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Lactivist says breastfeeding is smart investment for Japan

18 Comments
By Mai Yoshikawa

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Human babies have been breastfed for hundreds of thousands of years. It is only since the invention and mass-marketing of artificial breast milk, starting in 1865, that cows' milk with additives has been used.

One of the arguments against feeding cows' milk to human infants is that cows have multiple stomachs, and that cows' milk is thus much harder for infants to digest than human milk.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

oldman_13Jan. 12 01:28 pm JST

Breast feed all you want, but please do that in privacy not in public in front of others simply to provoke others.

I'm super curious what you mean by "provoke" here. Are you saying that women only feed their babies to make other people angry? I mean, mothers have to leave the house during the day for a variety of reasons. It's not like going grocery shopping is only an excuse to feed their baby in public.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

She knows of too many Japanese women who fail to reach their breastfeeding goals

Breastfeeding goals ? It's a competition as you can see. Not surprised, some friends were told they had all sorts of insane "goals" decided by the kindergarten and school PTA dragons.

Besides, many potential parents will renounce to have a baby or one more because Japan has not reached its kindergaten offer goals, its decent employment for women/mothers goals, its father time with family goals....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

”Lactivist”

lol

2 ( +3 / -1 )

We've never had any issues breastfeeding our kids in Japan. The support is outstanding, when compared to other first world developed countries (mother and child rooms everywhere), and if you're a bit discreet about it nobody ever bats an eye to it. This article supports a money grabbing scheme, nothing more.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Health is a social issue.

well yes it is , a sickly population is less productive and more expensive to governments in the way of higher healthcare cost and less revenue from employment taxation

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Health is a social issue

-1

okay, boomer. Health isn’t a social issue? Seriously?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Breast feed all you want, but please do that in privacy not in public in front of others simply to provoke others.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

proxy - hmmmmmmm. I don't think I have known a Japanese mother who did not breast feed their infant.

this is quite true although, most will only breastfeed for the first few weeks or possibly months.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Northernlife

I’ve never seen any evidence of this social disapproval. Lots of women use big scarves to cover it, but they are still doing it in public.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@girl_in_tokyo

+1

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@Disillusioned

Breastfeeding of babies is not a social issue. It is a baby's health issue that should never be debated.

Health is a social issue.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

I was totally with her:

- She wants to bust myths using science, evidence, and common sense while ensuring that mothers are provided the accurate, unbiased information needed to make informed choices about breastfeeding.

- I just don't want women to be fooled by the false information that's out there," Ogino says.

Then saw this:

- In her other role as CEO of Brown Sugar 1st, Ogino has helped fuel the coconut oil health trend in Japan. She says public opinion is becoming increasingly pro-organic and anti-GMO, but views are still divided when it comes to breastfeeding.

and this:

- she is glad she didn't listen to her doctors or ignore her gut instinct

You can't be pro-science and anti-science at the same time, according to how it benefits your bank account.

Other than that, I am glad to be seeing Japanese women who are promoting breast feeding openly, and encouraging social acceptance of mothers who need to feed their babies in public spaces. There is no logical reason why mothers should not breast feed their babies when they must be out and about. There needs to be more spaces for mothers to sit comfortably, and people should not be judgmental about it.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

hmmmmmmm. I don't think I have known a Japanese mother who did not breast feed their infant.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The corporations make billions out of their formulae, often to the detriment of kids in developing countries.

It's vital that breastfeeding is promoted. And, as the article points out, it's completely natural. Can never understand people who find it squeamish or insulting.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Breastfeeding is very important for infants. Many years ago after my second child was born a friend of my ex came to visit and see the baby. It was unbeknown to us that she had German measles when she visited - WTF! Luckily, my ex had her rubella vaccinations and the baby had received antibodies through being breastfed, which resulted in no infection to the baby. However, the idiot woman who visited us was not so lucky. She received a scathing attack from my ex that resulted in never speaking to her again.

Breastfeeding of babies is not a social issue. It is a baby's health issue that should never be debated.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

She’s monetizing a social issue, the importance of which, is overblown. Making a mountain out of a molehill to get rich. Playing on people’s fears.

A monthly subscription service, it offers a basic "bonyu check" kit that costs 9,800 yen (about $90). All the mother needs to do is fill out a health questionnaire and send frozen samples of her breast milk to a lab to understand what she is feeding her baby.

This seems like a total money grab.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

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