it to be pleasant and easy. It is convenient and if you are tired and disorganized after a birth, the breasts can make it easier. Some will have trouble but don’t let the first line of this message discourage you.
I breast fed everywhere and damn them all, I didn’t care. With my first two, I didn’t have an electric pump so I used a cheap hand pump. It wasn’t the best, but it worked. By the time my babies were about six months, I didn’t have to pump because milk production was down and my breasts would wait until I got home from work to “let down.” Hang in there. It’s cheaper than formula and you might really enjoy the experience.
I do believe insurance should cover lactation counseling and pumps. If this isn’t available, maybe the mothers in La Leche League could help with some free advice.
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Diana Limongi Reply:
October 11th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
hi Wendy,
i just wanted to clarify– that line was certainly not meant to discourage anyone! (apologies if that is what it sounded like!) Rather, I wanted to emphasize that it is not easy. I commend you if for you, it was, but for most moms I have met, at the hospital, in my circle of friends, online, etc, it is something that must be worked on, that takes time and patience to learn. Yes, after a month or so, it was easy for me, no more pain! But in the beginning I could not have done it alone, because it did not come naturally to me.
I also want to say that I do believe each woman is different. I have a friend who, like you, only used a manual pump, and got 8 ounces at every pumping session– me? i had to work hard to get all my ounces for the day (despite having an electric pump).
You are totally right about breastfeeding being easier than bottles, especially for those nighttime feedings! (like you, I am highly disorganized!)
The point that I wanted to make in this post was that, it is not enough to create a campaign and say “Breastfeeding is best” or to hide formula. Real policies need to support women, past the hospital, policies that support women who are working as well. Yes, we know breast is best, but the policies in place do not support women who want to breastfeed.
The Affordable Care Act certainly seems to be a step in the right direction, but here’s the thing– I bet a lot of women don’t know that these options exist. I am curious to know if this is something that doctors and hospitals are now fully promoting… “Did you know that lactation consultants are now covered by insurance?” or, “Did you know that Breast pumps are now covered by insurance?”
The only reason I was able to breastfeed for as long as I did, was because I had a friend who encouraged me every step of the way! When I was ready to give up, she held me hand and helped me through, and for that I will be eternally grateful to her. If she had not been there, I would not have been able to afford a lactation consultant. Having a great support system is key.
I did call a Breastfeeding Hotline once, and they did provide some guidance. I called the National Breastfeeding Helpline – 800-994-9662 (TDD 888-220-5446).
I also used Kellymom.com
Thanks for your comment!
Diana
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For those of you who might be unaware of the recent changes made in some city’s in NY, formula is, in fact, only given to new mothers after THE MOTHER DEMANDS it and GETS A STERN TALKING TO before she can have it to feed her baby. I have a friend who has recently been part of this nightmare. The mandate for this new campaign began September 3 and my friend had her baby September 4. Her experience in the NY hospital where she delivered was a nightmare in itself then, when she realized she was not making enough milk and her nipples began to bleed, the nurses in the hospital kept insisting that she “just keep trying”. Finally, one of the night staff nurses arrived and saw that one of her breasts was only dispensing blood and no milk she told her to give it a brake for a day and got her some formula. The formula feeding went well, baby and mommy were finally happy for the first time since birth. I was so appalled by this. The more research I do the madder this whole idea seems. Bloomberg says he is trying to nip childhood obesity but he is not only against formula, he is against bottle feeding of any kind, even pumped breast milk! Way to make a unsupported experience even harder on new mothers in the United States! The answer truly is changing the support in the USA, not dictating how a mother is able to feed her baby. Last but not least, how can any MAN dictate to a MOTHER that there can be no other options? I think Bloomberg is going to be facing some well deserved lawsuits. Please think of and support our NY first time mothers who are going through the hardest change in their lives and hope this breastfeed ONLY dictatorship ends soon!
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October 10, 2012 at 4:05 pm by AnayahThe point about paid leave is uber important! Ooh, and lactation rooms around the city is such a nice idea. I’ve seen some popping up in Harlem and Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. So, there are definitely people on the same page as you are.
think we should be careful to equate breastfeeding promotion with guilting mothers into the practice. Rather than distributing formula to families, whether they request it or not (which is free advertising), this initiative provides it for families that ask for it. It also includes support from lactation consultants – which are now covered by insurance due to the Affordable Care Act. Breast pumps are also included in ACA.
I’d also add that Latch On NYC is not a program unique to NYC. It is actually based on research that shows breastfeeding rates across race and class are leveled by a hospital following certain protocols. It’s from the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. This has been really helpful for providing support in NYC for families who are generally not given any information about breastfeeding and given formula with no conversation about breastfeeding or newborn nutrition.
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October 10, 2012 at 3:30 pm by Elisa BatistaThank you for this great post, Diana! I breastfed both my children, but I was struck by how unintuitive it was and how little support there was, even in my “baby friendly” hospital. I had to pay out-of-pocket to see a lactation consultant!
To really promote breastfeeding in this country, we really need to find ways to make it easier on new moms. This is a systematic issue, not a matter of “personal choice.”
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Diana Limongi Reply:
October 12th, 2012 at 11:32 am
@Elisa Batista,
hi Elisa, yes i really think support is critical. Like i said in my comment to someone else, without my support system i couldn’t have done it for as long as I did.
I looked in lactation consultants, and since I was on unpaid leave, I really could not afford an extra $115 for an in-home session (and, really who wants to schlep out with a newborn?) i couldn’t really afford the $100 for an office consult either! ha!
I am glad that now things will be different with the ACA. i hope new moms will know that this resource is available to them!!
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When California instituted family leave insurance that gave parents some sort of income during the first months of a child’s life – guess what? Breastfeeding rates increase by more than 50% for the mothers that used the family leave insurance.
Moms could afford to take the time to WORK at breastfeeding!
New York State could have family leave insurance too – see http://www.timetocareny.org/
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Elisa Batista Reply:
October 10th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
@Liz, I can’t agree more! I live in California and don’t know how working moms do it all with only 12 weeks of leave — or less!
Everyone should have the right to bond with their babies following a birth or adoption.
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Diana Limongi Reply:
October 11th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
hi Liz, thanks for your comment! I love that California is so progressive!
NY lawmakers need to get on it! It may seem as an “expense” but in reality, the benefits of breastfeeding may outweigh the so called “costs” since breastfed babies may suffer from less allergies, asthma and other ailments.
It has to be so disheartening for moms who really want to do it, but cannot because conditions are not optimal. If you cannot afford to take even 12 weeks off unpaid, or if you have to go back to work earlier, or if your employer doesn’t support you pumping at work (there are laws against that!)
If the doctor tells you the best thing for your baby is 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, but you can only be at home with your baby for half of that time (again, if you’re lucky!) clearly there is something wrong with our policies!
hopefully things will change! Forums like this can really help!
Thanks
Diana
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You are absolutely right about lactation consultants needing to be covered by insurance. I was lucky, ultimately, with both kids – they both were breastfed for an extended period, because it was right for all of us.
That said, my first son was 5 weeks early and had a really hard time latching on. He was healthy otherwise, but he had trouble. As a first time mom, it was tragic for me, as well. Thanks to my amazing lactation consultants, we were able to learn to pump, first feed through a tube on my finger, then a tube on my breast with a supplemental nursing system. Then he started nursing on hos own, but I got mastitis. There were enough troubles that I could understand why a woman wouldn’t want to breastfeed, but it was what I wanted to do and I was determined to do it.
But it cost so much money! Visits were so costly, especially the home visits. The breast pump also wasn’t covered by insurance. It would really make it easier if we could cover this.
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