1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 1254 [Interest Areas] Community Organizer Concerned Citizen Other Areas: Breastfeeding mother [Comment] Lack of support for mothers who breastfeed in public, and a negative societal view and sexualization of breasts has led to a low breastfeeding rate. This is because mothers will often choose to formula feed, rather than deal with the persecution and isolation they may face if choosing to breastfeed. Mothers will formula feed as they are frightened of harassment when nursing in public, or of having to stay at home or find a place to sit by themselves whenever they need to nurse their child. As most breastfed children eat every 1-2 hours throughout the day, this is a cause for isolation. I am sure I don't need to explain the ramifications of this, but I will anyway. The end result of this is that children are being deprived of vital breastmilk, and a special bond with their mothers. This results in diminished mental and physical health for the child. The mother too suffers diminished physical health, and breastfeeding has many protective factors. She also suffers more mental health issues due to isolation from the community when she is forced into bathroom stalls or sequestered within her own home. I believe that there are a number of things which can help work towards making brestfeeding more accepted by the community, such as laws to protect against discrimination of nursing mothers, in public, and in the workplace. Public service announcements on TV with imagery showing nursing mothers as a normal part of life, as well as posters, billboards, signs, magazine ads and other printed media doing the same can help. Banning formula makers from advertising their products as equivalent to brestmilk, and from gifting formula to new mothers could certainly help. I would even go as far as to suggest that formula be available by prescription only, as it is responsible for the death of many children, and should only be used as a last resort. I also feel that the creation of communicty areas for parents to congregate would help to restore a sense of the community raising family, and would help with the problem of isolation that brestfeeding moms often feel. Thanks for listening! Kristin Skrydlak-Simlai [Topic] 
Support for Breastfeeding in Public Settings
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic