My trip to Guatemala taught me something about our culture (in the U.S.): (*This is a generalization. I know that some people may not share this opinion; however, I noticed this to be an overall trend.) Our society treats birth as a strange process that needs to be done privately in a hospital, and that breastfeeding is a sexual act that also needs to be done in private.
When you walk around in your community, you rarely see a woman's breast exposed, unless you are perusing the 'adult' magazine section or are in an 'adult' play store. Why is this? Why are women who breastfeed their children in public stigmatized and many times deemed as "inappropriate?" Why is it considered indecent exposure if a woman's breast is seen in a public park or a shopping mall in attempts to nourish her child? Because our society does not embrace the process of birth, and with that breastfeeding. Also because a woman's breasts are viewed as sexual objects, hence the "indecent exposure."
You cannot control your baby's hunger. Many times babies are not accustomed to a feeding schedule like adults. They eat when they are hungry, simple as that. Therefore, there are many times women have to feed their children in public places. Because yes, women do need to leave the home sometimes.
Mothers in the U.S. have to retreat to dirty, public bathrooms to feed their children. Or they have to cover them up with a blanket. I don't know about you, but I don't find eating under a dark, hot blanket very comfortable or pleasant. Why should babies have to do this?
I mentioned my trip to Guatemala because the women we saw openly and freely, without any misgivings, breastfed their babies and young children around anyone and everyone, regardless of where they were. It was wonderful! No one was offended because they knew this to be a natural process. Plus, these women lived in impoverished circumstances and the tit comes free! Why would they feed their children any other way? It frustrates me that mothers here do not enjoy the same freedom.
Women's bodies are treated as sexual objects to be had--I unfortunately know this firsthand. A woman's nipple is the SAME anatomical structure as a man's nipple. In fact, men only have nipples because in the womb, embryos actually begin as a female. Here's my question: Why are men allowed to walk around shirtless without worrying about bodily harm (usually) or getting arrested, while females, whose nipples actually serve a very important purpose, must cover up? Doesn't seem to add up, in my opinion.
My mother used to be a labor and delivery nurse for years; she is now a lactation consultant. She also went on the mission trip. When I was younger, I used to ask her how she could look at women's 'hoo-has' all day. The fact that I couldn't even call the anatomy by it's proper name speaks volumes. "That's so gross," I would say. As I've grown older, I've completely changed my perspective. Thankfully, women like my mother and my education have shown me a better way to think about this topic. This trip to Guatemala added to this even more.
Birth is AMAZING! It's mesmerizing to think about what a woman's body is capable of.
For example, some of the women told us that their nipples had become much darker and they were wondering if this was normal. The midwife informed me that yes, a mother's nipples actually become darker in color so that it's easier for a baby to see them. The things that women's bodies naturally do to accommodate for having children is incredible.
During their visits, the women's children were always in the room with them, even when we examined them. In the U.S., many people would never think of letting their children watch someone give birth. This is because often our culture treats pregnancy and birth as an illness. I think that when I have children, I would like to have a home birth with a midwife. I believe that this would allow me to have a more intimate, beautiful and comfortable birthing experience.
When I've told people this, they almost always have the same reaction. They ask, "Well what if something happens or goes wrong?" Or, they ride me off as some hippy freak. Yes, some pregnant women are not advised to have home births and must have their children in a hospital if they have a high-risk birth due to complications of some sort. But most women are perfectly capable of having a normal, vaginal birth at home or somewhere outside of a hospital. Women have been having babies for a while now, since the beginning of time!
I simply wonder why we think that birth has to be so private and hidden from young eyes. People, including children, should not find it strange to see their mother giving birth to their sister/brother. They shouldn't find it weird to see a woman breastfeeding her child. These are completely natural processes of life that should not be stigmatized.
I think that women should feel free and unafraid to breastfeed. Breast really is best, for so many reasons. I say that babies should have the rights as all other people--they should be able to eat when they want, where they want. #freethenipple
