I have a new vice, and it's called 'Sixteen and Pregnant.' Because MTV is the only network that streams full episodes in Kenya, I've had to forego 'The Office' in exchange for reality TV, and this show has definitely got my attention. It covers the pregnancies of a number of 16-year olds and provides a brief follow-up of life after labor. Perhaps I shouldn't find it surprising, but in the entire season only one of the 16 year olds ended up breastfeeding, and for only two weeks at that. While I know there are many reasons why some women can't breastfeed (and for those who don't want to acknowledge those, lets save that debate for another day!), but the majority of these young women seemed to avoid breastfeeding simply because it seemed too hard or inconvenient. I think breastfeeding, more than anything, would have made the reality of being young moms that much more intense - and so they all turned to formula.

Here in Kenya, many women breastfeed because they have no alternative - formulas are simply too expensive. At the same time, I have a young friend who is pregnant (in a very unplanned and unfortunately tragic sort of way), and she's asked me to help collect some baby-related donations for her. I asked her if she plans to breastfeed, and she said that because she still hopes to be able to go to school, she thought she'd probably end up using formula (I should mention she lives in a one-room abode in the Kibera slum, where running water is a luxury, and treated water unheard of). I talked to her about some of the options for breastfeeding (and pledged to collect some of the accessories that she will need to make it bearable - nobody likes leaking milk when they hear a random baby cry after all!) and mentioned some of the mixed messages that companies have sent women in developing countries - anyone familiar with the Nestle scandals in South America? In Developed nations, choosing to breastfeed or not often comes down to personal preference, whereas in developing countries with poor water quality, high rates of premature births, and infants born with lackluster immune systems, it can really be a matter of life or death, and it is always startling to talk to women who really don't realize any of the tradeoffs involved.

I poked around WorldofGood.com and found one great set of breastfeeding accessories (Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics Breastfeeding Support Kit) - but I'd love to see more made available to the community - especially non-electric pumps that could be shared with women around the world in an effort to ensure their children are given the very best that mother (and mother nature) has to offer. Anyone have any companies to recommend?