Yesterday I went to the UPS store to mail a double breast pump and breastfeeding loot to a local friend, and also the infamous TIME issue to a friend in Spain who never could find a copy and wanted to read the article.
I tried to hide the cover until I had to give it to the postman to mail. He picked it up and weighed it while Aram walked up to read the numbers on the scale. The man saw the cover of the magazine had been written on (I had crossed out the “Mom Enough” tagline and wrote a funny note to my friend) and looked up at Aram, starting to put things together. “Hey, this is you!” He said to Aram. He looked up at me. “This is you, too?…You look a lot older in this picture, I don’t mean that in a bad way.” Drat, we had been discovered. “Yes, that’s us,” I said, now starting to second guess my decision to go to the store without makeup on.
I wasn’t expecting the conversation that followed. The UPS man went on to tell me he was from a rural area of Pakistan, and how normal public breastfeeding was in his culture. He said women will cover up head to toe, but expose their breasts to feed their babies. He explained he was a practicing Muslim and Islamic law suggests that breastfeeding should go on for two years, and most of the women in his village breastfeed even longer. He then went on to quote the Quran and referred to different lines speaking specifically about breastmilk.
I left thinking how cool it was that public breastfeeding conversations were still happening. I would have never expected the Pakistani UPS store owner with the scar down his face (along with a scowl I see every time I go in there) to brighten up when the topic of breastfeeding came up. Everyone in line behind me got an ear full from both of us about why breastfeeding past infancy was natural, not immodest, and the normal practice in many countries around the world.
And in lots of countries, breastfeeding regresses.
In another post a Chinese woman was writing how normal it is in China. Most people think in China , people are breastfeeding. Wrong.
My husband is Chinese , we live in Beijing, when I gave birth at the Chinese hospital , I was the only one giving birth naturally , everybody else was having a cesarean and the other women waiting in the recuperation room were surprised that my daughter was already on my breast. As soon as I gave birth I left and came back for the first baby visit. In the waiting room, only 2 babies were breastfed. I was looking at the newborns parents trying to prepare the milk as fast as possible, water for the powdered milk too hot or too cold. My milk was always at the perfect temperature.
When we went to the village in his province , the other babies were bottle fed, the parents were paying big money for powdered milk thinking it was higher quality. When there was the scandal for the melamine contaminated milk I was saddened by the whole situation but happy that my one year and a half daughter was breastfed.
In the hospital rooms the advertising on the wall and the tv constantly tell you how wonderful is powdered cow milk.
In each supermarket I go to , the powdered milk, imported , is big business they even have employees standing up there to give toys and baby things to the buyers.
Breastfeeding past 6 months , one year, I see it very rarely. When I do see it, it is from the international community or from the migrants, workers from outside the big city , from the villages , who comes to work here.
Yes! Sierra Leone is another great example of that. Highest infant mortality rate in the world now that breastfeeding is considered taboo. It interesting, when western marketing makes its way into cultures known for their health and vitality the mortality rates and health problems go up. Remember the health statistics that came out about Japan after McDonalds came to the country? I’ll have to go look for it, but it was pretty scary. I’m with Michael Pollan, he is about eating a well balanced natural indigenous diet to the area you live in. It’s scary how we are trying to manipulate nature all to make money. I don’t have anything against formula feeding, but I do not trust formula companies and that is what bothers me so much- I understand the importance of formula and how it is a wonderful invention, but I hate how the companies are exploiting families to get rich. Bob Marley was quoted saying he wasn’t fooled by the structure and deceitfulness in some “Western Ways” referring to money and politics. I think we do a lot of things right, but our nutrition and self-righteousness is not working out well for us.
Alhamduli’llah! I am a Muslim and currently breastfeeding my 19 month old daughter. What a wonderful meeting for you both! It has truly been a blessing for me that the WHO and the Qur’an are in agreement regarding breastfeeding . And I love that a normally stoic looking man brightened up like that sharing stories of breastfeeding in his homeland. fantastic!
Hey Erica! I was thinking about how in-line WHO recommendations are with ancient spiritual writing. The tools were given to us long ago and finally science is catching up to confirm what some have known all along.
Great story–thanks for sharing, Jamie Lynne. How nice to hear of breastfeeding being so accepted and normal in that village in Pakistan.
Lilly Rose, your story about the situation in China is such a sad contrast to the picture the Pakistani UPS store owner painted. THAT is exactly why I believe it is so important to boycott Nestle AND explain why to all and sundry–even those who don’t want to hear it, and equally important to do all we can to educate the world about the many many natural benefits of breastfeeding and the perils of falling prey to formula companies’ harmful practices.
I think the problem is that formula and disposable diapers are seen as luxuries and if you use them, it is a point of pride, a sign that you are wealthy, in a lot of countries. Kind of the opposite here where if you use cloth diapers and breastfeed, then you must be wealthy enough to afford those luxuries and the time commitments that they take. I love that countries where women are ‘covered’ are such strong supporters of breastfeeding, even in public.
I love this!
I’m currently breastfeeding my almost-2-year-old son, and will continue to until we bring home our daughter from Ethiopia.
When I was a little girl we lived in India. The women there aren’t allowed to show their shoulders or their ankles, but breastfeed in public without shame. You’d see these beautiful women in saris walking through the marketplace, freely nursing a little one (or a toddler).
I may remember incorrectly, but didn’t the population explosion in India happen after formula started being imported in high amounts? Aside from problems with using contaminated water to prepare formula, and watering it down, I’d imagine this would also eliminate natural child-spacing. Traditionally children were breastfed until they were 5 years old – and children were spaced accordingly. Now a mother often has 1 baby each year (many don’t survive).
The unsuspecting breastfeeding advocate (the UPS guy). LOVE!
That is so funny! You just never know what is going to happen at the UPS store I guess.
Love the picture of the woman with head covered and nipple out.
Love this story! I had a similar experience earlier this year when we took our son to the United Arab Emirates. We were at a zoo and there was a Sudanese family sitting behind us on the tram. They had a 10 month old baby and they noticed Milo (6 months at the time) had teeth, their baby did not. This led the father of the family to ask me if I breastfeed. I thought it was a little strange for him to ask, but I said that I still do. And he said, “That is good, it is advisable to breast feed for at least 18 months -2 years…and exclusively for the first 6 months!” He then told me he is a doctor in Sudan. I was so happy to hear a Sudanese doctor is giving such great breastfeeding advise!
Hmm, we need more docs like him here! My OB/GYN, who I didn’t particularly like to be honest, said at my post-partum check-up to breastfeed as long as I want to, but I may have to stop when he goes to college. LOL! It’s always a pleasant surprise to hear that kind of support when you’re not expecting it!
Jamie this is a very valuable discussion.
Until recently i had no idea how enormous the black market is for baby formula, it is huge!
Business people actually form companies to take advantage of this black market too.
They produce infant formula, put it on our shelves for legitimacy, but really aim to sell large quantities to the black market, China namely, where apparently this is huge.
But who knows what on earth they are mixing into it? Because ultimately they repackage the formula to sell in China, & they would want it to go as far as they can, so who knows what is added, I shudder at the thought!
Recently I spoke with a baby formula producer in NZ who told us that he was only aiming for the Chinese black market & they have no intention selling to mum’s & dad’s.
He told us that all baby formula manufacturers know this is their biggest money source; & he told us a story about a man of eastern descent who went into a store in Australia & dropped $5 million in one purchase! All on baby formula which was all destined for China. CASH not credit!
Now I don’t get out much, but if I hear about this sort of thing, I can only imagine how enormous this path of lies & deceit is. Baby’s have just become such “big business” now that there is just too much money to be made from it, ergo it attracting shady deals unfortunately.
So yes, Breast Is Best (where possible)!
But goodness me, if i ever have to use formula I don’t know what I would do! Who knows what to trust?
This post made me smile. My daughter is almost 13 months old and i will be going back to work from summer break tomorrow. I plan to continue nursing her when we are together this year. I get nervous sometimes when the topic of my still breastfeeding her comes up, but am pleasantly surprised when people say that they did too or that they had wanted to but had to wean for some reason or another. Whenever I feel a little doubtful or lost about going against the mainstream on this aspect of parenting, I think of you and that magazine. I was pumping at work when I saw it, and when I realized that a picture of a mother breastfeeding was going to be seen by so many people in America it brought the biggest smile to my face. Thank you for the encouragement.
Great story! I’m glad good things are continuing to come out of the Time cover. I really felt for you and your family during the ridiculous firestorm.
A friend of mine (half-American/half-Icelandic) grew up in Saudia Arabia. She was so impressed by how breastfeeding was a non-issue there. Women just did it, it was expected and that was that. I was about to have my third child (EBF) when we were chatting about it and I was thrilled just to be overseas as I knew from personal experience that NIP was not the issue there that it was in the States. So, if this IS the case, why is it so hard for folks in the U.S.? I just don’t get why we can be so prudish about this one topic!
I’m a french born, living in the Philippines with a Fiipino. My daughter is 6 months and breastfed. Everywhere in the hospital in the Philippines, it is said breastfeeding is the best. But I was surprised to see how small is the percentage of women that are actually breastfeeding.
I’m lucky my boyfriend is very supportive and think it’s the best for our princess. And i’m lucky to be surrounded by a group of friends who are all breastfeeding as well. All of us (around 10 girls) gave birth between 2010 and 2012. All friends before, becoming breastfeeding mums at the same time!!! Instead of meeting around a drink, we’ll meet a couple of times a week to catch up, chat and breastfeed all while talking.
Right now, i’m in France for a holiday in my parents’ and my mum (who didn’t breastfed me) thought it was great that I was breastfeeding but was surprised I wasn’t ready to stop after my daughter’s 6 months.. I guess there’s still a long process of education to do around us!
This post made me so happy.