One delightful index of the movement away from the “feminist mother” mentality of “other-than-mother” care is the percentage of new moms who are breastfeeding. While it is possible that some women squeeze out breast milk into a bottle for the hired help to administer to their baby, the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicate that 77% of new mothers breastfeed their infants, which is the highest rate in the United States in at least 20 years!
The percentage of black infants who were breast-fed rose most dramatically - to 65%. Only 36% were ever breast-fed in 1993-1994, the study found. For whites, the figure rose to 79% from 62%. For Hispanics, it increased to 80%, from 67%.
The rates of breast feeding were lowest among women who were unmarried, poor, rural, younger than 20, and had a high school education or less.
Experts emphasize that breast milk is better than formula at protecting babies against disease and childhood obesity.
I read this this morning and found it so interesting because last night I was sitting with a bunch of other women and mothers at a mountain biking race and they were all sitting around waiting to hand their husbands water bottles, as was I, talking about or actually physically nursing. You may say, "That sounds about right for Utah." Well these were different type of ladies, tattoo clad with a little edge, not the typical Old Navy, Target gal. And here they were swapping seats to nurse their babies and talking about nursing all their kids. I found myself stereotyping thinking, mmm... I thought it was such a conservative type thing. But apparently not anymore. I think the beauty of motherhood is it brings women together, no matter what "type" we are, we can still have prolonged conversations about how well our babies nurse, how our boobs fared after, Soothie binkies, if Target brand clothes hold up, and the beauty of Old Navy kid's clothes prices... whether we have a tattoo for our wedding band, one around our ankles, or are staring up at the temple on the mountain being built in awe. All while waiting to hand our men their water bottles.
1 comments:
Not one woman in my very conservative, very religous in-law family, breastfed their children, and they literally cringe when they see other woman doing it. So how is that for going against your stereotype.
I on the other hand would fly my breastfeeding freak flag right in their face!!!!!!!!!!!!
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