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Militant Breastfeeding Cult

It's About Truth

My name is Heidi and I am the original creator of the Militant Breastfeeding Cult.. My children have all been breastfed, the first for only 6 months, and that not exclusively, because of the incorrect information I had about both breastfeeding and formula. I had heard the concept of "breastfeeding on cue", but was imposing my own ideas about when she needed to nurse on her cues without even realizing it. Although I successfully nursed my 2nd child exclusively for nearly 6 months and then along with solids (no formula) for another 9 months, it was not until my 3rd child, a high needs baby, was born that I began to understand what breastfeeding on cue truly meant and I learned to interpret her cues rather than manipulate them. Shortly after that, I learned about a program that practically mimicked my early parenting, the parenting that caused my milk supply to dwindle and put my own "needs" (were they really needs?) ahead of my child's. At first I didn't realize the connection. Then, when my 4th child was born and I parented her through the early weeks, I questioned the material in the program and started to investigate. I learned why that program and that style of breastfeeding interfered with lactation. I developed a strong desire to learn about breastfeeding and minister to young mothers. I set a goal to earn the IBCLC. This is a long term goal, since I have responsibilites to my young children right now, but I am determined. I have taken the WIC class and earned their certificate as a Breastfeeding Counselor and I participate in breastfeeding advocacy and support online and in real life.

That leads me to the Militant Breastfeeding Cult. During my research, I stumbled on Peggy Robin's book Bottlefeeding Without Guilt and Rebecca Prewett's review of it. The book is filled with half truths and outright lies (Under reasons why women can't nurse -- small breasts! With all we know about breastfeeding how could she perpetuate this kind of nonsence?). Robin takes it further, saying that those of us who teach the truth are just militant cultish breastfeeders. I was livid after reading Rebecca's review and went to bed steaming. The next morning I woke up with this "idea" in my head -- If Robin wants to call those of us who advocate for breastfeeding based on facts grounded in solid research "militant" and "cultish," so be it! That's me, and I won't deny it! I created my first logos and put up a single page expressing my feelings.

It didn't take long for word to get around. The site has grown in response to my readers and has gotten big eough that I have added some wonderful women to the MBC staff. During the time the site has been up, we have received a number of compliments, several flames, and quite a few questions about our purpose. In specific answer to some of the question we've received about what we believe and what we hope to accomplish:

• No, wedo not believe breastfeeding is the measure of good mothering. Breastfeeding is one of only a multitude of choices a mother needs to make. A mother can formula feed, and be a wonderful mom. Another mother can breastfeed and be a terrible mother. One choice does not determine it.
  
  We do hope to encourage more good mothers to make the choice to breastfeed their babies rather than use an inferior substitute when it is not necessary.
  
  
• No, we do not think mothers who are truly unable to breastfeed should feel guilty and wedo not intend to make them feel guilty. We all must make choices based on the the situations we are in, and if you cannot breastfeed, you cannot.
  
  We do think these mothers should have other options, such as human milk banks and wet nurses, but these just aren't easily available in most societies. We hope by speaking out, more people will become aware of this deficiency and perhaps do something to provide these services.
  
  
• No, we do not think mothers feel guilty if they fail at breastfeeding because they have received incorrect information about breastfeeding and we do not intend to make them feel guilty. False information is pervasive. It is not just in Robin's book. The media portrays breastfeeding as difficult and sometimes (as in the infamous Chicago Hope episode) dangerous and bottlefeeding to be totally normal. Our sisters, mothers, aunts and neighbors all have horror stories to tell and misinformation to relate about breastfeeding. Our society doesn't recognize the importance of breastfeeding and this makes many situations (custody, working, even dining in a restaurant) seem incompatible with breastfeeding. Formula manufacturers do a wonderful job marketing their inferior product, minimizing the differences between breastmilk and formula. Worse yet, many of our health care providers are under-educated and mis-informed about all aspects of breastfeeding and give their patients incorrect information (not to mention free samples of fomula and literature provided by the formula company).
  
  We do think it is a mother's responsibility to research and find out the correct information, the information that will work for her and her baby. Wehope by speaking out, we can make that information more readily available and assist in educating those who need to know.
  
  
• No, we do not think there's only one way to parent, one acceptable style -- our way -- and anyone who does it differently is wrong.
  
  We do believe that parenting has to be worked out to fit the style and personality of each individual family. We hope that by speaking out, we can debunk some of the myths surrounding breastfeeding, help people will better understand the importance of breastfeeding, and lead them to accurate information about lactation so they will be able to fit it into their own parening style.

In short, we want to make the truth known -- the truth that breastfeeding is normal, natural, and basic to human biology and formula is an inferior substitute which has a number of risk factors associated with it. Our approach may be a little "in your face" and our sense of humor may not appeal to you, and that's OK. We don't all have to agree on those things, but we hope there comes a day when we can all agree on one thing -- barring true lactation failure:

all babies are entitled to their mother's milk!