Breastfeeding Equality for a Healthier World

The decision to breastfeed is one that is very intimate and personal. While the practice has both physical and psychological benefits for both mothers and babies[1], there are factors that can stand in the way of a mother's ability to breastfeed exclusively.

Breastfeeding is the best source of food for infants, as the milk mothers produce contains nutrients and antibodies that help babies grow up healthy and strong. It's also the more economical choice, as the cost of formula feeding and bottles can be prohibitive to many low-income families. However, those same families are faced with the reality of jobs that may not offer paid leave for new mothers, or breaks when it's necessary to pump.

These practical differences, which are heavily influenced by socioeconomic factors, are referred to as breastfeeding inequality. As these statistics show, a lack of resources, education, and support can fundamentally disable a mother from being able to exclusively breastfeed her little one.

Here in the United States, the starkly varied breastfeeding rates between wealthy and disadvantaged areas is hard to ignore. With 93% of moms in California breastfeeding their babies compared to 57% in Louisiana, it's clear that the correlation between poverty and breastfeeding inequality is no coincidence.

It's a cause that's important to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, an organization that acts in support and protection of nursing. Their World Breastfeeding Week campaign, which ties into the United Nations' goals for achieving sustainability, is focused on the promotion of breastfeeding as a contributor to sustainable eating practices.

Key to the UN's sustainability plan is the elimination of socioeconomic disparities, including those that may keep mothers from breastfeeding. Factors like poverty, hunger, poor health, gender inequality, and a lack of quality schools and employment are all relative to the issue of breastfeeding inequality.

It's also crucial that the conversation around the choice to breast or bottle feed shifts tone from one of shame to one in support of the right to breastfeed. Rather than point fingers, the most productive act is one that shares awareness of this important issue and works toward a world where all mothers have the opportunity to breastfeed if they choose

Neve Spicer
Founder & Director
WeTheParents.org

Amidst the Stress, Worry, Uncertainty, and Loss

Bloom Where You’re Planted: How You Can Flourish During Thorny Times

Covid-19. Systemic injustice. Cities set ablaze across the country. And these are just the topics of the past couple weeks. It goes without saying that 2020 has, as of yet, been an exceedingly difficult year for humanity. Watching the disturbing news last night, of viruses and looters creating chaos across the country, I was reminded of something one of my good friends told me recently: “Bloom where you’re planted.” A light bulb turned on- “she’s right”, I thought. As trying and anxiety-provoking as this year has been, we CAN still flourish. It is, after all, the most challenging times that make us strong, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And when we are strong inside we have the ability to give more to our family, friends, and community.

Amidst the stress, worry, uncertainty, and loss, we have a powerful resource at our disposal- the unconscious mind. As we’ve delved into in past blogs, your unconscious mind is the reservoir of your intuition, imagination, emotions, and beliefs, and it speaks to you in your quietest moments. Daydreaming, night dreaming, meditation, hypnosis, and moments of stillness, mindful reflection give you access to this wise part of your being. 

Now is the perfect time to get in touch with the most powerful part of your mind, because you can trust in the wisdom, knowledge, and positive intentions of your unconscious. Your unconscious is the space between your thoughts, the moment right before you make a decision, and the gentle voice within you pointing you in a certain direction.

You can think of your unconscious mind as your higher self, your inner wisdom, your connection to source energy, as these are many names for the same thing. If you’re feeling understandably stressed or anxious at this time, please consider taking a few moments to meditate, be mindful, get hypnotized, or simply acknowledge your inner stillness. If you do this, you’ll get in touch with the part of you that is calm, wise, and kind; the part of you that tells you all will eventually be okay. And it will. 

Love and Light,

Simone 

Simone Gordon, C.Ht.