1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Wellness un Mass. I'm doctor Nicole Safire, 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: and before we begin this weekly rundown, I want to 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: pause and acknowledge a friend, Charlie Kirk, and his tragic 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: death this week. Charlie's legacy is not going to fade. 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: He leaves behind an entire generation ready to fight for faith, family, freedom, 6 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: and country, and his voice will continue to echo through 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: the young leaders he inspired, ensuring his work was not 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: in vain. Now, while most people knew him for his 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: conviction and passion for political work, I can tell you 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: off camera he was just as passionate. I saw Charlie 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: this last month when he was here in New York 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: City guest hosting for Fox and Friends. While we didn't 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: have any on camera conversations, I can tell you our 14 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:50,639 Speaker 1: off camera conversation was incredible. He taught to me about breastfeeding. Now, 15 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: anybody who knows me knows that I love talking about 16 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: breastfeeding because I'm a huge supporter of it. I've had 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: three children, I breastfed all of them for a year. 18 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: I love breastfeeding and what it does for our children 19 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: and for our moms, and it makes me so sad 20 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: and concerned to see the declining breastfeeding rates. Charlie knows this, 21 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: and that's why he brought it to my attention. He 22 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: was in such awe and had such respect for his 23 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: wife and the natural ability that she had breastfeeding their 24 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 1: two young children, and he asked me about the declining rates, 25 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: and we started talking about things we can do. So 26 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,559 Speaker 1: in his honor, I decided we are going to shed 27 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: light today on the issue of breastfeeding here in the 28 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: United States. So let's start with the reality. In the 29 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: United States, about eighty three percent of mothers start breastfeeding 30 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: once the baby is born, but by six months only 31 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: about half of them are still breastfeeding at all. By 32 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: one year, that number drops below thirty five percent. And 33 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: now compare that to many European nations, where over half 34 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: of babies are breastfed at one year. There's an obvious gap. 35 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: So why does this matter? Well, the science is clear. 36 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: For babies, breastfeeding reduces the risk of infections, sudden infant 37 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: death syndrome also known as SIDS, asthma, obesity, even type 38 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: two diabetes later in life. It strengthens their immune system. 39 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: It also promotes brain development. But breastfeeding is not just 40 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: for babies. For mother's breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer, 41 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: ovarian cancer, type two diabetes, postpartum depression, and it also 42 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: helps them lose baby weight. It's one of the most 43 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: powerful natural preventative medicines we have, yet it's underutilized. So 44 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: the question becomes why do our rates lag and what 45 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: can we do to support mothers better. Some barriers are 46 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: obvious workplace policies that don't allow time or space to pomp, 47 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: hospitals that don't provide adequate lactational support, and cultural messages 48 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: that sometimes discourage breastfeeding. Altogether, you have the whole formula 49 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: industry that essentially puts out all of these ads that says, 50 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: you know, our formula is just as good as breast milk. 51 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: The reality is that's not true at all. Our JR 52 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: Is reformulating kind of how the FDA looks at formula. 53 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: It's not just about the contents of the breast milk. 54 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: There's so much more involved to breastfeeding. So here are 55 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: a few things that we can do. We have to 56 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: normalize it. Okay, whether it's at public, at work, or 57 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: at home, breastfeeding should not be considered taboo. It's nourishment. 58 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: It's not shameful. It's just a boob. Okay, get used 59 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: to it. It's fine. Moms also, when they go to work, 60 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: need private, clean spaces, reasonable break times to pump. They 61 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: should be standard, not the exceptions. Moms shouldn't feel guilty 62 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: because they take fifteen minutes to go pump milk for 63 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: their baby. Okay, whatever the work is, I'm pretty certain 64 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: it can wait fifteen minutes. Hospitals, when the moms are 65 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: having their babies, they can prioritize lactation consultation, skin to 66 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: skin contact right after birth, and rooming in practices. Pediatricians 67 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: should also be reinforcing these messages and connecting moms to resources. 68 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: Don't shame the moms about breastfeeding, but ask them what 69 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: the barriers are why they aren't able to breastfeed, see 70 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: if you can help them. And by the way, sometimes 71 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: the biggest help is a spouse, a grandparent, or a 72 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: friend just saying you're doing a good job. Keep going. 73 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: This emotional support matters just as much as logistical support. 74 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: Breastfeeding is hard, and anybody who says it's not, they're 75 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: lying or they forgot. Maybe they have PTSD because of 76 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: how hard it actually was. Breastfeeding is so hard, but 77 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: it's so good for the mom, It's so good for 78 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: the baby. Charlie and I both believe that if we 79 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: truly value children, we have to value the mothers, and 80 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: supporting breastfeeding is one of the simplest, most effective ways 81 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: to do just that. And as we remember Charlie this week, 82 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: I hope we also commit to caring forward some of 83 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: his messages, whether you heard about them online or breastfeeding, 84 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: something he probably didn't speak a lot about publicly but 85 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: was just as passionate about. Thanks for listening to Wellness 86 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: on Mass on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow 87 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: Wellness on Mass with doctor Nicole Safire and start listening 88 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 1: on the free iHeartRadio app wherever you get your podcasts, 89 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: and we will see you next time.