Breastfeeding
Is a Contact Sport:
A Lively Outside-the-Box Look at Breastfeeding in the Context of Other
Adult Behaviors, Society's Values and Economic Priorities
Presented by
Coach Linda Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC
Reported by Larissa Lee
East Brunswick, NJ, USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 35 No. 5, October-November 1999, pp. 107-108
(This article is a report
on a 1999 LLLI Conference session.)
In the United States, sports
are big news. From neighborhood soccer clubs to professional football
leagues, sports dominate advertising and the media, attract a lot of
money and resources, and hold a generally positive image in society.
Why doesn't breastfeeding get the same attention?
Coach Linda Smith's session
"Breastfeeding Is a Contact Sport" took a look at breastfeeding
in a new light. The session was lively and humorous, but also carried
a strong message: let's get serious about breastfeeding. Smith's model
was based on the fact that breastfeeding is a normal behavior and that
breastfeeding is beneficial to everyone. With a degree in physical education
and a life-long involvement with athletics as a coach, trainer and participant,
Smith drew a series of parallels between breastfeeding advocacy and
sports.
Training and education should
begin early, with all students gaining a basic knowledge of breastfeeding
from the school curricula just as they take physical education through
all years of school. Intense education should take place during pregnancy,
using a wide variety of books, videos and courses. Smith said that the
education should be based on optimizing success and providing safety
skills to avoid injury or to treat injuries quickly. Sponsorship and
funding for breastfeeding education should come from organizations like
booster clubs and alumni associations, groups that raise enormous funds
for athletic organizations. Smith noted that education would also let
industries know that everyone benefits from breastfeeding.
Smith also discussed the
importance of attitude. Mothers need to want to be on the team and they
should want their babies to nurse successfully. just as people wear
logos for sports teams Smith suggested we wear our team colors - t-shirts,
bumper stickers, jackets, buttons, or jewelry that promote breastfeeding.
We should form and join booster clubs and act shocked if breastfeeding
is blocked in any way.
To build a winning breastfeeding
team, we may want to study top performers. Coaches, trainers and athletes
spend a lot of time watching videos, to study every aspect of technique
and form in order to maximize performance.
Breastfeeding counselors
should gather as much technical information as possible and scientific
research should be encouraged and accessible to all.
There should be safety systems
set up to prevent injuries and to have prompt remedies and treatments
if problems arise. Smith noted that athletic trainers are diligent in
watching players to prevent and detect injuries.
If injuries occur, rehabilitation
begins right away. We can prevent a mother from being sidelined if we
can catch potential problems early in the game. Smith suggested we post
our successes. We also shouldn't hide the fact that breastfeeding is
fun.
Here are Coach Smith's tips
on how to win at breastfeeding: sign up, come to practices, listen to
the coach, get an attitude, take the plunge, study the game plan and
the rules, don't cheat (avoid pacifiers and distancing), don't do drugs
(drugs during labor interfere with the beginning of breastfeeding),
trust your teammate (that's your baby), avoid spies from the competition
(anyone who intends to undermine your breastfeeding), use good technique
to avoid injury, wear your uniform and team colors, hang out with the
pros, use good equipment, no whining-success takes commitment, adapt
to changing conditions in the field, celebrate your victories, stick
with it until the season ends, the season will end, no shortcuts, repetition
builds skills, expect gradual (not sudden) improvement, fire the bad
coaches, and pay the players what they're worth.
Smith added that breastfeeding
truly is a contact sport and does require lots of mother-baby contact.
Coach Smith ended the session
with a set of rules and the admonition to "be proud, be gutsy."
Here are Coach Smith's Rules:
1. Feed the baby.
2. The mother is right.
3. It's her baby.
4. Nobody knows everything.
5. There's another way.
To find out more about Coach
Linda Smith, visit her website through www.bflrc.com/
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:08 UTC 2007.
