A Request: I am trying to convince a friend of mine about the worthiness of your “triple-strand” NFP program. She is a practicing Catholic, but has some concerns. I have tried to clear them up for her but if you could offer any assistance I would be very grateful. She believes that ecological breastfeeding is too difficult. She thinks many women simply would not be up for it. She also thinks that it lends itself to a contraceptive mentality. I told her that the natural spacing effect of EBF is *not* contraception, but if you could help me out at all to explain these things further I would appreciate it. Thank you very much for your time.
JOHN: I will take a stab at a response, and then Sheila will add her comments.
Ecological breastfeeding too difficult? We have heard from mothers who say they adopted eco-bf because they were lazy and wanted the easy way. Others say they have just drifted into eco-bf because they were simply following their maternal instincts and wanted to do things in a natural way. It is usually easier for a mother to take her baby with her than to make arrangements for a sitter and then wonder all the while how the baby is doing. It is certainly easier to care for a baby with markedly fewer health needs and doctor visits. It’s basically a matter of attitude. And, of course, if a mother finds that she cannot meet all the seven standards, she can make and needed adjustments. Dropping even one of the standards may bring on an earlier return of fertility, but that is certainly not the end of the world, and both mother and baby would continue to enjoy other benefits of long-term nursing. But the spacing benefit is a God-given gift and not to be discarded lightly.
Contraceptive mentality? If a mother has a contraceptive mentality, she certainly will not do ecological breastfeeding. Ecological breastfeeding leaves too much up to God. The person who has a truly contraceptive mentality will put that mindset into action by using some sort of contraceptive behavior. Pope Paul described these in Humanae Vitae as follows:
“Unlawful Birth Control Methods
14. Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. (14) Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. (15) Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—–whether as an end or as a means.” (16)
To those behaviors we need to add masturbation and marital sodomy. And it needs to be said that none of H.V. #14 applies to any act of breastfeeding or to the process of breastfeeding according to natural norms stated in the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding.
Back to ecological breastfeeding and its normal spacing effects– the spacing effect is the normal effect of breastfeeding according to nature’s norms. God is the one who made woman so that her self-giving in breastfeeding and baby care normally postpones the return of fertility. God is also the one who made the breastfeeding woman in such a way that her gut makes antibodies to fight the bugs the baby picks up here and there. And that is true of all the other health and psychological benefits. It is not only not bad, but it is good to hope for any and all of these benefits. After all, they are His gifts. God does know what He is doing. I hope you and your friend find this helpful. Thanks for asking. John F. Kippley
SHEILA: I would encourage her to read Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood since she will learn much more about God’s plan for mother and baby plus its benefits associated with extended breastfeeding. If she is still open, then The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding will give her the support and the research.
The pregnant and breastfeeding mother are very similar. Both mother and baby are one biological unit during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. With breastfeeding, the baby has merely changed positions. There is a natural oneness present as God designed. Wherever mother goes, baby goes. This is not my own thinking but has been stated even by the World Health Organization which states:
“Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.”
A mother does not have a contraceptive mentality during pregnancy nor during breastfeeding. In fact, you cannot force a baby to nurse. Nor can you shorten your pregnancy in order to have another baby sooner. God has reasons for the health of the baby and the mother for having a pregnancy last 9 months and for having a natural infertile time with breastfeeding. God knew it was best for the mother and baby to have some natural spacing between births.
Thanks for promoting natural child spacing. Sheila Kippley (Both breastfeeding books mentioned above are available in print or as e-books. The NFPI manual is also available as an e-book.)