 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| May 2006 Breast Journals Entry |
 |
Mother’s Milk and the Milk of Human Unkindness
When I was born in the forties, my mother looked forward to breast feeding. She had been
breast fed, had seen her baby brothers breast fed and grew up with aunts and girl cousins
who had also breast fed. She was shocked when the nurses and doctors at the hospital
(where she stayed for ten days!) made fun of her. In fact, she remembers they called her
“Jersey.” (as in Jersey cow) Even though the medical staff was deriding her for being old
fashioned, she recalls, they did ask her to pump breast milk for three sickly babies in the nursery!
Mom continued breast feeding me for seven months after she returned home and loved the experience until
her Doctor insisted it must be stopped. I must be given a bottle. This, he said, was the new modern way to feed
a baby.
My Mom was only 18 years old and against her better judgment felt that the Doctor must be right. After all, he
was the authority. Mom stopped breast feeding me cold turkey. I refused to drink from the bottle the whole
day and night, but she perservered. If the Doctor said bottle feeding was the best then she wanted only the
best for her baby! She recalled I went almost 24 hours refusing the bottle. Drinking no fluids at all for this
length of time could have killed me!
Thankfully, today, breast feeding is again recognized as the best way to feed infants. There are La Leche
League organizations everywhere in the world to support and inform women about nursing. Even if a woman
has difficulties there is usually some way the infant can get the first milk with the colostrum in it.
Every infant has a right to have this “pure gold” however we still have people in authority telling mothers to use
formulas and bottles to feed their infants. Formula companies are always ready to send home gifts of formula
to new mothers. Even in our country we must work to make sure mothers have all the information they need to
make an educated choice.
Across the world we see many women who should be and would be breast feeding if they weren’t being
persuaded that bottle feeding with formula is the best way- the modern way. They, like my mother, want to do
what’s right for their babies. They can be manipulated by those in authority to use formula and bottles even
though there may be no clean water in which to mix the formula and no money to purchase it after their “gift”
runs out.
Support for breast feeding around the world was implemented by UNICEF’s International Code which ensured
parents information on breast feeding and protected parents from commercial pressure to use a breast milk
substitute. As of January 2006, the Nutrition section of the Code will cease to exist. Why after years of
working towards the better nutrition of breast feeding is this happening?
This may be part of the answer to that question. A Ms. Ann Veneman recently took over the post of the
Executive Director of the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Veneman has announced that
UNICEF will no longer provide legal assistance for governments via the International Code and the post for
Nutrition Section is to be abolished.
The implementing and monitoring of the International Code is essential for helping each mother have all the
information she needs to make an informed choice. It also protects parents from commercial pressure to use
formula.
Who is Ann Veneman? She was appointed by President Bush and was a corporate lawyer working for major
food companies such as Nestle’s. Let me jog your memory. Nestle’s has a history of pushing their breast milk
substitutes and have been boycotted for years.
Breast feeding is a political issue, a life or death issue, and a greed over need issue. Why would a company try
to sway parents to choose formula or breast milk substitutes over breast feeding? All the while knowing that
formula costs money and needs clean water to be safe? Babies are dying while fat cats get rich on products
that are unnecessary and harmful. Money is the horrifying bottom line.
Don’t let UNICEF, under Ann Veneman’s leadership, withdraw support for the International Code. Countries
need this assistance to help parents make informed choices…email your thoughts to aveneman@unicef.org.
Have a lovely Mother’s Day. Kathleen Johnson
Kathleen Johnson has a documentary film available for sale or rent called The Breast Dialogues. Her web site
thebreastdialogues.com has ordering information along with monthly journal entries such as this one.
The Breast Dialogues is an one hour film of thirty women of various ages, races and backgrounds telling their
breast stories which include topics such as breast feeding, growing up female, breast cancer, breast implants
and reduction surgery, sexuality, the Divine Feminine, bra shopping and more. The film is very upbeat, with
music, art, humor and infused with the wisdom and wit of women.
When I was born in the forties, my mother looked forward to breast feeding. She had been
breast fed, had seen her baby brothers breast fed and grew up with aunts and girl cousins
who had also breast fed. She was shocked when the nurses and doctors at the hospital
(where she stayed for ten days!) made fun of her. In fact, she remembers they called her
“Jersey.” (as in Jersey cow) Even though the medical staff was deriding her for being old
fashioned, she recalls, they did ask her to pump breast milk for three sickly babies in the nursery!
Mom continued breast feeding me for seven months after she returned home and loved the experience until
her Doctor insisted it must be stopped. I must be given a bottle. This, he said, was the new modern way to feed
a baby.
My Mom was only 18 years old and against her better judgment felt that the Doctor must be right. After all, he
was the authority. Mom stopped breast feeding me cold turkey. I refused to drink from the bottle the whole
day and night, but she perservered. If the Doctor said bottle feeding was the best then she wanted only the
best for her baby! She recalled I went almost 24 hours refusing the bottle. Drinking no fluids at all for this
length of time could have killed me!
Thankfully, today, breast feeding is again recognized as the best way to feed infants. There are La Leche
League organizations everywhere in the world to support and inform women about nursing. Even if a woman
has difficulties there is usually some way the infant can get the first milk with the colostrum in it.
Every infant has a right to have this “pure gold” however we still have people in authority telling mothers to use
formulas and bottles to feed their infants. Formula companies are always ready to send home gifts of formula
to new mothers. Even in our country we must work to make sure mothers have all the information they need to
make an educated choice.
Across the world we see many women who should be and would be breast feeding if they weren’t being
persuaded that bottle feeding with formula is the best way- the modern way. They, like my mother, want to do
what’s right for their babies. They can be manipulated by those in authority to use formula and bottles even
though there may be no clean water in which to mix the formula and no money to purchase it after their “gift”
runs out.
Support for breast feeding around the world was implemented by UNICEF’s International Code which ensured
parents information on breast feeding and protected parents from commercial pressure to use a breast milk
substitute. As of January 2006, the Nutrition section of the Code will cease to exist. Why after years of
working towards the better nutrition of breast feeding is this happening?
This may be part of the answer to that question. A Ms. Ann Veneman recently took over the post of the
Executive Director of the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Veneman has announced that
UNICEF will no longer provide legal assistance for governments via the International Code and the post for
Nutrition Section is to be abolished.
The implementing and monitoring of the International Code is essential for helping each mother have all the
information she needs to make an informed choice. It also protects parents from commercial pressure to use
formula.
Who is Ann Veneman? She was appointed by President Bush and was a corporate lawyer working for major
food companies such as Nestle’s. Let me jog your memory. Nestle’s has a history of pushing their breast milk
substitutes and have been boycotted for years.
Breast feeding is a political issue, a life or death issue, and a greed over need issue. Why would a company try
to sway parents to choose formula or breast milk substitutes over breast feeding? All the while knowing that
formula costs money and needs clean water to be safe? Babies are dying while fat cats get rich on products
that are unnecessary and harmful. Money is the horrifying bottom line.
Don’t let UNICEF, under Ann Veneman’s leadership, withdraw support for the International Code. Countries
need this assistance to help parents make informed choices…email your thoughts to aveneman@unicef.org.
Have a lovely Mother’s Day. Kathleen Johnson
Kathleen Johnson has a documentary film available for sale or rent called The Breast Dialogues. Her web site
thebreastdialogues.com has ordering information along with monthly journal entries such as this one.
The Breast Dialogues is an one hour film of thirty women of various ages, races and backgrounds telling their
breast stories which include topics such as breast feeding, growing up female, breast cancer, breast implants
and reduction surgery, sexuality, the Divine Feminine, bra shopping and more. The film is very upbeat, with
music, art, humor and infused with the wisdom and wit of women.
| The Breast Dialogues Journal Entry For May 2006 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |