Ecological breastfeeding means successful breastfeeding, good outcomes, and natural spacing.

January 19th, 2014

International health organizations promote exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued nursing for 2 years or beyond, and John Paul II endorsed these recommendations.

On the other hand, despite ever increasing research on the benefits of breastfeeding, long-term nursing is down.  A recent study involving the duration of breastfeeding among Saudi Arabian mothers found that the mean duration of breastfeeding was 13.4 months in 1987 and 8.5 months in 2010.  The most common reason given for no longer breastfeeding was insufficient breast milk.  Some reasons given for this shortened lactation were the common use of the bottle, more mothers working (67% in 2010), use of oral contraception, sickness of mother or child, and becoming pregnant. (“Breastfeeding in Saudi Arabia: a review,” International Breastfeeding Journal, January 14, 2014)

Our country also suffers from the poor lactation rates.  Mothers and babies have more diseases because our country and churches do not promote a pattern of frequent and extended breastfeeding.  The latest statistics from the CDC (2010) report that the rates for breastfeeding in the United States remain “stagnant and low.”  It appears that only about one-fourth of the babies in the United States are receiving any breast milk at 12 months.

Nature has the answer for successful breastfeeding, for good outcomes, and for spacing of births.  As Dr. William Sears has said, the key to successful breastfeeding is “frequency, frequency, frequency.” That’s basically a description of ecological breastfeeding as well.   With ecological breastfeeding a mother is nursing frequently, and she will have an ample milk supply. Due to the frequency of nursing and extended breastfeeding, the mother doing ecological breastfeeding will have good health outcomes for herself and her baby.

The research stating the health benefits of breastfeeding is abundant. If interested, just download our online manual (small donation requested unless you are poor) and study the first two pages of Chapter 6 as a starter.

The research showing the natural spacing effect of ecological breastfeeding is also abundant.  The research was there when I began my work in the late Sixties; our research was published in two journals in the Seventies and Eighties; and Dr. H. William Taylor made several contributions on ecological-type breastfeeding research in the Nineties.   Other research of this kind has also been reported or published.

The lack of education on breastfeeding and natural child spacing among mainline churches is unfortunate.  On the other hand, I have been privileged to help some conservative Jewish women for over 25 years, and recently we have been receiving requests from Amish and similar groups which have spiritual or solely natural reasons to avoid unnatural methods of birth control.  The most common request from these latter groups is for The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding which meets their needs for family planning.

Unfortunately, most Catholic dioceses and independent NFP programs ignore both ecological breastfeeding and also the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM), a method that has been studied abundantly and published frequently in scientific journals and is highly effective—-at least 98% if the simple requirements for the method are met.

To be sure, everyone says some nice things about breastfeeding, but ignoring ecological breastfeeding and the LAM sets the advocacy of breastfeeding back 50 years!  That’s not exactly the way to make progress in maternal and child health and in natural baby spacing.

Sheila Kippley
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor

 

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The Gospel of Life and Ecological Breastfeeding

January 12th, 2014

The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) is an easy read.  In that encyclical, John Paul II tells us that the baby is an icon of Jesus Christ.  If we are to see Christ in our baby, how can we delegate their care to others?  If we see Christ in our babies, how can we place them in cribs, car seats, playpens, swing seats and strollers for long periods of time when they really need to have close contact and intimacy with their mother and later their father?  How can we let our baby cry unattended for a long period of time as parents are being taught to do in our society?

In our society mothers who practice ecological breastfeeding may use such items mentioned above but will probably do so on a very limited basis.  They will also use their body and breasts to nourish and comfort their baby instead of relying upon pacifiers and bottles to do the job.

In the Gospel of Life, the Pope says 7 times that “the family is the sanctuary of life.”  (Sections 6, 11, 59, 88, 91, 92, and 94)  Parents are called to develop that sanctuary of life for their children.  A sanctuary where life is loved, nurtured and protected.  A home also where it is a desirable place to be.

In the Gospel of Life, the Pope asks us to serve life at its weakest stages, especially those at either end of the scale—the unborn, the infant and the elderly.

Our families start with the addition of a baby.  We as parents are to serve our babies and meet their needs.  The family begins its mission of becoming that “sanctuary of life” first when the baby finds a sanctuary in the womb and later at his mother’s breasts.

As D. Ruth Lawrence said so well, “Breastfeeding is the most precious gift a mother can give her infant.  If there is illness or infection, it may be a life-saving gift.  If there is poverty, it may be the only gift” (“The Eradication of Poverty: One child at a Time Through  Breastfeeding,” Breastfeeding Medicine, October 22, 2007; article available at the NFPI website).

Breastfeeding is one of the best gifts a mother can give to her baby.  Even the Pope Francis promotes breastfeeding!  This Sunday he baptized 32 infants and encouraged mothers to breastfeed their babies if they were hungry in the Sistine Chapel.

Sheila Kippley

Posted in Ecological Breastfeeding, Spirituality | 1 Comment »

Natural Family Planning Home Study Course

January 5th, 2014

Couples are most appreciative of the NFPI Home Study Course.  They gain a lot of information regarding NFP and eco-breastfeeding, but, more importantly, they learn Church teaching regarding marriage, children, and family planning.

The NFP Home Study Course is inexpensive compared to other programs, but offers a wealth of information.  With NFPI’s home study course, you get more for less!  Here are some couples’ comments.

We really enjoyed learning about this and talking with each other about what we have learned during the course.

This course has been so interesting and I have learned so much from you.  I will definitely recommend you to friends and family.  But most importantly our priest.

Thank you SO much for everything and being so knowledgeable. We will definitely use Natural Family Planning after marriage. I really appreciate your responding to all e-mails so quickly.

This course was very educational.  I learned things about myself that I never knew before.  Thank you so much.

Thanks so much for your help and your quick responses in the course; we really enjoyed it!

The online course has been very beneficial to me in more ways than I thought would be possible.  I definitely learned more about my religion and how the Church sees and feels about the marital act.  The course definitely has opened my eyes and reshaped and refocused my path to future family planning.

We appreciate all your help and how responsive you have been.  The course has been great and the NFP process seems really strong.

The course is an informative guide to accurately monitor one’s cycle. It accommodates a busy schedule and the material is clear and easy to understand.

I believe this course has very valuable information.  We have also made the decision to discuss with local priests about offering the class for the local Catholic churches in part of pre-marital counseling.  I only wish I had learned this information years ago, especially the ecological breastfeeding prior to my first child. [This person works at a clinic which does “not offer, recommend or refer for abortion, abortifacients or birth control.” The NFPI course and NFPI materials will be free at this clinic. She is now going through teacher training to teach NFP at the clinic.]

We truly wish that others would see NFP as we do.  I know that a man and a woman can benefit tremendously from this method, following God’s teaching and pro-creating.  This course is healthy, simple, convenient and thorough.  We have started charting.  We both know how much we love each other, and each month will be our relationship story replayed over and over again.

Sheila Kippley
NFPI Home Study Course

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