Attacks on Reproductive Freedom Aren’t Limited to Abortion Bans
By: Michelle Noehren
Tags: Supreme Court, Abortion, Pro Choice, Breastfeeding, Reproductive Rights

Like many Americans, I am enraged that the Supreme Court failed to stop the Texas abortion ban from going into effect. In addition to making abortion after 6 weeks illegal, it also incentives citizens to report anyone who assists a person in getting the procedure by dangling a possible $10,000 reward. So, not only do lawmakers and the court believe they know what’s best for pregnant people, but every day citizens can receive a payday for ratting out healthcare providers and others who choose to support their decisions.

This is just another example of how our country violates our bodily autonomy. As Acting Executive Director of UNFPA Dr. Natalia Kanem says, “The denial of bodily autonomy is a violation of fundamental human rights.” Being in control of our reproductive choices is core to our freedom. The only person who knows what’s best for someone’s body, and life, is the individual themselves.

And yet, attempts at controlling our reproductive freedom through abortion bans are not the only tactics used to limit our choices.

I have long argued that the pro-choice community should extend the concept of choice to the entire reproductive journey. It’s not just about whether to keep a pregnancy, but also about the choices a person faces if they choose to carry a pregnancy to term.

A few years ago, I learned about an organization called Baby Friendly USA. I had just visited a friend of mine in the hospital who had her second baby. When I arrived, she looked incredibly tired and told me she asked to send her baby to the nursery to get some rest but was told no by the medical staff. The hospital she gave birth at now had a “Baby-friendly” designation, which meant they had to adhere to certain rules laid out by Baby Friendly USA.

To my alarm, new parents were no longer allowed to use the well-baby nursery. Instead, when they asked to use the nursery, they were educated about the importance of 24-hour rooming in. If they asked a second time to send their baby to the nursery, the nurse would have to document the request in the patient’s chart and, again, reinforce their policy. So even if a new parent knew what they needed and advocated for it, they were treated like they did something wrong.

Despite the fact that giving birth can be extraordinarily hard on ones body and mind, the choice to send a new baby out of the room in order to rest before going home from the hospital was taken away.

Even at the very beginning of parenthood, the message is clear — other people know what’s best for you.

And what is behind the forced 24-hour rooming in policy? It’s a push for breastfeeding. If I am in control of my body and what I do with it, then I should be able to decide if breastfeeding is the right choice for me, without shame, guilt, or pressure from medical professionals.

I do not believe “breast is best.” You might believe that, and that’s OK, as long as you aren’t pressuring other people to believe it, too. It is not our place to comment on how another person feeds their baby. Breastmilk is great. Formula is, too.

Sometimes not breastfeeding isn’t a choice, because the new parent is unable to do so. But sometimes it IS a choice, and as someone that believes in bodily autonomy, I fully support someone’s right to choose not to.

While we continue to fight to keep abortion legal, let’s also remember that there are organizations like Baby-Friendly USA that are actively working to remove our post-birth choices. If we truly believe in choice, that belief should extend to all our reproductive decisions.