“Breastfeeding Has Nothing to Do with Ideology”

The sight of a nursing mother triggers different reactions in the most public – and woe betide if the child is older than this

Breastfeed or not breastfeed? And if so, how long? To differ on this question until today the spirits. Here, the facts speak for themselves, says the gynecologist practicing in Iserlohn Elke Cramer. She chairs the Professional Association of German lactation (BDL), who is currently fighting that still work will be recognized as health benefits and rewards.

How is it ordered to the Pacific in the world..?

There are two studies that have shown that breastfed immediately after birth, about 90 percent of the children. That would have pleased you. Absolutely. Unfortunately, this ratio falls in two months – on 45 percent or even 40 percent, depending on the study. This means that there are obviously many mothers who breastfeed their child would like, but having problems doing so.

 What are the issues then?

Cramer: A big issue is sore nipples, which arise when the child is not properly applied. This requires a woman the right guide, because breastfeeding is not intuitive, but must be learned. There is also the situation that women are confused because they are worried that they had too little milk.

 Is this concern justified?

Cramer: These cases are extremely rare and truly absolute exceptions. Not to breastfeed or not to have enough milk, those are the myths that we educate – often even health care professionals.

 Who do you mean by “we”?

Cramer: All breastfeeding and lactation consultants in 1445 in Germany. We are professionals, which has acquired in addition to the basic medical profession as a pediatric nurse, midwife, doctor or similar an additional qualification. Our exam is recognized internationally and is filed worldwide. So we are officially or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in short IBCLC. We have to prove our knowledge every five years by means of training points, and every ten years, with repetition of the exam.

 If the target breastfeeding myths have no real basis for why they hold so tenaciously?

Cramer: Today’s mothers are often not self-satisfied. This also means that today’s grandmothers have hardly own breastfeeding experience. They are unsettled and can hardly help their daughters. A question that breastfeeding is often asked is: Do you mean because the child is sick? The uncertainty is understandable. In the 60s and 70s was hardly appeased, children were weighed before and after feeding to ensure that they have done drinking. And if breast-feeding mothers can not be supported by their own mothers, they need skilled personnel they encouraged. The above-mentioned ratio shows that there is little for nursing mothers to help and support.

 But there is already a dense network of counseling.

Cramer: It could be better. There is an EU action plan, which provides that should have all the health personnel that has to do with newborns and their mothers who have special training in nursing and lactation counseling. We are still far away.

 How is the reality?

Cramer: Currently there are 70 certified as baby friendly hospitals in Germany. 52 hospitals seek to achieve this certificate. There are trained personnel who can help mothers with breastfeeding. But on the other hand, there are 413 German maternity hospitals that are not certified. And so it is just still happens all too often, it means that the woman had a tough birth, which now needs rest, bring the child out times. A woman who has not been well informed, will accept such an offer gratefully. It is necessary, especially in the beginning the child is often applied to breastfeeding. More importantly, it would be that it shows you how to lie in comfortably breastfeed – this is especially true for the many Caesarean sections, with whom we have to do it. Another important point is that mothers seek their advice not only midwives, but often with the gynecologist or pediatrician, who view them as experts.

And what is ordered by their knowledge about breastfeeding?

Cramer: I myself am a gynecologist – and sorry to say: particularly in the guild of physicians, there is little knowledge and, unfortunately, very little interest. In the studies we learn almost nothing about breastfeeding. On the other hand, we are gynecologist during pregnancy important contacts of the women. It would be desirable that every gynecologist working with a midwife or lactation consultant to the pregnant woman already informed about breastfeeding prenatally.

This should somehow be financed, given the current state of our health care system could be difficult.

Cramer: Only midwives are now recognized as so-called health care service and advice on breast feeding may directly bill the insurance company. If you have further questions or problems, but it is useful to exploit the expertise of specially trained for a supplement. Therefore, we work to ensure that our valuable work will be paid. We want a network, where all work together, having to do with birth and infant nutrition, with as many IBCLC in all occupational groups.

How does the ignorance of the doctors when it comes to breastfeeding?

Cramer: Take the following example: A nursing mother is sick and should take a medicine. Now, however, stands in the red list that nursing women should not take this medication. So it is often said: The woman has to pump out the milk and discard – and this is the first step to weaning. There are much more sophisticated sources as the Red List, only the much under-utilized. There is, for almost every disease drugs, which are compatible with breastfeeding. It can be seen: The exchange with the experts would be helpful.

 And what about the kids doctors? Many recommend that, after four months of complementary feeding to begin, although the World Health Organization (WHO) advises otherwise.

Cramer: The WHO recommends six months exclusive breastfeeding – and advises them to introduce complementary foods, the first under the protection of human milk, because it will prevent allergies. Then came the argument that in Germany only ten to twenty percent of the mothers so silent, as the WHO recommends. To meet this reality, it was said that complementary foods after four months would be okay – so that these foods will continue to be introduced under the protection of human milk. But to deduce that there must be fed after the fourth month, which is downright ludicrous. No other food gives you such an energy density as the breast milk.

World Online: One gets the impression that in Germany there is a sectarian battle between breastfeeding advocates and opponents down. Why is that?

Cramer: discussions about breastfeeding and parenting ever touching their own experiences and feelings, so that a factual dispute is very difficult. Just long-time breastfeeding mothers will meet with many reservations. There are so many studies and findings that argue for breastfeeding that you really can not speak of an ideology. We are breastfeeding and lactation consultants, it is important that each woman makes her own informed decision – for or against breast-feeding. Much of what passes through breast feeding is natural, bottle feeding is not granted. Therefore, an expert consultation for nursing mothers is not important so that they recognize the signals of their child.

What are the signals?

Cramer: While breastfeeding the child decide when to stop drinking, which is in the bottle feeding often controlled by the mother. Because it may just happen quickly without expert instruction time that the mother says: Now only 20 milliliters are in there that you manage too. And that’s your natural sense of saturation, with the coming of each child, disturbed. Recent studies have shown that the later risk of obesity decreases with the children each month at four per cent down. The importance of breastfeeding for the prevention of obesity may therefore be overstated. Also get to know the child through breast feeding an enormous variety of tastes. The milk tastes always different, depending on what the mother has eaten. The tolerance of the child increases with the introduction of complementary foods.

 We are among the reasons why you are promoting breastfeeding.

Cramer: In all aspects of health, led mostly silent on the subject, I would like to find first: Breastfeeding is a huge opportunity when it comes to promoting mother-child bond. Not always, empathy, intuition and sensitivity course for young mothers. But the wonderful cocktail of hormones prolactin and oxytocin, which is released during breastfeeding, a mother makes her child receptive to the signals – and he has the consequence that they are completely focused on her child …

and forget about everything else. In the vernacular it is for the formulation Still dementia.

Cramer: Is not it terrible that we occupy such a wonderful thing with such a derogatory term?

 to be quenched, so has many advantages for the child. What about the women?

Cramer: I am a gynecologist indeed primarily responsible for the welfare of women. There are numerous studies showing that breast-feeding reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease reduces the long term. Breast cancer and ovarian cancer risk decline if a woman has breastfed several children over many months. But unfortunately there are few women who use long down times as well as health care for themselves. That might be different if our society would not be so quiet hostility.