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Government of Canada Breastfeeding Poster Helps Break Stigma

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Culture & Entertainment

Government of Canada Breastfeeding Poster Helps Break Stigma

  [caption id="attachment_3107" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Poster by Healthy Canadians"] [/caption] On Oct. 1, a somewhat unexpected breastfeeding poster was posted to the Healthy Canadians Facebook page to mark World Breastfeeding Week. (Healthy Canadians is a Government of Canada initiative aimed at keeping parents informed about issues related to health and safety.) The poster reads, "Breastfeeding is not just for newborns" and shows a toddler nursing from his mother. Contrary to the TIME magazine cover that ran last year, depicting a similar but more provocative shot with the antagonizing headline, "Are You Mom Enough?", this Healthy Canadians image felt natural and real. It shows a scenario that many moms are familiar with, and one they that shouldn't feel shameful about. I breastfed my daughter until she was 14 months old. I was lucky to be one of those moms who didn't have any trouble breastfeeding. It worked for me and for my daughter and that's why we did it. I never planned to breastfeed beyond a few months, but frankly, the idea of having to purchase and prepare formula just seemed like another thing to add to my never-ending list of things to do. So, I just stuck to the boob. I wasn't shy about breastfeeding outside my home; hell, when you've had 20-plus people witness the birth of your daughter (I gave birth in a teaching hospital so everyone and their dog brought their student to view my delivery), modesty sort of goes out the window. But for me, breastfeeding beyond 14 months didn't work well. My daughter was often too distracted to sit for a feeding, and my changing schedule and activities made it more challenging to breastfeed "on-demand". Plus, I was trying to ween her from nursing to sleep, so it just made sense for us to stop when we did. I'm not sure I'd want to breastfeed beyond when I did had it continued to work, but I don't fault any mom who does. Breastfeeding, like so many things about motherhood, is a personal decision that has to work for your family. So it was great to see an ad that supports these choices, rather than criticism for mothers who choose to breastfeed their kids  into toddlerhood or those who don't. So what about you? Did you breastfeed? If so, how old was your child when you stopped?  

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Government of Canada Breastfeeding Poster Helps Break Stigma

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