I’m originally from Ecuador where all the women in my family gave birth in what Americans would call a hospital. However, we call them clinics, which in my country are private, while the hospitals are public.

My mom says she breastfed my sibling for about six months and myself for about nine months. On both occasions, her supply dried out and artificial baby milk was introduced, along with solids. When she gave birth to us, she had my grandmother make her special meals and beverages to keep her milk supply up and generally take care of her during the postpartum period.

I remember seeing the Ecuadorian Native Indians breastfeed their children everywhere, Mothers would have their babies in a sling, while handling the produce for their customers and breastfeeding.

When I got pregnant in the US, my husband and I were ecstatic. We read every pregnancy book we could get our hands on (libraries are great resources). However, when I got to the delivery and postpartum sections(including breastfeeding), I would skip them as I knew that I was going to let the doctors do what they do best, which, I though at the time, would be bringing my baby into this world. As far as breastfeeding...well, that was natural and instinctual, so I didn’t have to read about it. Little did I know that I was incorrect.

One day, I was shopping with my mother-in-law (my husband is American) and she asked me if I was thinking of getting a breast pump. I didn’t even know how to translate that. Breast? Pump? Why does a breast need a pump? What is a pump? I thought...welcome to America. So, I asked her what a breast pump was. She tried to explain it to the best of her abilities, but I still didn’t quite get it. After all, she never used one and had not breastfed her infants, so I thought about it further and concluded that she must have been referring to a breast milk extractor. I had heard about those back in Ecuador, but I had never seen one, so that was a hard one to understand. When I first saw one, I thought that it looked too complicated and mechanical. Isn’t breastfeeding supposed to be natural...what’s up with that???

Then my baby was born (my family was in Ecuador) and I started breastfeeding. I remembered seeing women holding their babies in what is called the “cradle hold”. At that time, I couldn’t even imagine that breastfeeding had positions with names. Keep in mind that I never read the breastfeeding sections in books. So, I simply tried to imitate it to the best of my abilities. At the hospital, the nurse offered to help me with a “better position”, the football hold, which I must say was a disaster when I attempted it on my own.

I encountered problems when I was at home, and discovered that there were breastfeeding specialists that could help me. There were no moms, sisters, or relatives around me to help – I found that the previous generation was, for the most part, formula-fed. After the breastfeeding specialist’s visit, I discovered that I could feed my baby solely with my breast milk and that I didn’t need artificial baby milk. I couldn’t believe that. I thought that at some point my breast milk would dry out and I would need to use formula. I had not bought any, but almost magically, two cans arrived at my home and two more to my baby shower host’s address. When I saw those cans, I was shocked. I had formula being delivered to my house! This would never happen in Ecuador; those things are expensive, nobody give you those for free.

I also discovered that there were rules about breastfeeding, such as where and how to breastfeed in public depending on the state you live in. Freely nursing like the women at the farmers market in Ecuador was not the norm in the US. Also, I was introduced to a special wardrobe: “the nursing wardrobe”. There were bras, tank tops, t-shirts and shirts to help you breastfeed more discreetly, and there I was thinking that I could go back to using my regular clothes. Nipple creams -- that was shocking! Cream for your nipples? Wow. And there was more...breastshells? The first thing that came to mind when I saw shells on the box was the little sea shells at the beach. What am I supposed to do with sea shells on my breasts. What do they do? Gel pads, nipple shields, teas in nice cute boxes with funny name ingredients, pills to boost your milk supply and the list just went on and on. What happened to grandma’s drinks and meals? They just didn’t exist here. You name it and there was more than one product and brand for it. Quite overwhelming!

Eventually, I discovered that breast pumps weren’t as complicated as they looked and that I could go back to work and express my milk to be given to my baby while I was away. I also learned that my milk could be stored, frozen, thawed-out and warmed up, while still being safe for my baby to drink.

I can’t help but wonder how something that is supposed to be natural has so many products and gadgets. Whatever happened to using a washcloth to make a warm or cool compress when needed instead of running out the door to go buy something similar? Or using your breast milk to help your nipples heal? What happened to mothers teaching their daughters how to breastfeed? Why is breastfeeding in public so controversial? Aren’t babies supposed to be fed from their mother’s breasts, whenever and wherever they’re hungry and not where the law deems it appropriate? If we don’t let our little ones see how breastfeeding is done, how are our little girls supposed to learn and how are our little boys going to learn to support it? Would you rather have the perfect meal at the right temperature and straight from the source, or a cold processed food? Babies are not any different than us.

The United States is working hard to shift from artificial feeding to breastfeeding. Support among women is necessary to make breastfeeding the norm again. Working together and helping each other nurture our future is key. If a woman artificially fed her infant, don’t be so quick to judge her. Offer your support. Maybe she had to take a calculated risk -- feed her baby vs. let him/her starve. Maybe she had nobody to support and help her at the time, or was given dirty looks for breastfeeding in public. Maybe next time she is pregnant, you can be around as a sister/friend to help her overcome any breastfeeding challenge.

By Saray Hill BS, IBCLC, RLC