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Atlantic Article Calls Breastfeeding “An Instrument of Misery”

March 23, 2009 By 4 Comments



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On est bien chez sa maman
Creative Commons License photo credit: Raphael Goetter

Hanna Rosin’s article “The Case Against Breast-Feeding” in the April 2009 issue of The Atlantic, has really brought out some strong feelings from both mothers and breastfeeding organizations. Here’s the lead-in to the article:

“In certain overachieving circles, breast-feeding is no longer a choice—it’s a no-exceptions requirement, the ultimate badge of responsible parenting. Yet the actual health benefits of breast-feeding are surprisingly thin, far thinner than most popular literature indicates. Is breast-feeding right for every family? Or is it this generation’s vacuum cleaner—an instrument of misery that mostly just keeps women down?”

An instrument of misery? Are you kidding me?

The author was also featured on the Today show with NBC News Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman on March 16th, and their discussion horribly misrepresented medical research on the benefits of breastfeeding. The conversation brought attention to a much bigger issue surrounding the choice to breastfeed: Optimal breastfeeding recommendations in the United States are hard to come by. And by focusing on “The Case Against Breast-Feeding”, we may be moving backward in that area.

The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) sent a letter to the editor of the Atlantic (PDF), but they are asking for your help in publicizing this ridiculous and irresponsible “debate” about the proven health risks of not breastfeeding. The USBC also wants to reframe the discussion in order to focus on the issue that is really at stake: support for mothers and families.

If you want to add your voice to the debate, the USBC has a template ready for you to use to send to the Atlantic editor, complete with additional talking points to include. Here’s a sample:

“Ms. Rosin’s argument that the benefits of breastfeeding are not scientifically validated misrepresents the medical evidence, detracting from an otherwise valid and important critique of the way American society neglects the needs of women and families.

Unfortunately, the inflammatory nature of Ms. Rosin’s article will only perpetuate a fabricated “debate” that’s pitting women against one another—the very phenomenon that she condemns. Our lack of societal support for women and families does not cancel out the fact that breastfeeding is a vital factor in the health—emotional and physical—of mothers and babies. Rather than attempting to make a case “against” breastfeeding that only intensifies the divisions among women, I urge The Atlantic to instead make the case FOR the support that so many American families lack, from birthplace to workplace.”

If this strikes a chord in you, please head over to the USBC letter page and send the Atlantic this message: Don’t Sell Women Short: Support Mothers AND Breastfeeding

You can also share the letter with others from that same page.


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  • http://accordingtofaith.com/blog Faith

    I’m sorry but, what are people stupid? Breastfeeding was the norm for hundreds and thousands of years and we’ve evolved this far. Now “modern science” has invented the bottle and formula and breasts have turned into appalling as a source of nutrition and turned into something exploitive.
    I can sympathize with working moms and mothers who tried and just couldn’t do it. I understand all that as now a days breastfeeding really has turned into a personal choice. I agree. Women shouldn’t be divided – it just sounds stupid to be to even try and formulate a case against something that has proven infalible thus far.
    I do understand Hanna’s argument about studies being inconsistent. That’s very likely – was the mother consuming the right blend of vitamins and minerals as well as other important nutrients? That can make a huge difference in the results. You do need some type of control group.
    Hanna argues no studies have been done because they can’t tell mothers what to feed their babies… yet we see commercials and advertisements all over for bottles (very little to none for breastfeeding). I, for one, would happily volunteer for that kind of study, as I’m sure 1000′s of others on both sides of the party would. So do they really want to know the answers?

  • Maggie

    Hey,
    I didn’t find this article inflammatory at all. In fact, I found it refreshing to read an article that contained some honest opinion from a mom of three kids who questions the populist opinion that breast feeding is always best. All she does is present to the reader the question of whether there is significant scientific study to back up the gung-ho culture that says breast-feeding is best. What she says is there might not be. What she says is ‘hey people, there may not be a lot of good information out there.’ ‘You may not be a complete flop, as this culture will make you out to be, if you have chosen not to breast-feed your children.’

    I find it patently more offensive – MUCH more offensive – that you would mount a letter writing campaign to effectively silence this women’s right to free speech. You are effectively shunning a woman who dares to question.

    Signed,
    A mother of two breast-fed children

  • http://environmentalish.blogspot.com Misty

    Wow. Does she sound more than a little angry and insecure or what? “Fascist”? That’s definitely incendiary. And so much of what she claims is the reverse of the truth – yes you *might* be told at your OB that “breast is best”, and then on the way out the door you get a bag stuffed with free formula and bumper stickers for formula companies. So many of her arguments are just dangerous if you replace ‘breastfeeding” with just about anything else – recycling, for example. It sounds to me like she is exhausted, and upset with where she is in her life… and shame on the Atlantic for publishing her in that state of mind.

    Mistys last blog post..Soup without food in it.