Cultural traditions of breastfeeding get a modern spin

Indian-Americans feel comfortable with the traditional nursing practice and aren’t afraid to talk about it publically.

By Antonietta Colasanto

Time magazine’s May 2012 cover, showing Jamie Lynne Grumet nursing her 3-year-old son, caused a controversy surrounding American reluctance for breastfeeding toddlers. In the U.S., only 1 out of 4 women breastfeed until the child turns one. But, in India, 9 out of 10 women breastfeed their babies for their first year.

“It would seem that India is currently the center for projects and programs to increase healthy infant nutrition, breastfeeding and birthing practices,” says Barbara Emanuel, executive director of La Leche League International, an advocacy group for mothers who breastfeed based out of Schaumburg. India, which will host the World Breastfeeding Conference in New Delhi in December, ranks No. 1 worldwide in annual births, according to the most recent data from UNICEF.

Shera Lyn Parpia, who has lived in India and is the co-chair of the breastfeeding advocacy group, says the high rate of Indian mothers who nurse their children hasn’t changed much since the UNICEF report came out six years ago.

Shruti Sharma, a 32-year-old Indian stay-at-home mom, gave birth to her son, Jai, in Chicago in August 2010. She breastfed him until he was 17 months old. “Breastfeeding is a female issue in India,” says Sharma, who lives in downtown Chicago.

But Sharma goes against Indian traditions of breastfeeding by talking about complications publicly. “I would discuss my problems related to breastfeeding quite openly with my husband,” Sharma says. When she was tired or in pain from breastfeeding, her husband, Ritesh, would give formula to Jai.

Despite the high rate of Indian women who breastfeed, Sharma says nurses and doctors in the U.S. better explain the importance of nursing a baby. “[In India] doctors don’t really educate you and your family about a problem, like they do it here, you know.” U.S. health care professionals walked Sharma through the benefits of nursing and instructed her husband and family on how to support a new mother.

Shruti Sharma discusses breastfeeding

Priya Sharma, a 40-year-old pediatrician at Northwestern Children’s Practice, says “Men really don’t seem involved at all and rarely do Indian women seem to seek out help from a lactation consultant.” Dr. Sharma, an Indian-American, says immigrant mothers from India are more patient with the breastfeeding process.

“While they have no problems giving formula, even if there are latching issues in the beginning, many have managed to go to exclusive breastfeeding within the first month,” she says. “Whereas here, usually if things aren’t working in the first week or two the attitude is to just give up and switch to formula.”

Percentage of women breastfeeding exclusively until five months in the developing world