Abstract
Best for Babes (www.bestforbabes.org)
Let's face it. … the health profession has done little to transform breastfeeding from medically recommended to cool and hip. Medical professionals tend to explain the benefits of breastfeeding in a scientific, statistical manner, which may go beyond boring to essentially unconvincing.
Well, thank goodness for Best for Babes. The cofounders of the Best for Babes Foundation, Bettina Forbes and Danielle Rigg, have put together an energetic, attractive website that strives to upend cultural and institutional barriers to breastfeeding.
The “What are the Booby Traps?” webpage rightly identifies the obviously unfair predicaments breastfeeding moms face once they give birth. For example, leaving the hospital before one's milk has come in with a sense of unease and a vigorously feeding baby, while being handed a “gift bag” of formula. Not only do the authors describe at least 15 booby traps, they also tackle these issues by outlining a preparation checklist that can be used throughout pregnancy to prepare for breastfeeding challenges.
Another page, entitled “Get Your Best Game On, Girlfriend,” is essentially a pep talk on how to get off to a great start after the baby is born. This list ought to be available in a pdf file for moms to print. … and give to hospital nurses!
It is worth checking out the website's pdf “Dazzling and Amazing Lesser-Known Facts about Breastfeeding.” Health professionals might find this to be a very useful “benefits of breastfeeding” handout. This document showcases how breastfeeding complements the immature features of newborns in a convincing format. Anyone reading this handout is likely to conclude that life is unfair for artificially fed infants!
The website also addresses issues such as how to coach a friend to breastfeed, how to act around a breastfeeding mom, how to deal with guilt feelings, and how to obtain the work accommodations needed to successfully breastfeed.
Although this site is mainly for moms and breastfeeding families, healthcare providers benefit not only from the patient education standpoint, but also from its Boob Tube Blog. The Weekly Wrap UP focuses on breastfeeding in the news, such as celebrity tweets and blogs, magazine articles, and new breastfeeding ad campaigns. This website is a great resource for staying abreast of breastfeeding pop culture.
The bottom line is that we as health professionals need to tune-in to the cultural barriers that our patients face. This appealing website makes it unequivocally clear to moms that breastfeeding is our cultural norm.