One of the big ideas going around in the birth and babies community these days is "watch your language." The idea is that the words you choose impact the way people think, and therefore, you should choose words that support your beliefs. I have been really mindful lately of watching my language. I'll share some examples here.
Delivery - Rather than saying your doctor or midwife "delivered" your baby, I choose to say "caught." The mother is the one who does the delivering. She does all the hard work, after all. The doctor, midwife, or support person catches your baby (and sometimes, mothers deliver AND catch their babies).
Circumcision - Many people choose to say that a baby is intact, rather than uncircumcised. Because being intact is the natural state of things, the focus is on how a baby's body is, not how it isn't. The emphasis is on the normal state of being.
Breastfeeding - Instead of saying "breastmilk is best," I try hard to say, "breastmilk is normal." I understand and respect that there are many women who cannot breastfeed and must use formula. However, to promote breastfeeding as a normal way of life (and encourage more women to breastfeed), many breastfeeding advocates choose to consider breastfeeding the baseline, and acknowledge the risks of not breastfeeding. Again, the emphasis is on the normal.
Extended breastfeeding - This is a personal one to me. My son is currently 16 months and we are "still" breastfeeding. I am working personally on dropping the "still" from my language, and saying only, "We are breastfeeding." Similarly, instead of calling this "extended" breastfeeding, I am working on remembering to say "term breastfeeding" or just "breastfeeding." (Term as in, "full term" - as long as is normal and natural.)
For me, this extends to my everyday life, not just my birth work. I try to be more mindful when I say things, ask questions, or offer suggestions. Being an advocate for babies and mamas has helped me see where I need to improve my "language."
To read more, visit Peaceful Parenting's blog post about breastfeeding language: http://www.drmomma.org/2010/04/watch-your-language.html
Delivery - Rather than saying your doctor or midwife "delivered" your baby, I choose to say "caught." The mother is the one who does the delivering. She does all the hard work, after all. The doctor, midwife, or support person catches your baby (and sometimes, mothers deliver AND catch their babies).
Circumcision - Many people choose to say that a baby is intact, rather than uncircumcised. Because being intact is the natural state of things, the focus is on how a baby's body is, not how it isn't. The emphasis is on the normal state of being.
Breastfeeding - Instead of saying "breastmilk is best," I try hard to say, "breastmilk is normal." I understand and respect that there are many women who cannot breastfeed and must use formula. However, to promote breastfeeding as a normal way of life (and encourage more women to breastfeed), many breastfeeding advocates choose to consider breastfeeding the baseline, and acknowledge the risks of not breastfeeding. Again, the emphasis is on the normal.
Extended breastfeeding - This is a personal one to me. My son is currently 16 months and we are "still" breastfeeding. I am working personally on dropping the "still" from my language, and saying only, "We are breastfeeding." Similarly, instead of calling this "extended" breastfeeding, I am working on remembering to say "term breastfeeding" or just "breastfeeding." (Term as in, "full term" - as long as is normal and natural.)
For me, this extends to my everyday life, not just my birth work. I try to be more mindful when I say things, ask questions, or offer suggestions. Being an advocate for babies and mamas has helped me see where I need to improve my "language."
To read more, visit Peaceful Parenting's blog post about breastfeeding language: http://www.drmomma.org/2010/04/watch-your-language.html
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