“In my 30 years in Brazil, I saw many promising apostolates rise and then fall as they abandoned the charisms of their founders.”—Bishop Karl Jozef Romer, Pontifical Council for the Family, 2002 CCL Convention.
__________________________
Ecological Breastfeeding and CCL
What happened in 2006 with regard to CCL and ecological breastfeeding?
CCL’s Capital Campaign
In early 2006, CCL’s Capital Campaign literature said that the concept of ecological breastfeeding would be taught during the regular course. Those wanting detailed information about breastfeeding could attend a supplementary class at a later date.
The CCL capital campaign booklet states:
Since our current audience is largely engaged couples, the new
course will better address their needs by moving detailed
information on topics, such as ecological breastfeeding and
premenopause into “supplementary” classes. Although these
concepts will be presented to all couples attending a course,
only couples who require more detailed information on topics
such as breastfeeding, the return of fertility after childbirth, or
premenopause need attend these specific classes.
That’s the last I’ve seen of “ecological breastfeeding” in recent CCL-authored material.
CCL’s Family Foundations
The November/December 2006 issue of Family Foundations was devoted mostly to the topic of breastfeeding. In this issue the CCL representatives used the following terms for breastfeeding: “extended breastfeeding,” “long term breastfeeding,” and “full breastfeeding.” “Ecological breastfeeding” was absent. In fact, the last two times I saw “ecological breastfeeding” used in Family Foundations was in the July/August 2006 issue when Chris Owen was covering the history of NFP and in the September/October 2006 issue when someone mentioned it in the letters section. Ecological breastfeeding no longer seems to be in the CCL representatives’ current vocabulary.
2006 CCL Convention
At the June 2006 CCL Convention, Gerri Laird, Pilot Coordinator for CCL and the wife of a CCL Board member, told a CCL teacher that the term ecological breastfeeding will not be used and that CCL will probably follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines about not co-sleeping. On this point, the AAP has been the subject of considerable informed opinion to the contrary. See the last sentence below this blog for information on breastfeeding and safe co-sleeping.
Also, at the 2006 CCL Convention, the new changes were explained. Attendees were told that two breastfeeding rules would be taught: the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) and the Roetzer breastfeeding rule. Both are short-term rules. The Seven Standards of eco-breastfeeding were not taught at this Convention nor were they mentioned.
Popcak’s Heart, Mind & Strength Weblog
In December 2006, there was a blog discussion at http://www.exceptionalmarriages.com/weblog/index.asp (archive: weeks of Dec 3 and of Dec. 10, 2006) on what CCL would be teaching with regard to breastfeeding. This blog was the result of an interview that Fr. Richard Hogan had with the National Catholic Register. The discussion opened with “Yes, Yes…But what about ecological breastfeeding?” (Dec. 4). It was evident from the discussion that there was concern about what CCL would be teaching in the area of breastfeeding. Would it be different from the past? Or would CCL continue to teach the Seven Standards of eco-breastfeeding?
Andy Alderson, Executive Director of CCL, responded to the weblog (Dec. 12) but failed to answer whether or not CCL would be teaching ecological breastfeeding. There was only one sentence in his response that contained the word “breastfeeding”: “I would simply like to add that in addition to fully supporting every teaching of the Church, Fr. Hogan is also completely supportive of the beauty and practical advantages of extended breastfeeding.” (my emphasis)
Fr. Hogan also responded to the weblog (Dec. 12) but said nothing about breastfeeding. Thus with regard to the breastfeeding, late in 2006 CCL ignored the public question as to whether or not CCL would continue to teach ecological breastfeeding.
Current Capital Campaign
Out of curiosity I recently checked CCL’s website regarding their capital campaign. As of April 16, 2007, CCL’s capital campaign still promised to promote ecological breastfeeding:
“The new program will be less complex, easier to teach, learn & understand, yet will still provide 99% effectiveness, morality, and promotion of ecological breastfeeding.”
The promise by CCL to continue to promote eco-breastfeeding in their capital campaign booklet certainly raises a few questions: Where was the promotion of ecological breastfeeding when the LAM and Roetzer rules of breastfeeding were being explained at the 2006 CCL Convention? Where was the promise to teach ecological breastfeeding at the Popcak weblog?
CCL’s “Exended Breastfeeding”
Why did Mr. Alderson and Father Hogan avoid a direct answer to the public question about ecological breastfeeding, and why did Mr. Alderson use the term “extended breastfeeding”? What does CCL mean by that term? What is the difference between extended breastfeeding and ecological breastfeeding? What’s required for a mother to practice extended breastfeeding? Does extended breastfeeding space babies? At the 2006 Convention talks, CCL emphasized that research backed all their teaching methods. What research has been done on extended breastfeeding to show that this type of breastfeeding spaces babies?
Sheila Kippley
NFP International
www.nfpandmore.org
Author: Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood (Sophia, 2005)
Co-author: Natural Family Planning: The Question-Answer Book (e-book
at this website, 2005)
PS: If you want information about breastfeeding and safe co-sleeping, please go to “links” at our website, www.nfpandmore.org. Information is given on “Safe Bedsharing for Mother and Baby” by several sources and on the “Reactions to the AAP’s Statement on SIDS,” especially as it pertains to infant sleep and pacifier use. These reactions are given by prominent organizations.