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This week, something to read, and something just to look at.
Lisa Girion - Childbirth: Can the U.S. improve?
Such an wonderfully rich article on the cesarean plague facing this country. Most articles like this (and there have been quite a few lately) seem to take the luke-warm, way-too-diplomatic approach. This article offers the unabashed truth, and it even contains quotes from doctors finally waking up and smelling the post-operative stench. Perhaps change is afoot? And with the medical professionals finally admitting that there is a disturbing cesarean rate in this country, I would just like to offer a hearty “I freaking told you so” to those who didn’t believe me. I can only hope that the insurance companies and legislators listen to these doctors.
Is this really Breastfeeding Support? Why I think this is a big Mothering Magazine Fail.
Based on the crickets I heard when I brought this issue up on Twitter, I have deduced that either I’m reading too much into this, or none of the folks in my circle of naturalists would dare say a bad word against their precious Mothering Magazine. But these photos tell a totally hypocritical story to me. This is a page dedicated to photos of the official international breastfeeding symbol being used to denote “breastfeeding friendly” establishments. So, there’s a symbol in a restaurant window. Awesome. And there’s a symbol framed on a fancy luncheon table. Super. Wonderful use of the symbol.
But, the symbol posted on the door of a “Mother’s Room” in an airport, with the caption “To obtain key, please see the Travelers Assistance Booth across from Gate C12” – yeah, not a great use of that symbol if you ask me. So, what this sign is REALLY saying is “No, you should not be breastfeeding wherever it is convenient for you. Instead, you need to drag your baby to Gate C12, wherever that is, and get a key to enter this room so you can hide away that dirty, dirty breastfeeding you plan on doing.” If I were the owner of the breastfeeding symbol, this is NOT how I would want it used. There are also several other photos of the symbol being used to denote a nursing station of some kind.
Perhaps I’m overreacting, but I see this as a Mothering Magazine fail. They’re congratulating facilities that use the breastfeeding symbol to relegate women to makeshift bathrooms and other hiding places, instead of using the symbol to demonstrate that breastfeeding mothers are free to nurse wherever they choose. Eh. It just chaps my hide a bit. Please, tell me your thoughts on this.
That’s all for this week. Enjoy!
