Can you be a feminist and breastfeed?

This Monday morning I want to talk about something complicated but really interesting.

I was recently reading an article on breastfeeding and feminism called "Is Breastfeeding Fair?" by Dr. Deborah McCarter-Spaulding, IBCLC. 

The article outlines "the feminist problem of breastfeeding."  What's that, you ask?  McCarter-Spaulding provides a summary:

"The problem arises because breastfeeding is sex-specific, and therefore challenges the feminist principle of gender-neutral childrearing.  It is an even more difficult problem than pregnancy because whereas pregnancy is necessary for childbearing, many do not consider breastfeeding to be critical to an infant's survival, at least in industrialized countries."

So, to summarize, feminist theory views social expectation and roles as potentially oppressive to women.  Pregnancy is a part of parenting that obviously cannot be shared, but some argue that breastfeeding doesn't fall in the same category.  Some feminists (see below) view infant feeding as an activity that can and should be shared equally.  You can only get to this point of view, it seems to me, if you think that breastfeeding is not a biological imperative.  And that is the argument that some feminists (not all, see below) make, questioning whether there truly are health benefits to breastfeeding. 

There are, however, several different feminist views on breastfeeding.  I'll summarize them here:

Liberal feminism:  In this view, breastfeeding is a social arrangement.  Lactation - making milk - is a distinctly female biological function which only women can perform, but feeding the baby is a form of social labor which can be negotiated.  Proponents of this view question claims of superiority of breastmilk over formula.  McCarter -Spaulding says that in this view, "Breastfeeding is seen as a gender difference that stands in the way of liberating women.  Bottle-feeding in this perspective would be seen as liberating."

Cultural feminism:  In this view, breastfeeding is seen as a special female role which should be protected.  In this view, complete gender equality may threaten those things that are uniquely female and male.  McCarter-Spaulding states, "Cultural feminism strives to reconfigure social and economic structures to accommodate this gender difference without resorting to biological determinism."

Feminist health activism:  In this view, breastfeeding is part of a political agenda which is aimed at helping women take control back over their bodies with information and support (think Our Bodies, Ourselves, but also La Leche League).  Viewed as a unifying perspective, this approach focuses on removing barriers which constrain women's choices, such as lack of paid maternity leave, the absence of break time or facilities to pump at work, and the particular challenges faced by disadvantaged women. 

I'd love to hear your perspective.  Do you consider yourself a feminist and also a breastfeeding advocate?  Do you think that it's possible to come up with an arrangement which allows for equal division of responsibility while allowing a mother to breastfeed?  Which of the perspectives above, if any, appeals to you?

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Comments

[Nicole J.]

I am definitely a feminist breastfeeding advocate. I think that breastfeeding and equal co-parenting are possible, and doesn't even require pumping and bottle feeding. The non-breast-feeding parent/caregiver can do everything else for the baby/child but breastfeed, so there should be no prevention of equality in caregiving.

I think it a disservice to children and women for any supposed "feminist" to claim that for some reason formula feeding is preferable to breastfeeding (when breastfeeding is possible). Breastfeeding has as many benefits for mothers as it does for babies.

[Tai'sMom]

I'm certainly a feminist and I breastfed my son for 15 months. I think my husband and I have done a good job sharing the child-rearing responsilibities, in many different ways.

But one fundamental way was through early bottle feeding of expressed breastmilk. During maternity leave, I was pumping to build up a supply for when I went back to work, so we had expressed milk available and my husband fed the baby one bottle a day. It worked really well for our family for four reasons:

(1) My husband got to take part in the feeding/bonding experience.
(2) My son still drank only breastmilk, not formula.
(3) It helped get my son used to taking a bottle before starting day care.
(4) It got me some much-needed extra sleep!

[N]

I am a radical feminist and a breastfeeding advocate. I have breastfed my daughter for over a year and don't intend to stop any time soon.

I think it's important to remember that there are all sorts of feminisms, not just one. Many old-school feminists saw all sex as rape; others believe pornography always exploits women (i.e., that women must be victims). I don't subscribe to those types of feminism, or the sort of feminism that narrows women's choices. To say that a woman cannot breastfeed and be free is to say that a desire/choice to breastfeed is uninformed, unenlightened, or self-exploitive. It removes a woman's capacity to make choices for herself.

Not only must women be free to make the choices that seem obvious, but they must also be free to make choices that some feminists think amount to self-sacrifice - whether it's breastfeeding or something else.

Moreover, with the toxic products women are regularly pressured to consume - everyhting from chlorinated tampons to artificial estrogens to paraben-laced cosmetic products - breastfeeding remains an activity that a woman can take part in that may actually improve her health.

Finally, on the whole equal-parenting thing. Forcing both parents to spend equal amounts of time on each child-rearing activity ignores all kinds of factors, including time, preferences, and so on. Sure, there have been many middle-of-the night feedings when all I wanted to do was sleep, but I'd never trade nourishing my baby and bonding with her for sleep. And I certainly wouldn't hand my daughter off for a bottle-feeding just because some academic in some second-rate university thinks I should.

A critical component of feminism is recognizing women's ability to make choices for themselves.

I chose to have a baby. I choose to breastfeed her. And I'm a feminist. And I am also choosing to raise my daughter into a feminist who will be comfortable making choices that are right for her.

[Maria]

I'm a feminist and nursing advocate. Almost 19 months of nursing in our home (one child...still going). I usually am most in line with cultural feminism, but not exclusively. I think there is a lot of wiggle room (i.e. different issues result in different alignment in the feminist spectrum).

[Angela]

Two things immediately strike me --(1) that it is assumed that "feminism" equates with an "equal division of parenting labor" and (2) that breastfeeding is "labor." I always felt privileged to be breastfeeding, lucky to be able to provide that nourishment and unique comfort to my child. I'm not saying it was easy, but it's not something I would trade in the name of "an equal division of parenting labor." Besides, to me feminism is about having choices and opportunities, and I am ever so grateful to have the option of breastfeeding and do not consider it in any way setting back the cause of feminism to utilize such a powerful parenting tool.

[Ewokmama]

I can see the argument on both sides. It has made me very upset on a number of occasions that my husband doesn't know the ins and outs of feeding our son like I do. Not only because I am a feminist, but because I come from a family of divorce and parental death and feel it's important that either of us be able to fully care for our child. I have felt trapped by my breastfeeding relationship and resentful that I am always "on call."

With that said, my son's health is more important to me than my feelings of equality/balance. Additionally, *breastfeeding* is not the essence of the issue here - the real issue is division of responsibility in caring for our child. This is a marriage/parenting issue, not a breastfeeding issue. Things do not have to be the same to be fair - sameness ignores individuality, which is just as important as equal rights. Breastfeeding is only part of the parenting picture - the non-BFing parent can take over introduction of solids, for instance, to balance things out.

Additionally, if we are just talking biology, women carry the burden of carrying and birthing the child. There is no way around that currently (we can't all adopt - procreation needs to happen to keep our species going). Breastfeeding is just an extension of the whole pregnancy/birth process. It is also a realization of the body's abilities and that is ALSO empowering.

[Jen H.]

Hell yeah, I'm a feminist breastfeeding advocate! I think the far right has been too effective in contracting the meaning of "feminism"--my impression is that in recent years, the culturally-accepted definition of feminism has become narrow and rigid. I agree that there are multiple feminisms, and I'm pleased that this blog post reflects that. I would also echo the sentiments that "equal/fair" does not have to mean "identical," and that the reduction of breastfeeding to "labor" is incredibly simplistic.

[Summer]

I'm a feminist and I'm definitely in support of breastfeeding.

1) Breastfeeding can be an empowering act, giving women a better view of their own bodies
2) Breastfeeding takes breasts back from the male centered world of selling beer and cars
3) The health benefits for mothers who breastfeed go hand in hand with health care issues for women

Yes, it is something that is mostly women 9there are some rare cases of men breastfeeding, and not all women can breastfeed). However, so is menstruation. Should that be stopped simply because it is gendered? I don't think feminism should be trying to become men (Well they don't breastfeed so we shouldn't either), it should be about both working towards equality and celebrating our differences. Equality would be pointless if we were all cookie cutter ideals.

[Stephanie]

I breastfeed, practice modern feminism and attachment parent. And I guarantee you that my son will grow up with a strong appreciation for women and our contribution to home and society.

There is something incredibly powerful about being the preferred caregiver for my son, the one he wants to snuggle and nurse with. After 2-1/2 years of nursing, he still thinks that I am the best person to meet his needs. His Dad is a great father and wonderful husband, but he will never be able to do for my son what I can - provide total nourishment and comfort. That is powerful stuff! Hooray for girls!

[Ali]

I am a feminist and I am a breastfeeding advocate.

Surely you're familiar with this quote from Dr. Christine Northrup:

"When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form."

Obviously, I'm big on the health activism aspect of feminism.

Tai'sMom puts it beautifully. I can't top that, just nod in agreement. :)

[Heather]

I don't consider myself a feminist, primarily because I don't care too much for politics (and I see feminists issues as political). But my question would be: is there such a thing as feminism in non-industrialized countries?

[Maria]

Also-- one more type of feminist thought is key to breastfeeding, IMO-- ecofeminism.

[Jen]

Another "hell yeah!" response here.... I'm absolutely a feminist (even hold a Women's Studies degree) and definitely a breastfeeding advocate. I nursed my son until 15 months and my daughter until 16 months, and I make breastfeeding jewelry to help moms and babies extend and enjoy the breastfeeding relationship.

I am also a strong believer in having both parents highly involved in child rearing. I love what Angela said: "Things do not have to be the same to be fair." For me, feminism is mostly about trying to get a fair shake for women... this does not mean blindly treating men and women the same in every situation. When every person is treated like a human being, with her rights respected and needs met, ultimately EVERYBODY benefits.

I also wanted to point out that it's not necessarily true that breastfeeding and sexual biology must be linked... because male lactation is possible. Or at least that's what Wikipedia says, and if it's on Wikipedia it's true, right? ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_lactation

[christine]

It used to be that a woman learned to breastfeed by watching her mother, aunts, sisters, etc. Women! Then formula was invented and you had to have your doctor tell you how to feed your baby. Doctors were predominently men back then. It seems to me that breastfeeding gives a woman her power back. The medical community and formula companies in our culture have made women feel insecure about their ability to nourish and care for their babies. I was unsuccessful at breastfeeding my two older children because I got what I now know was bad advice from my doctor. I am now nursing my third child who is almost two years old. The major difference was that I decided that I was perfectly capable as a mother and a woman of knowing what my baby needed and giving it to her. I feel beautiful and empowered by my nursing relationship with my daughter and my husband has plenty of his own parenting responsibilities!

[Jenny]

I'm glad you wrote this, because I had previously wondered whether or not I WAS a feminist. I think women should be able to choose where to birth (at home, in a hospital, in a birthing center). I believe women are victimized and humiliated in hospitals and something should be done about it. My 13-month-old is still breastfeeding and I don't know when we'll quit! (No time soon.) The only time I've felt trapped or unliberated as a woman was not during breastfeeding; it was due to the way I was treated in the hospital during delivery. Perhaps some of the feminists condemning breastfeeding are doing so on principle and haven't actually tried it. I agree with Jen H that it's foolish to try to turn a woman into a man. There are things women can do that men just can't, and I, for one, enjoy that!

[tanya@motherwearblog]

These are such great comments! Here's my perspective:

I have always thought of myself as a feminist. I was raised on Free to Be You and Me, and remember as a kid being disappointed at the failure of the ERA. My husband and I split the parenting responsibilities equally, and for me that was a critical factor in our decision to start a family. We are both committed to breastfeeding, and viewed this as an important responsibility that belonged to me. He took responsibility for other parts of parenting. We continue to work things out so that the balance feels right.

It honestly never would have occurred to me that there would be a feminist critique of breastfeeding. I, like many of you, consider breastfeeding an empowering act, especially in the context of the medicalization of motherhood.

I had heard that there was a feminist critique of breastfeeding (not shared by all, certainly!), but hadn't learned anything about it until I heard a talk at a lactation conference last year by Dr. Bernice Hausman, of Virginia Tech. She's mentioned in the article above as a key proponent of a women's health activism perspective on breastfeeding.

The thing that strikes me about the liberal feminist argument (at least as described in this article), is that in order for breastfeeding to fall into the category of "labor" and not into the same category as pregnancy/birth, you have to buy the argument that 1) there is nothing important about breastfeeding as an act, and 2) nothing important about breastmilk as a substance. On this last point the argument seems to really fall apart, as there are thousands upon thousands of studies showing this to be false. And you would also have to discount women's stated experience that the act of breastfeeding is about *more than feeding.*

I'll always consider myself a feminist and a breastfeeding advocate. It's vitally important to health of the mother and baby, and I view it as an extension of the female ability to carry and birth a child. It's not just about the milk, either - the act of nursing has a power of its own. And in this country at this time, it's also empowering to women to have the choice to breastfeed.

For more on Dr. Hausman's work, here's a link to her page on the topic:

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/bhausman/research/bfding.htm

[Abby]

I am absolutely a feminist and breastfeeding supporter. I think that liberal feminism as you've defined it has become archaic in their attitudes, specifically toward how women ought to act more like men in order to fit in. Many of these women despise other women who don't act like them, whereas in an ideal world, women would be treated equally without having to be biological equals (equal but opposite). Feminism should actually stand up for ALL womens' rights, including the rights of a mother to breastfeed her child. I personally believe that political agendas that go against our physical nature ought to be avoided, because that is like saying that you can actually change your genetic structure, which is impossible. Women produce breastmilk for their babies, it's as simple as that. Whether they use that milk or not is an entirely different issue.