Lactivists are constantly nattering on about “normalizing” breastfeeding. They are absolutely convinced that baring their breasts on Facebook and Twitter will encourage more women to breastfeed their babies.
In their view, breastfeeding fell out of favor due to a concerted assault by formula companies on women’s comfort with breastfeeding. In other words, it was social pressure that convinced women to switch to formula feeding and it is social pressure that will convince them to return to breastfeeding.
[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If you care about your baby’s health, there is no greater gift you can give her than vaccines.[/pullquote]
Homebirth advocates are constantly nattering on about “normalizing” childbirth. They are absolutely convinced that baring their bulging vaginas on YouTube will encourage more women to have homebirths.
In their view, homebirth fell out of favor due to a concerted assault by obstetricians on women’s innate “trust” of birth by “playing the dead baby card.” In other words, it was social pressure that convinced women to switch to hospital birth and it is social pressure that will convince them to return to homebirth.
Let’s take them at their word, but let’s apply it to something that has exponentially greater benefits than breastfeeding or unmedicated vaginal birth: vaccination!
In contrast to breastfeeding, which has never been shown to save the life of a single term baby, and in contrast to unmedicated vaginal birth, which in nature has an appalling death rate, vaccination saves literally hundreds of thousands of lives a year. Anti-vaccine advocacy has become popular among people who value defying medical authority over scientific evidence. It has been endlessly promoted by charlatans and celebrities who play on parents worst fears.
Anti-vax advocacy has become a social identity for its proponents; they gather in echo chamber communities on social media ruthlessly deleting and banning anyone who offers real scientific data. In other words, it is social pressure that convinces many parents to forgo vaccination for their children and perhaps social pressure will convince them to return to vaccinating, thereby protecting their children and everyone else’s children from deadly disease.
Let’s normalize vaccination!
Let’s do it by filling social media with pictures of ourselves embracing our newly vaccinated babies and children with the hashtag #vaccinesarelove because vaccines ARE love. If you care about your baby’s health, there is no greater gift you can give her than vaccines. Vaccination saves far more lives than breastfeeding, than unmedicated vaginal birth, than carseats or nearly any other safety measure that you can name.
Feel free to post your pictures here or on The Skeptical OB Facebook page. Flaunt how much you love your happy, healthy babies and flaunt your knowledge of science at the very same time!
