Jennifer Block, the author of Pushed, a look at the crisis in maternity care for a mainstream audience has a piece at the LA Times about the cesarean crisis.
Via Feministe.
Month: September 2007
Support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act
Since I just came back from a two day conference about breastfeeding, this action alert caught my eye. It’s from an organization called MomsRising:
MomsRising has a goal of bringing millions of people, who all share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America, together as a non-partisan force for 2008 and beyond. This grassroots, online effort is mobilizing mothers, and all who have mothers, across America as a cohesive force for change.
You can see more about them at their website, as well as sign up for their e-alerts, which are great.
More about the Breastfeeding Promotion Act:
Dear MomsRising Member,
As the mother of four breast-fed children (including a set of twins), I take it seriously when mothers describe difficulties they encounter trying to breastfeed their babies.
Recently we told you about Sophie Currier, a medical student who needed pumping breaks during her 9-hour board exam. We also told you about Janee McConnell, who was an exceptional employee at a grocery store but could not convince management of the need for a clean, comfortable room in which to pump for her third baby.
Stories like this make me realize that WE must tell our own members of Congress that we want them to pass the Breastfeeding Promotion Act. We need to take a stand on this or else they won’t. A bill goes nowhere without co-sponsors. So we need your help: Ask your Congressperson to co-sponsor the Breastfeeding Promotion Act by clicking below to send a letter right now. In just one click, you can send a letter asking your representatives to co-sponsor The Breastfeeding Promotion Act and also sign a statement of support for the Breastfeeding Promotion Act.
TAKE ACTION FOR THE BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION ACT BY CLICKING HERE
Police Brutality Strikes Fifth Anniversary of Sylvia Rivera Law Project
This is just sad.
Police Brutality Strikes Fifth Anniversary of Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Contacts:
Jack Aponte (jack@slrp.org)
Naomi Clark (naomi@slrp.org)
NEW YORK – On the night of Wednesday, September 26, officers from the 9th Precinct of the New York Police Department attacked without provocation members of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and of its community. Two of our community members were violently arrested, and others were pepper sprayed in the face without warning or cause.
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project is an organization that works on behalf of low-income people of color who are transgender, gender non-conforming, or intersex, providing free legal services and advocacy among many other initiatives. On Wednesday night, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project was celebrating its fifth anniversary with a celebration and fundraising event at a bar in the East Village.
A group of our community members, consisting largely of queer and transgender people of color, witnessed two officers attempting to detain a young Black man outside of the bar. Several of our community members asked the officers why they were making the arrest and using excessive force. Despite the fact that our community was on the sidewalk, gathered peacefully and not obstructing foot traffic, the NYPD chose to forcefully grab two people and arrested them. Without warning, an officer then sprayed pepper spray across the group in a wide arc, temporarily blinding many and causing vomiting and intense pain.
“This is the sort of all-too-common police violence and overreaction towards people of color that happens all the time,” said Dean Spade, founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. “It’s ironic that we were celebrating the work of an organization that specifically opposes state violence against marginalized communities, and we experienced a police attack at our celebration.”
“We are outraged, and demand that our community members be released and the police be held accountable for unnecessary use of excessive force and falsely arresting people,” Spade continued.
Damaris Reyes is executive director of GOLES, an organization working to preserve the Lower East Side. She commented, “I’m extremely concerned and disappointed by the 9th Precinct’s response to the situation and how it escalated into violence. This kind of aggressive behavior doesn’t do them any good in community-police relations.”
Supporters will be gathering at 100 Centre Street tomorrow, where the two community members will be arraigned. The community calls for charges to be dropped and to demand the immediate release of those arrested.
– END –
For more information visit, www.srlp.org
Media & Breastfeeding: Jane Brown
This will be the final post from the Breastfeeding and Feminism conference. It has been an interesting two days, I’ve learned more about breastfeeding than I ever might have wanted to, but have also learned what it looks like when a new group grapples with the idea of reproductive justice. It’s a difficult concept to grasp, but particularly to use. I appreciate the efforts to make these connections and even as an exercise I do believe it broadens all of our movements.
Now, on to the final keynote speech of the conference:
Jane Brown, PhD UNC-CH
Media and Breastfeeding: Friend or Foe?
The media is now controlled by huge conglomerates–10 media companies now control 80% of our media.Advertising does have an effect on habits: One study found that breastfeeding declines as hand-feeding ad in parenting magazines increase.
Breastfeeding is a tough sell. There are few products to market, you may evoke negative feelings about breastfeeding, on top of the infant formula lobby.
New research says that when people see images of women breastfeeding, it reminds us of our creatureliness and may evoke death anxiety. They think this is related to a new state of “terror management” provoked by this post-9/11 culture.
<Clip from Chicago Hope shown about a 6 week old who dies from dehydration and malnutrition due to breastfeeding> The episode was promoted by the pharmaceutical companies who make formula. Based on a case where a woman was convicted of manslaughter for the death of her child due to malnutrition. This is an example of “entertainment education.”
Use new media! (woo-hoo, plug for bloggers)
Bumper sticker idea: Jesus was breastfed, Latch on to breastfeeding, Breastfeeding is green
Jane’s vision: Every time you see a baby on television, they are being breastfed. It’s not the conflict, or the controversy, its just the norm.
Breastfeeding Symposium: Experiences of Immigrant Women
Norma Escobar, La Leche League Leader, Wilmington, NC
Experiences of Latin American Immigrant Women*
Language barriers: many of the immigrant women are not fluent in English, and are scared and alone without interpretation
Barriers to breastfeeding for immigrant women:
- Breasts are seen as functional in Latin America and public breastfeeding is not stigmatized. (In the US, breasts are seen as sexual)
- Mandatory breastfeeding time (one hour) from employers in Latin America. (Nothing like this mandated in the US)
- In Mexico, there are no free supplies or direct advertising to consumers. (Here both these things are rampant)
- First feedings are at the breast in Latin America. (In the US, it is with bottles, the formula bottles come with the nursery cart)
- Breastfeeding duration is more extended in Latin America. (In the US, it is much shorter)
- Birth considered a normal life cycle event in Latin America. (In the US, it is considered dangerous)
- Breastfeeding considered safest in L.A. (Here, considered risky)
- Breastfeeding as a woman and child’s right. (Here, a choice)
- Fear as a deterrent in the United States–a real fear, exacerbated by recent immigration raids
*Note: I’m really happy to hear about the experiences of immigrant women, which has so far been absent from the discussions.
A Call for Radical Doulas
Taking a quick break from live blogging the Breastfeeding and Feminism conference for this important announcement/call for help:
Last week I received an email from a woman living in a small town outside of Minneapolis, MN who has had a terrible time trying to find a doula. She is now 17 weeks pregnant, and she told me how she has been turned down, not once, not twice, but THREE times by three different doulas. Why?
–The first doula turned her down because she is not sure if she wants to give birth without an epidural.
–The second doula turned her down because she was pregnant with twins, and decided to do a selective reduction and terminate one of the pregnancies at 11 weeks.
–The third doula turned her down because she is serving as a surrogate for a gay couple.
This is what is saddest to me–when doulas, who are supposed to support women in all their decisions around childbirth–would turn a woman away. I don’t know about you all, but in my doula training, this is NOT what we were taught. This situation highlights exactly why we need more radical doulas, progressive people willing to support women without judgment, so that no one who seeks out doula care will be denied.
In her own words:
I am at my wits end and cannot believe that I can’t find anyone in a profession designed to help and support women who is willing to help me. I’m just looking for someone compassionate and progressive and willing to help me out. I really hope that you can provide me with some information because at this point I’m really just kind of lost.
So I am turning to you all. Please, if you are or know of a doula in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area (she lives about an hour and a half outside the city) who is willing to consider providing doula support for her, please, email me at radicaldoula@gmail.com. (Note, she is willing to pay for the services).
Also, if you are a doula or midwife blogger, and would like to cross post this call on your site, please do. My hope is that we can utilize this virtual network of radical doulas and midwives (and allies) to find a great support person for this woman.
Again, email me if you are a doula in the area or have any question (radicaldoula@gmail.com) and I will forward along the information to her.
In solidarity.
Barbara Katz Rothman: New Breast Milk in Old Bottles
Keynote Address, Breastfeeding and Feminism Symposium:
Different ideologies through which one can look at a mother and baby breastfeeding:
Patriarchy. We are all children of men, the essence of everything is in the seed. It is now acknowledged that women are contributing half the seed. Who carries the child (the gestational carrier) is not important, or has no genetic relationship to the child. She can’t add anything, but she can screw things up.
Technological society. Efficiency is everything. The outcome is what counts, if you can get there more quickly, that’s better. Body as machine. Medicalization, efficient management of medicalized body is the goal.
Capitalism. There is a price tag on all things–everything is for sale, blood, semen, of course milk. We promote breastfeeding through the economic lens–it’s financially smarter. What if it wasn’t? Would we still breastfeed? The capitalist ideology makes us see the world as a global market of equal choices. More choices are always seen as good, there is no higher value than choice.
Race. The racialization of milk, history of wet nurses and slavery, the race politics of America has a huge impact on breastfeeding. Pumping: you pump and someone else will feed the white milk to the baby.
Feminism. Looking critically at the “public health recommendations,” which have a history of being wrong (hormone replacement therapy for example).
What are we really doing? What are we trying to achieve? The logic we use to promote breastfeeding needs to be critically examined. If we argue that breast milk is healthier, what happens when they create a formula that is just as healthy, or healthier? Why does it matter? If it’s about breast cancer prevention, what happens when we eradicate breast cancer?
It’s not gonna be about health, and it’s not going to be about choice, or bonding. Why is it we really value it and what are we doing here?
Blogger note: I think there are a lot of connections between Barbara’s argument about breastfeeding and other social and reproductive justice movements. This examination of our logic is huge, and what we need to make long term gains rather than short term wins based on what works today. (Think about the natural birth movement, the pro-choice movement, etc).
Breastfeeding Symposium: Feminism vs. Public Health
Dr. Suzanne Haynes, US PHS Office of Women’s Health
Feminism vs. Public Health: Feminism in opposition to Lactivism
The word choice has been stolen from feminists by the formula representatives. “It is a woman’s choice to breastfeed, or not.” The formula ads are written to create doubt. The women who are choosing to formula feed are not informed about the risks about breastfeeding. No disclaimers on formula bottles about these risks (like cigarettes). The formula companies are afraid of litigation. National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign is about informing women about the risk of not breastfeeding.
The de-sexualization of breasts will help promote breastfeeding. Comment from audience: I don’t want to desexualize my breasts, I love that they are sexual and I get to share them with who I please.
Going back to work is the major barrier to exclusive breastfeeding. Fear of discrimination, ridicule, lack of promotion and lost wages. New toolkits being created to help make employment environments breastfeeding friendly, like lactation rooms.
Status symbol: Buying formula in the 1950s was seen as a status symbol. Formula ads make it seem like all working women use formula.
Formula usage is much higher among low-income women and women of color. Asian Pacifica Islander women have the highest rates of breastfeeding, African American women have the lowest rates.
Potential Risk Reduction for Women:
28% decrease in Breast cancer
21% decrease in cervical cancer
12% decrease in Type II diabetes
Pharmaceutical companies produce most of the baby formula, earning $4 billion dollars a year. Formula industries spent $80 million dollars in advertising over two years, the government only had $1.5 million for their breastfeeding promotion campaign.
For more about the Health and Human Services Breastfeeding Campaign, see this Washington Post article.
Opening Panel
Dr. Bernadette Gray-Little, Provost UNC-CH
Similar to childbirth, breastfeeding is not a shared experience. Many people never see women breastfeeding, it is done as something hidden, in the safety of home or underneath clothing.
Ms. Alice Lenahan, Director, Nutrition Services Branch, NC Division of Public Health
Breastfeeding promotion and protection in North Carolina: Blueprint for action to improve breastfeeding rates in NC
Ms. Barbara Cameron, La Leche League
“Breastfeeding was absent from my personal experiences and any professional or academic discourse.”
College student: passion for reproductive rights, no thoughts about breastfeeding
“Breastfeeding was a way of mothering my children. Unique physical connection with my children and a powerful and healing connection to my own body and femininity.”
“Thinking that baby formula is superior to breast milk is thinking that 30 years of technology is superior to 3000 years of human evolution.” -Christine Northrup, OB-GYN
Liveblogging: Breastfeeding and Feminism Symposium
Good Morning Everyone. I’m here are the 3rd annual Breastfeeding and Feminism Symposium in Raleigh, NC. This is my first try at live blogging, so bear with me! It looks like it’s going to be a great conference, lots of big name activists and academics (Barbara Katz Rothman for example) and some interesting topics on the agenda.
As I mentioned before, I’m most excited about the reproductive justice connection–and am interested to see how the framework is woven in. Stay tuned for more!
Radical Doula 