Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issue a Breast Feeding Report Card for the Nation. Complete statistics can be viewed on their website. Breast feeding is an important way to reduce many illnesses and obesity. The 2012 report shows that almost 90% of Colorado mothers exclusively breast fed their babies for the first six months, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Academy further advises that breast milk should be a continued source of baby nutrition through the second year. Most mothers want to breast feed and if the hospital they choose to deliver in has the designation of “Baby Friendly” they will receive the support they need. Colorado, Arizona, and North Dakota have the most hospitals that have met the criteria for being Baby Friendly. In these hospitals, a lactation consultant sees every family, pacifiers are not routinely used, and mothers are not sent home with a complimentary bottles of formula.
Ironically, there has recently been a furor about breastfeeding near Denver. A mother who was nursing her 10 month old at a city-owned water park, was asked by an employee to not nurse in public. This is in direct violation of Colorado laws which permit breast feeding in all public and private places. The city apologized to the mother but nevertheless, quite a lot of emotion was expressed on both sides.
Perhaps when a few more generations of children grow up seeing babies being nursed everywhere, then our culture won’t be so apt to view this as extraordinary.
21Moons 