The Bottle-Feeding Culture Is Alive and Well

I was recently editing a book on postpartum care, and the author sent an image that she wanted us to use in her breastfeeding chapter showing “a good latch.” After a careful review, I determined that it actually was not a good latch. The baby was too far from the breast and only her lips were touching. I knew we should not include that one, so I went to find a better image on one of the stock photo sites that I often use. I did a search for breastfeeding photos and indeed found some photos showing a good latch. What concerned me, however, was the high number of photos with really poor, painful-looking latch.

This is a bigger deal than at first it might appear. Art directors and graphic designers go to these sites looking for photos to use on flyers, handouts, advertisements, and websites. They are looking for photos with good composition, that are attractive, and that fit into the space they are looking to fill. With rare exception, they are not technical experts and may have no idea whether an image is presenting a poor latch.

Use of poor images becomes a problem for our new mothers because these images tend to show up everywhere. Mothers absorb this information with their right brain and do not critically evaluate it. These poor images become part of mothers’ “body memory” about breastfeeding. Given that, is it any wonder that so many of our mothers have nipple pain—and think that it is normal? Why wouldn’t they? It’s become part of the postpartum culture.

I would like to do is show you a few of these images (Figures 1–8) and then suggest what you can do to protect mothers in your community.

FIGURE 1

This one hurts just to look out. If you need a perfect picture of nipple feeding, this is it. I’m not surprised that they are not showing the mother’s face.

FIGURE 2

Another one with a shallow latch (note the position of the bottom lip). I suspect this one is also quite painful for the mother.

FIGURE 3

There are a few problems here: shallow latch, bottom lip tucked in, and baby on her back with her head turned. I would anticipate problems with nipple pain, and possibly, milk supply/infant weight gain.

FIGURE 4

Another picture with a baby on her back. Please note that this is a bottle-feeding position. Her head is turned, and her latch looks pretty shallow. She also looks stressed. The mother might be as well.

FIGURE 5

This one looks better, although we cannot see the bottom lip. The baby does not appear stressed and is in a state of quiet alertness. That’s what we like to see.

FIGURE 6

This is another lovely photo of decent latch, and the mother and baby enjoying each other. The baby certainly appears happy.

FIGURE 7

This latch looks a little shallow, but it is most likely fine. If it’s not hurting the mother, we can leave it alone. The baby certainly isn’t starving.

FIGURE 8

Babies can have a good latch in lots of positions. Mother and baby both look happy, and it’s nice to see a mother and baby in a laid-back position.