So in the eighteenth century they had nipple shields which were shaped like the ones we see today but instead of soft silicone, they were apparently made of solid silver, ivory and even wood. I just cannot begin to imagine how they must have worked, and yet they featured in a segment (about 11 minutes into the programme) on the Vanessa Feltz Channel 5 show which featured Breastfeeding 'Guru' and 'Breastfeeding Consultant' Clare Byam Cook. They featured as an interesting comparison and curious antique and interestingly reflected the attitude of said Breastfeeding Guru: a strong focus on the problematic or 'unnatural' side of breastfeeding. There has been lots in the media about breastfeeding recently - sensationalist headlines talking of harming babies by breastfeeding and breastfeeding causing allergies. And here we now have someone - who the media keep using as their resident breastfeeding specialist - talking about alligator babies and how the size of your breast does matter. When is the media going to support evidence based breastfeeding information and internationally recognised institutions that have spent years supporting mothers to feed their babies the way nature intended? It is true, as Clare Byam Cook says, that some women would have been unable to breastfeed in the past and we should remember that just because we live in a modern world, it doesn't mean we can all breastfeed without having to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems, but it is also true that lots more women would be able to exclusively breastfeed to around six months, like the World Health Organisation recommends, if they had the right support, guidance or information from friends, family or the relevant support worker, counsellor or consultant. The media could help spread this message. Instead they seem, rather misguidedly, to want to undermine it. CommentsGreat post - short & to the point! Jo Martin 09/02/2011 16:02
Thanks Lisa :) Total shame isn't it - such a waste! CBC must have some kind of PR machine getting her all these TV gigs :O Lisa 14/02/2011 09:24
Baby Show at Excel using her as BF expert, too - not just the TV and webchats! Waste is the word for it. Leave a Reply | All information in this blog is the result of my own research and reading, and should not be taken as professional advice, nor be associated with any organisation that I give my time to or represent.
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