A nurse in China breastfed a one-month-old baby to calm the infant down before his scheduled surgery. The infant began crying just before the surgery was set to begin. The doctor was unable to begin the surgery until the baby stopped crying and relaxed. Suspecting the child was hungry, the nurse, who recently had a child, gained permission from the infant’s father to breastfeed the baby. The child stopped crying and calmed down allowing the surgery (the infant was having an abscess removed) to commence. The doctor praised the nurse stating he was on the verge of canceling the surgery before the nurse intervened. The father was also thankful to the nurse after the surgery.
Breastfeeding is often a controversial topic in the US. One commentator to this story writes, “here in the US this would be frowned upon” (2015). I happen to agree with the commentator’s opinion. Breastfeeding, especially breastfeeding in public, often spurs strong emotions in the US, despite the increase in breastfeeding advocacy promoted by healthcare institutions. In fact, many hospitals have stopped supplying formula to new mothers. Lactation specialists are also common professionals in hospitals and birthing centers. I found this article extremely interesting in providing a global perspective on breastfeeding, which in American media is often categorized in the general populace by the conflict created from the increased endorsement for mothers to breastfeed and the sexualization of breastfeeding.