Breastfeeding Mamas: You've got rights.

New York mothers are having a good month, legislatively speaking. First, Gov. Paterson extended health care benefits for adult children, and now he signed The Breastfeeding Mothers' Bill of Rights into law.

It's a well-intentioned law: The government recognizes that mothers aren't getting adequate preparation and support in this seemingly natural but extremely challenging endeavor. There's also a commercial interest (formula companies) duping women into thinking formula is just as healthy and, of course, easier. Because, let's face it, Big Business doesn't make money when women breastfeed. Additionally, many hospitals are skimming over the breastfeeding tutorials and pushing bottles on newborns.

The Bill of Rights – designed by a team of pediatricians, Women Infant and Child (WIC) personnel, New York City Department of Health staff, and lactation specialists – will be distributed in prenatal healthcare facilities, hospital maternity floors and post-delivery recovery rooms to encourage and promote the truth behind this beneficial practice.

The new law includes:

• Before delivery: The right to commercial-free information on the nutritional, medical and psychological benefits of breastfeeding, as well as an explanation of the hurdles breastfeeding mothers may encounter and how to avoid or solve them.

• In the hospital or birthing center: The mother’s right for her baby to stay with her immediately after birth – for both vaginal and C-section deliveries – as well as the right to breastfeed immediately; to refuse bottle feeding or pacifiers; to be informed about and refuse drugs that may dry up breast milk; to breastfeed anytime, anywhere; to receive help with breastfeeding.

• Bringing baby home: The right to refuse take-home formula samples or formula advertising packets; to access breastfeeding resources in the community; to receive information on how to safely collect and store breast milk.
  

The law also reminds women that breastfeeding in public is entirely legal.*

This is on top of the national campaign, Healthy People 2010, working to increase the number of breastfeeding mothers to 75 percent by 2010. Anyone unaware of the monumental benefits to breastfeeding, read this.

Will this law counter the tremendous influence of corporations -- like formula companies and health insurance agencies -- needing to make a buck? Will this law stop rude strangers from sneering? Men from sexually harassing? A breast-obsessed culture from thinking it's lewd and vulgar? (But exposed breasts in R-rated moves -- that's fine. And throw 'em all over HBO, what the hell. But feeding a baby? You've gone too far.)

Coming from a breastfeeding mother, New York's (highly dysfunctional) government and the Obama administration get an E for effort.



*Babble magazine published a great article about breastfeeding laws back in May: Did you know that 15 years ago Florida mothers breastfeeding in public could be arrested for CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE and/or HARMFUL TO MINORS? Wrap your brain around that one.