I'm Sorry, Can You Tell Me Again Why You Were Told to Stop Breastfeeding?
Can you repeat that? I am certain I didn't hear it correctly. They told you to stop breastfeeding because of what? You were told not to breastfeed because (insert potentially bad outcome here)?!
Ok, let's start with this: this is not your fault. If you and your baby have been the victim of poor breastfeeding information and advice, I highly recommend you visit the website www.bestforbabes.com right now for some serious and important support. You will feel better after reading their incredibly compassionate truths about how women and babies are victimized by The Booby Traps© in our culture and society.
Are you back? Good. Let's talk about the true contraindications to breastfeeding (the evidence-based, real-life situations in which breastfeeding is actually NOT recommended by health organizations.) In the U.S., the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have put forth the following list of contraindications to breastfeeding based upon the best available evidence:
- Infant : Galactosemia - a rare genetic disorder which is diagnosed through newborn screening
- Mother: HIV + (in the U.S.)
- Mother: Human T-Lymphotrohic Virus Type I or II
- Mother: Active Herpes Lesion on breast which would come into contact with baby's mouth during feeding or pump parts during pumping
- Mother: Therapeutic dose of radiopharmaceutical medication such as chemotherapy for cancer
- Mother: Untreated tuberculosis (until treated for 14 days, then not contraindicated) or varicella (only if diagnosed within 5 days before and up to 48 hours after delivery; otherwise not contraindicated)
- Mother: Illegal drug use
That's it. (When we teach health professionals in our Basic Breastfeeding Management courses, we require them to memorize that list - it's the only thing they need to know by heart because it's that important.) Now think about all the reasons you've heard from mothers who were told to stop breastfeeding: temporary anesthesia, flu, diarrhea, pain medications, postpartum depression medications, premature baby, ill baby, mother has a fever, baby has a fever, baby with respiratory problems, baby not gaining enough weight, baby jaundiced, baby spitting up, baby with reflux, baby waking too often to feed during the night, nipple trauma, blood from nipple trauma, milk not rich enough, milk too rich, mom pregnant, baby too old for that, baby has teeth/can talk/can walk so shouldn't be breastfeeding, milk isn't nutritious "anymore," breastmilk doesn't have enough vitamins, mom tried to pump and nothing came out so she must not have any milk, can't mix breastmilk and formula at the same feeding, grandma didn't make milk so mom probably won't either, can't pump at work so might as well stop breastfeeding, mom is diabetic, baby has low blood sugar, mom has Hepatitis, mom is obese, mom is too skinny, mom doesn't eat a good diet, mom doesn't drink enough water/milk/tea, mom smokes, mom had a glass of wine, etc. This list could go on for a long time.
Mothers are told every day that breastfeeding is not important when they are discouraged from breastfeeding or encouraged to wean. There are hardly any true contraindications, so the real problem here is misinformation. Health professionals of all kinds are telling mothers that breastfeeding is not important when they give out incorrect information, when they perpetuate myths instead of evidence-based information, when they "pick and choose" the information THEY think mothers can handle, and when they simply guess at the right answer to a breastfeeding question because they don't want to seem uninformed.
It is MUCH WORSE to give out bad information about breastfeeding or to imply that it is not important than it is to say "Wow, I don't know, but here's how to get in touch with someone who can answer that question for you." It is unethical, it is unjust, and it causes premature weaning. Worst of all, it causes mothers to feel as if they did not have any control over when they chose to wean their babies. They didn't - someone told them they had to!
As an IBCLC, a healthcare professional who is specially trained to provide information, assistance, and support to breastfeeding mothers and babies, it pains me every time I hear someone share the reason they were *told* to stop breastfeeding. It's frustrating to hear mothers describe poor breastfeeding management practices which led to early weaning, but to hear that someone stopped breastfeeding because someone else did not take the time to find the right answer or refer to an IBCLC - that really gets to me.
You can help - encourage moms you know to seek qualified breastfeeding help if they are having problems and to attend support groups if they are breastfeeding well. Moms need connections with good breastfeeding support to prevent early and unnecessary weaning. If they receive poor information or advice, they need a reliable source of information which will help them make an informed decision about when to wean.
It's super-easy to find a local IBCLC - the websites www.ILCA.org and www.USLCA.org both contain Find A Lactation Consultant links. There's an app called LatchMe (available for Android and iOS.) Kellymom.com has a listing service for lactation support providers.
Copyright 2014 Christine Staricka, IBCLC, RLC, CCE