Breast feeding

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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Anyone know why Dominican women refuse to breast feed? it is doing my head in. I am surrounded with sick infants as their mothers have used well water to mix the formula. Or they have not sterised the bottles or teats - no water and no stove to heat it on. Three babies have died recently from parasites. I take them to the hospital in my car to give birth , and they then refuse to breast feed when they get out. They say the doctor tells them to do it but they don't want to - they just tell me Dominican women don't. They can't afford formula so the babies go very hungry too. I need to know the right things to say to try and change this behaviour. I've tried all the usual - babies health, cost etc to no avail. HELP!!!

matilda
 

Sharlene

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Mar 4, 2006
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Wow, this is a shocker, I was totally unaware of this and am appalled by it. I cannot understand what could possibly stop a mother from breastfeeding when it involves endangering her baby's health. I know in UK that some women don't because it's a 'vanity' thing - worrying about their boobs sagging etc, but surely that can't be the case here.......... Mind you it would explain why they all have such great 'pert' boobs even after having children.......

Obviously, until you find out why, it's going to be virtually impossible to change things...
 

perlanegra

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Feb 4, 2005
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Matilda:

Unfortunately, many females in the Dominican Rep. live of appearance and sometimes they totally forget and don't want to hear about the benefits of breast feeding; because many of them think that by doing it; it will make the breast sag even faster and they don't really want to have sag breasts. I grew up in the Dominican Rep. and always heard the mothers advicing the new mothers not to breast feed because of that reason.

I think is very silly but as always everybody is entitled to do whatever they want with their body. I personally breast fed my kids (13 & 6 y/o) for almost a year each and one thing I can tell you is that they hardly ever get sick! While the rest of the kids are coughing the lungs out; mine are safe and still hang out with the sick ones. I owe it to the miracle of breast milk and forget about the rest! It's all about my kids health; they didn't ask to be conceived and it's my responsability to provide them with the best.

How you can help to change the behaviour? uhhh!!! You will need lots of help from the secretaria de salud; call Ms. primera dama Fernandez and explain your concerns!

My 2 cents Matilda

Perlanegra


Anyone know why Dominican women refuse to breast feed? it is doing my head in. I am surrounded with sick infants as their mothers have used well water to mix the formula. Or they have not sterised the bottles or teats - no water and no stove to heat it on. Three babies have died recently from parasites. I take them to the hospital in my car to give birth , and they then refuse to breast feed when they get out. They say the doctor tells them to do it but they don't want to - they just tell me Dominican women don't. They can't afford formula so the babies go very hungry too. I need to know the right things to say to try and change this behaviour. I've tried all the usual - babies health, cost etc to no avail. HELP!!!

matilda
 

Sharlene

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Mar 4, 2006
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By the way, congratulations on your return to health after your op. I'm full of admiration for somebody who's able to find the time and the energy to try and help others even after all you've been through.....:classic:
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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The authorities do try to promote breast feeding in conjunction with children's welfare charities, UNICEF, etc. but a lot of people across social classes still see it as something only poor people do. Formula is associated with progress. I believe the 'developed' world went through a phase like this during the middle of the 20th century, helped by the advertising campaigns by formula companies, before breastfeeding made a comeback.

There is also the vanity factor, and just today I was visiting a very poor community in the remote mountains of San Juan de la Maguana province (SW) where young mothers don't breastfeed, apparently for that reason. They cannot afford formula either so they give their newborns "herbal infusions, sugar water or a flour and water mixture".

This is an extreme but not rare example - an exceptionally poor community - at least 80% illiteracy and high child malnourishment and mortality rates as a result. The project I was observing was trying to address those very problems by working with the mothers on promoting breastfeeding and providing them with information about correct nutrition, while trying to repair the damage done to the surviving children. They have apparently shown some improvement in the months since the project got under way but are still small and weak-looking for their age.

After 20 years in this line of work I'm not easily shocked but today's experience came close.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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can someone explain something to me here - death of a child in western culture seams to be a major tragedy, hell, you cannot even mention word "death" in one sentence with words "your kid".
this, however does not seem to be the case in DR. reminds me of "growth of the soil" by knut hamsun when after death of a child husband tells wife: "why are you crying, stupid? we'll make another one."
 

Rick Snyder

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Nov 19, 2003
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Matilda,

If I may I would like to add my own dos centavos to the discussion.

In the many conversations I've had with Dominicans both male and female over the years a couple of important points always come out when discussing this subject. Beside the folk lore of sagging breasts there is a general lack of knowledge of the true purpose of breast milk other then as a food source. Dominicans don't seem to be aware of mothers milk containing antibodies and anti-infective factors which help their children fight off a large number of diseases at that point in their lives that they are most susceptible. Breast milk is the perfect food for babies.These facts are not taught in the home, at school and I've never seen it in the media here.

I would think that a sort of parenting class for expectant mothers pointing out the benefits of breast milk may be the best way to fight this problem. As to sagging breasts the teaching of improving their posture and some simple exercises would help tremendously in that area.

Rick
 

Sharlene

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I don't know how feasible it is, but perhaps some literature with photographs attached or posters with photos would help. If the pregnant mums were to actually see a big cross section of wealthier women from other cultures breastfeeding in different situations, it might give help them to realise that it's the best thing for all babies, no matter what your 'class'. Sometimes a photograph says more than a 'sensible' explanation ever can. If they're vain enough about their bodies and worried enough about what's considered acceptable that they're reduced to feeding their babies flour and water, then I should think that a lot of the important info about antibodies etc is going to fall on deaf ears a lot of the time.

Perhaps if there exists a Dominican or other 'celebrity' who could admit to breastfeeding and has still retained a good shape (and who may even be willing to put their face to a little campaign......foc) it may be seen as a more 'fashionable' thing to do if that is what's most important to them.

I think one of the main 'sticking points' is going to be that it seems to be the grandmothers who recommend to the mothers that they don't breastfeed. I would imagine, with the close knit family groups here, that initially it's going to take some strong women appear to be 'disrespecting' that advice and possibly insulting their mothers in the process...................
 
C

Chip00

Guest
My wife for one breastfed our two daughters for at least some of the time even though she said it hurt like hell. As far as aprehension Domican women have about breast feeding because of sagging breasts I have never heard my wife talking about it - Dominican women seem to be focused on how the nalga looks more than anything. :)

Also, I've seen plenty enough women here in Santiago sacando la teta en el publico to feed their baby and nobody seems to pay them any mind.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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Thanks for your input. I know there are some programmes out there to try and educate the women, but only on a small scale. It used to be the same in the UK - bottle feeding, and then there was a 'Breast is Best' campaign which I think was very successful. I assume something similar happened in the States? if anyone has any information on how and why things changed in Europe and the States can you let me know. In the meantime I will try and talk to as many Dominican women as I can and try and find out the reasons why they do not want to breast feed. i can't believe it is just the fear of saggy boobs? And then, armed with that info, as suggested I will try and see Mrs Fernandez and see what she says!!!! DR1 board members will find it hard to do anything about the crime, rising prices, the govt, sankies, but surely we must be able to do something about this and save the lives of, I would think 100s of babies each year??

Matilda
 

Campesina

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From what I could understand, in the campo, bottle feeding and pampers are a sign of having at least enough money to care for your child. No one wants to admit they are poor, and one way to prove you are not poor is to display material wealth, sadly at the expense of the health of the child.
 

Rick Snyder

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Nov 19, 2003
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On my daily venture to the city today I asked 8 Dominican women that I saw ,and that I know, what was the reason that Dominican women have a tendency not to breast feed their babies or if they do why is it for a short time period. All 8 answered that the Dominican woman thinks it is the cause of sagging breasts and 3 also answered due to the pain involved.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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I don't know how feasible it is, but perhaps some literature with photographs attached or posters with photos would help. If the pregnant mums were to actually see a big cross section of wealthier women from other cultures breastfeeding in different situations, it might give help them to realise that it's the best thing for all babies, no matter what your 'class'. Sometimes a photograph says more than a 'sensible' explanation ever can. If they're vain enough about their bodies and worried enough about what's considered acceptable that they're reduced to feeding their babies flour and water, then I should think that a lot of the important info about antibodies etc is going to fall on deaf ears a lot of the time.

Perhaps if there exists a Dominican or other 'celebrity' who could admit to breastfeeding and has still retained a good shape (and who may even be willing to put their face to a little campaign......foc) it may be seen as a more 'fashionable' thing to do if that is what's most important to them.

I think one of the main 'sticking points' is going to be that it seems to be the grandmothers who recommend to the mothers that they don't breastfeed. I would imagine, with the close knit family groups here, that initially it's going to take some strong women appear to be 'disrespecting' that advice and possibly insulting their mothers in the process...................
Some really good ideas there - I like the idea of a glamorous celebrity role model.

Very few Dominican women attend pre-natal classes and in my experience the state hospitals and private clinics do not encourage or support women who want to try breastfeeding. I think (but don't know for an absolute fact) that formula manufacturers are allowed to give new mothers free samples, something that has been banned in other countries. I wonder also if those gift packages that the government and political parties give to poor pregnant women contain formula. In a country like this especially, commercial interests will override others.

Precisely because of the close-knit family structure the understanding is that female family members will provide all the advice, information and support that you need. In the UK, in contrast, the hospital gives you what is in effect a training course in caring for a baby.

There is a La Leche League in Santo Domingo, but as with pre-natal classes it is definitely a minority thing and you have to actively seek them out.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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Have checked various articles and the latest study said 29% of dominican women say they don't brest feed because of their figures, the rest say they don't want to!! The celebrity idea is definitely a good idea - I think it is how it changed in the UK - firstly knowledge that it was better for the baby and secondly peer pressure - you were a bad mother if you didn't do it, and fashion leaders were seen to be breast feeding. Here is a chart showing how the DR is even worse than many 3rd world countries:

The following table shows the uptake of exclusive breastfeeding. Sources: WHO Global Data Bank on Breastfeeding and UNICEF Global Database Breastfeeding Indicators

Country Percentage Year Type of feeding
Armenia 0.7% 1993 Exclusive
20.8% 1997 Exclusive
Benin 13% 1996 Exclusive
16% 1997 Exclusive
Bolivia 59% 1989 Exclusive
53% 1994 Exclusive
Central African Republic 4% 1995 Exclusive
Chile 97% 1993 Predominant
Colombia 19% 1993 Exclusive
95% (16%) 1995 Predominant (exclusive)
Dominican Republic 14% 1986 Exclusive
10% 1991 Exclusive
Ecuador 96% 1994 Predominant
Egypt 68% 1995 Exclusive
Ethiopia 78% 2000 Exclusive
Mali 8% 1987 Exclusive
12% 1996 Exclusive
Mexico 37.5% 1987 Exclusive
Niger 4% 1992 Exclusive
Nigeria 2% 1992 Exclusive
Pakistan 12% 1988 Exclusive
25% 1992 Exclusive
Poland 1.5% 1988 Exclusive
17% 1995 Exclusive
Saudi Arabia 55% 1991 Exclusive
Senegal 7% 1993 Exclusive
South Africa 10.4% 1998 Exclusive
Sweden 55% 1992 Exclusive
98% 1990 Predominant
61% 1993 Exclusive
Thailand 90% 1987 Predominant
99% (0.2%) 1993 Predominant (exclusive)
4% 1996 Exclusive
Zambia 13% 1992 Exclusive
23% 1996 Exclusive
Zimbabwe 12% 1988 Exclusive
17% 1994 Exclusive
38.9% 1999 Exclusive


Sorry it didn't come out too well, but DR has declined to 10%. Also my v limited research so far shows that 50% of infant deaths are due to parasite infections and malnutrition. And those are the ones which are reported.

Thanks again - keep the info coming please

matilda
 

Sharlene

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Another thing which may come into the equation....what is or would be the reaction of people in the DR to women breastfeeding in public?

One of the past problems in the UK , amongst other countries, has been the lack of tolerance for breastfeeding mothers. Some mothers were outraged at being told not to breastfeed in public. I think at one point they even started publishing a list of cafes and restaurants which were 'breastfeeding friendly'. When I breastfed my two girls, I tried to be discreet but, at the end of the day, feeding them quickly was what was most important. I never found any negative attitudes or 'strange' stares where I lived in UK.

I wonder what the general attitude of the DR population is in relation to breastfeeding in public? Because of the type of idea that bottle feeding and disposable nappies denote wealth, would it be seen as 'embarrassing' and 'primitive' to be seen to be breastfeeding, particularly in public? This again would be something that would seem to be minor, but could be very influential on the choices being made.

Even pregnant women in most countries used to be very 'low key' about their 'condition' and cover up in hideous baggy clothes. Then after Demi Moore did that famous cover shoot, you couldn't move for people's protruding belly buttons being shoved in your face under crop tops etc! I can't think of anything quite as obvious happening with the move towards breastfeeding. I think it has more to do with, as Chirimoya says, encouragement and training from the hospitals, midwives and health visitors. Women are more likely to take advice from them than from their mums. When I gave birth 2 and 5 years ago there were lots of booklets and leaflets given about breastfeeding and there was a definite 'push' to encourage women to breastfeed, but through education rather than 'heavy handed' tactics. All the women I've spoken to in the UK are educated and knowledgeable about why breastfeeding is best. Even those that choose not to breastfeed will always concede that they know that breastmilk is better even if they can't bring themselves to do it for whatever reason. I believe it is also printed on the formula packets and tins that the formula is not an exact replacement for breastmilk (or something along those lines).
 

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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I would have thought that if it is a vanity thing, these women would love to breast feed as it dramaticly speeds up weight loss for the mother. It also helps the ladies (bits and pieces shall we say) go back to there pre maternity size which obviously improves health and sex life. As for sagging breasts i know plenty of women who havent had children that suffer the pendulum effect and most sagging as they bput it actually happens during pregnancy in the third trimester as a result of heavier breasts which can stretch the tendons. And yes you are right alot of women here do not realise the health benefit to the child. I am expecting my first child myself and have been told to make sure i have plenty more babies incase some of my children die!!!! Like it would ease the pain! ?oh its ok ive still got a few left?!?!? Children are a pension here in some cases and nothing more.
 

Funnyyale26

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Dec 15, 2006
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Dominican people are like monkeys, they love to copy the trends that come from everywhere regardless of whether they could lead to bad consequences or not. I agree with all the points that have been raised in the thread regarding the reasons why people (even the poor) dont want to breatfeed its all about preserving the figure nowdays. But it was not always that way, because my grandma breastfed all of her children (born in the 60's 50's and 60's) and she was from the countryside. I think that if a campaign can be launched, with celebrities as role models (like in the US) it could change the prejudices against breastfeeding.
 

juancarlos

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Sep 28, 2003
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Another thing which may come into the equation....what is or would be the reaction of people in the DR to women breastfeeding in public?

One of the past problems in the UK , amongst other countries, has been the lack of tolerance for breastfeeding mothers. Some mothers were outraged at being told not to breastfeed in public. I think at one point they even started publishing a list of cafes and restaurants which were 'breastfeeding friendly'. When I breastfed my two girls, I tried to be discreet but, at the end of the day, feeding them quickly was what was most important. I never found any negative attitudes or 'strange' stares where I lived in UK.

I wonder what the general attitude of the DR population is in relation to breastfeeding in public? .

I think it will be different in DR as it is in other Latin countries. Breast feeding in public is not offensive at all. Most people don't pay attention to it. It is understood. Most women usually put a piece of cloth over it, but even those who don't, do not encounter any negativity. I remember when I was growing up in Cuba, I would occasionally see women breast feeding their babies while waiting for the bus or at the doctor's office, and nobody ever made any negative comments.
 
C

Chip00

Guest
I would have thought that if it is a vanity thing, these women would love to breast feed as it dramaticly speeds up weight loss for the mother. It also helps the ladies (bits and pieces shall we say) go back to there pre maternity size which obviously improves health and sex life. As for sagging breasts i know plenty of women who havent had children that suffer the pendulum effect and most sagging as they bput it actually happens during pregnancy in the third trimester as a result of heavier breasts which can stretch the tendons. And yes you are right alot of women here do not realise the health benefit to the child. I am expecting my first child myself and have been told to make sure i have plenty more babies incase some of my children die!!!! Like it would ease the pain! ?oh its ok ive still got a few left?!?!? Children are a pension here in some cases and nothing more.

Malaysia maybe - but the DR only a very small percentage of parents think like this.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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I think it will be different in DR as it is in other Latin countries. Breast feeding in public is not offensive at all. Most people don't pay attention to it. It is understood. Most women usually put a piece of cloth over it, but even those who don't, do not encounter any negativity. I remember when I was growing up in Cuba, I would occasionally see women breast feeding their babies while waiting for the bus or at the doctor's office, and nobody ever made any negative comments.
Sadly this is not the case across the board. In the barrios and campos, yes, in my experience, but the rest of society - less so. You hardly ever see it taking place in the usual public places or in social gatherings and this has to be because (a) not that many women do it (b) it is not socially acceptable to do it in public. A woman I know was asked not to breast feed at a music class for mothers and babies, not by the organisers, but by the other mothers. I was at a toddler's birthday party with a couple of friends who were breast feeding and they got some disapproving looks - from other mothers.