Sheila M Kippley - Breastfeeding & Catholic Motherhood

Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood

Gods Plan for You and Your Baby

Sheila Kippley

SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS
Manchester, New Hampshire

Copyright 2005 Sheila Kippley

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved

Cover design by Theodore Schluenderfritz

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Sophia Institute Press
Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kippley, Sheila.
Breastfeeding and Catholic motherhood : Gods plan for you and your baby / Sheila Kippley.
p. cm.Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-933184-04-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Breast feeding. 2. Breast feeding Religious aspects Catholic Church. I. Title.RJ216.K498 2005
649.33 dc22200500221705 06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to Pope John Paul II for his efforts to promote breastfeeding and the welfare of the family

Foreword

This book is the fruit of John and Sheila Kippleys many years together as husband and wife, and of their ceaseless efforts as active promoters of natural methods of birth regulation and the time-proven benefits of breastfeeding.

It is a well-known scientific fact that breastfeeding, and especially ecological breastfeeding, has brought substantiated positive results in babies health in defending against certain childhood illnesses and in helping infants grow and develop better. In addition, it brings long-term psychological benefits to the growing child. As for the mother, prolonged breastfeeding is also associated with positive effects on her general health.

In the overall picture, it is especially the nurturing of the close mother-infant bond that is so fundamental for the childs serene general growth and development. This aspect is of utmost importance today. At a time when the family is under attack, and the act of procreation is being constantly manipulated, this book affirms the continuity of the mother-child relationship from the womb, to the breast, and in the family. In this regard, the Holy Father himself did not hesitate to raise his voice in defense of this most honorable task entrusted to mothers:

In the family, which a woman establishes with her husband, she enjoys the unique role and privilege of motherhood. In a special way, it belongs to her to nurture the new life of the child from the moment of conception. The mother in particular enwraps the newborn child in love and security, and creates the environment for its growth and development. Society should not allow womans maternal role to be demeaned or count it as of little value in comparison with other possibilities. Greater consideration should be given to the social role of mothers, and support should be given to programs that aim at decreasing maternal mortality, providing prenatal and perinatal care, meeting the nutritional needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers, and helping mothers themselves to provide preventive health care for their infants. In this regard attention should be given to the positive benefits of breastfeeding for nourishment and disease prevention in infants as well as for maternal bonding and birth spacing.

Reconnecting with John Paul IIs theology of the body, Sheila Kippley also proposes a few thoughts and meditations for breastfeeding mothers who wish to find spiritual nourishment and encouragement from the Church in their most important task. This maternal attitude helps in expressing tenderness and in creating a more normal relationship that also contributes to the integral development of children in the dialogue of love that began even before birth.

+Alfonso Cardinal Lpez Trujillo
President, Pontifical Council for the Family
Vatican City, December 2004

Introduction

The purpose of this book is to provide Catholics with scientific and spiritual support for breastfeeding. Of course, the many benefits of breastfeeding apply to all mothers, whether believers or atheists. But this book is addressed especially to Catholics. I will be quoting popes, bishops, priests, and others representing the Catholic Church to convey the Churchs long-standing support for breastfeeding. And I hope to show how breastfeeding is an integral part of the vocation of Christian motherhood.

Today we have more clinical research than ever to support breastfeeding, much more than I had when I began my family in the Sixties. The spiritual approach to breastfeeding is less well known, but it is also important, and dedicated Catholics especially may find it interesting and compelling.

I am well aware that bottle-feeding is still the norm in America. Many people might ask, If breastfeeding is so good, then why didnt my mother breastfeed me? My mother breastfed me for only a few days. I dont blame her for not having breastfed me longer, nor should you blame your mother for not having breast-fed you. Remember that the cultural influences in our society against breastfeeding, especially extended breastfeeding, have been very strong. Secondly, in our bottle-feeding society, the correct information and support for breastfeeding was often lacking and still is.

This is not a book on how to breastfeed. Fortunately, there are many books, organizations, and professionals to help women succeed at breastfeeding. Nor is this a book on parenting. The principles of breastfeeding are compatible with many parenting styles, and good parenting books, including specifically Catholic parenting books, are easily available. Also, I have already covered some parenting advice and the topic of natural mothering in my book Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing.

No, the main purpose of this book is to show the spiritual dimensions of breastfeeding; how breastfeeding is a natural, healthy part of being a Christian woman, mother, and wife.

Today many teachers of Church doctrine regarding sexuality make use of the theology of the body and the idea of the marriage covenant. These concepts can be applied to breastfeeding as well. The theology of the body was developed by Pope John Paul II to affirm and explain the self-giving nature of marriage and marital sexuality. Breastfeeding is an act in which the mothers body becomes a gift of self to her baby. In addition, the mother makes a covenant with, or unspoken commitment to, her baby through the devoted task of breastfeeding him over a period of time. In the traditional mother-baby breastfeeding relationship, mother and baby are inseparable.

Another theme that runs throughout this book is the importance of the mothers remaining with her child during the early years of life. This mother-baby togetherness is the common practice in societies where traditional breastfeeding is practiced. This special togetherness occurs naturally with breastfeeding, as God meant it.

There are two points concerning the text. First, you may find some additional information in the endnotes to be of interest. Commentary related to the text was added to the endnotes in each section or chapter. Second, masculine pronouns are used to differentiate the baby from the mother. With the topic of breast-feeding, mother and baby are mentioned often; using he, him, or his for the baby and she or her for the mother helps to avoid confusion.

If the information in this book encourages more mothers to nurse their babies, or to nurse for a longer period, the effort to write and publish it will have been worthwhile.

Chapter One

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