
A is for Affirmation
A is for Affirmation
Embrace believes that breastfeeding is a relationship between two people in a thrilling new, highly vulnerable position: a mother and her newborn. We also believe that listening to and sharing the varied experiences of mothers is the first step in building a truly pro-mother and pro-breastfeeding society. We, the Embrace movement for mothers, believe that all mothers should have enabling environments that support our efforts to breastfeed our children, for as long as we would wish to do so. We believe equal access to wrap-around services and support will allow all mothers to make their breastfeeding goals a reality. As an inclusive movement, we believe that a win for breastfeeding is only a true win if all mothers are included. Mothers are the experts on their children and their family dynamics. Any attempt to try and exclude mothers from the breastfeeding conversation is counterproductive and disregards the power of their lived experience to influence their decisions. Breastfeeding is a motherhood activity and mothers must always be included as expert voices. Mothers understand the benefits and value of breastfeeding. Contrary to the myths that low breastfeeding rates are as a result of a lack of understanding of the benefits associated with breastfeeding, research proves that mothers understand that breast milk contains nutrients that aid children’s physical health and cognitive development. According to research done in South Africa by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef, most pregnant women want to breastfeed but encounter a lack of support and enabling environments to do so. Shaming mothers for our choices (creating tension over the choices different mothers need to make), whether subtly or overtly, does nothing to influence our behaviour because these tactics have no influence over our circumstances that make exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months difficult to attain. It’s not “good mothers” who breastfeed and “bad mothers” who don’t. We need to move from this binary, divisive thinking that overly moralises the choices mothers make. Shaming mothers shuts down engagement, undermines our agency and has been proved to be ineffective in motivating us towards any forms of desired behaviour change. We acknowledge that there are entities that would seek to exploit mothers and the gaps in breastfeeding support, including the $55 billion formula industry that has been shown to use manipulative marketing tactics to unduly influence mothers’ feeding decisions. In the absence of a comprehensive plan that centres mothers as the ‘breastfeeders’, it is highly unlikely that South Africa will meet the WHO’s global target of 70% for exclusive breastfeeding by 2030. As a movement of mothers and mother-supporters, and working for mothers and their families, we are committed to the work of making these positive changes a reality. If you want to partner with us, sign up here. A is for Affirmation B is for Birth C is for Chronic Conditions D is for Depression E is for Exclusive Breastfeeding F is for Family G is for Government Support H is for Human Resources I is for Income Support J is for Joy K is for Knowledge L is for Lactation Consultants M is for Maternity Leave N is for Nutritious Food O is for Oxytocin P is for Paraphernalia Q is for Questions and Answers R is for Rest S is for Skin-to-Skin T is for Time U is for Unconditional Support V is for Village W is for Water X is for eXpressing Y is for Yield Z is for Zero Judgment Breastfeeding is complicated and lot of the realities of breastfeeding go unsaid, unacknowledged and misunderstood. We’re working to change that. We’re inviting you to share your honest thoughts about your breastfeeding journey. Maybe you’re breastfeeding now and loving every minute of it. Maybe breastfeeding has been challenging. Perhaps, you breastfed in the past and for whatever reason, had to stop. Or you’re in the process of weaning your little one and have mixed feelings about it. Nothing’s off limits. We’re here to listen. Breastfeeding
Making the Case for Mothers: Embrace’s Stance on Breastfeeding
We Trust Mothers
What needs to change?
Breastfeeding happens in an ecosystem of social, economic and personal factors. The A to Z of breastfeeding covers some of these.
A is for Affirmation
B is for Birth
C is for Chronic Conditions
D is for Depression
E is for Exclusive Breastfeeding
F is for Family
G is for Government Support
H is for Human Resources
I is for Income Support
J is for Joy
K is for Knowledge
L is for Lactation Consultants
M is for Maternity Leave
N is for Nutritious Food
O is for Oxytocin
P is for Paraphernalia
Q is for Questions and Answers
R is for Rest
S is for Skin-to-Skin
T is for Time
U is for Unconditional Support
V is for Village
W is for Water
X is for eXpressing
Y is for Yield
Z is for Zero Judgement
The Let-Down Line
Let-Down Line Week 1
Let-Down Line Week 2
Let-Down Line Week 3
Let-Down Line Week 4