In the 1981 edition of “The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding” under “Elective Surgery for You or Your Baby,” there was mention of how circumcision affects breastfeeding, however, the LLL omitted it in all subsequent editions. Many want to put this important info back in there. Please sign and share with you friends and family! Thank you so much! http://www.petitiononline.com/
An Excerpt of the written petition:
To: La Leche League
I firmly believe that parents should be made aware of any interventions, including circumcision, that may impact breastfeeding. In the 1981 edition of The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding under a section called “Elective Surgery for You or Your Baby,” there was mention of circumcision as well as tubal ligation. However, the LLL omitted it in all subsequent editions, claiming “… circumcision to be outside the realm of our expertise in La Leche League. Other organizations can do a better job of educating parents about circumcision than LLL…” (from this link: http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVOctNov00p94.html)
I firmly believe that it’s is a hugely relevant breastfeeding issue, & the 1981 edition was neither harsh nor judgmental. I believe that the LLL should reevaluate its official stance and that the text regarding the effects of circumcision on breastfeeding from the 1981 edition of the The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding should be re-inserted into all future editions, failing which I will have to reconsider my support of your organization, and encourage a boycott of this otherwise very useful book. Most lactivists are also intactivists and do not support routine hospital infant circumcision, which is risky, non-therapeutic cosmetic surgery. The LLL has a duty to inform new mothers about the breastfeeding issues that may arise with circumcision. Tell them the truth!
Furthermore, I hereby ask the Board of Directors to issue a policy statement about circumcision’s effects on breastfeeding. As from the LLL’S aforementioned link, “The mother may have questions as to whether or not the separation such a procedure requires will interfere with establishing her milk supply. There can be the issue of trauma to the baby which may result in difficulty comforting the baby enough to get him to nurse. The mother may become anxious, resulting in problems with let-down or the baby picking up on her anxiety.” These are only SOME of the issues that are very likely to arise if a baby is circumcised. Leaders should be able to counsel mothers accordingly.
