Breastfeeding required for 2 full years in United Arab Emirates

[_jellybean_]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/30/united-arab-emirates-breastfeeding-law_n_4689740.html

Men can sue their wives if they're not bf'ing.

I couldn't bf because of medical conditions, and I would not have wanted a wet nurse.

 

[MommyJogger]

I think to look at this law requires a bit more information about laws currently in existence. Men already boast ownership of their wives' breasts. They could previously either demand that a woman bf or demand that she not. This law supercedes that to allow women to breastfeed against the wishes of the father, whereas before she had no say anyway, if I understand correctly, and could be sued for medical reasons beyond her control. I believe formula is still available. In order to enforce it, someone would have to report it. So if both parents are amenable, there will still be formula fed babies. It really just prevents the woman from being sued to wean by her husband before she's ready. I guess we'll see the results of it at some point. It's one of those "we have to see it pass in order to evaluate how it practically works" kind of things.
I hope someone from the area with better understanding of the current laws can shine some light on the difference between passing this law in the UAE and passing the law in a place like the US/UK.

 

[_jellybean_]

I think to look at this law requires a bit more information about laws currently in existence. Men already boast ownership of their wives' breasts. They could previously either demand that a woman bf or demand that she not. This law supercedes that to allow women to breastfeed against the wishes of the father, whereas before she had no say anyway, if I understand correctly, and could be sued for medical reasons beyond her control. I believe formula is still available. In order to enforce it, someone would have to report it. So if both parents are amenable, there will still be formula fed babies. It really just prevents the woman from being sued to wean by her husband before she's ready. I guess we'll see the results of it at some point. It's one of those "we have to see it pass in order to evaluate how it practically works" kind of things.
I hope someone from the area with better understanding of the current laws can shine some light on the difference between passing this law in the UAE and passing the law in a place like the US/UK.

Interesting points. Thanks.

 

[RaspberryK]

Interesting all round.
It'd be interesting to get the statistics too in comparison to UK and USA.
Xx

 

[Tiff]

Given my own issues with Breastfeeding I'm not sure how I feel about this law. I get it in principal, breastfeeding IS best - there's no doubt about it.

In retrospect I wish I had more info on it all. I had just assumed I'd BF, never bothered to look into it and no one really told me how tough it is. All I kept hearing was how it was the most "natural thing in the world". No one told me how hard it is, how painful it can be, how your breasts have to adjust etc... It led me to believe I was doing something wrong.

Natural (to me) was the same as eating, going to the bathroom etc. You can do it with relative ease. Breastfeeding was so hard I just couldn't bear it and switched to formula after 3 weeks. There's parts of me that wishes I had given it a better try, but I feel I made the right choice at the time with what I was informed with.

That being said and given my own experiences I believe that more education is better than laws that add to the pressure of an already very emotional subject.

 

[MommyJogger]

Honestly, I think a law like this would go a long way into making that education more available. I'm not sure whether the same problem is as prominent in the UAE culture as it is in the US, but I know that at least in the vast majority of the US, if you run into problems breastfeeding, the first suggestion by pediatricians, obstetricians, and maternity ward nurses tends to be to use formula. (I'm in a pretty crunchy, liberal area and we were instructed that we needed formula at least several times over the course of the first year [at his birth, when he became jaundiced, when we had thrush, and when his weight gain slowed down like it was supposed to at around 6 months when he was already over 20lbs] and then were told we had to stop bf because my milk would go "off" due to the pregnancy and he would "get sick". At my first OB appt to confirm pregnancy and receive a dating ultrasound with this pregnancy, I was given the standard "gift" package, which is an 8-pack of Similac for supplementation and some bottle nipples. ) A law like this one would most certainly make stuff like that illegal on their part and force them to figure out how to actually help their patients breastfeed for two years.

 

[OmarsMum]

I live there but this is the 1st time I hear about this law

Well it's against the teaching of Islam, in Quran it clearly says that BF is for 2 years if the mum wants to go full term, but it clearly says that she has the right to get paid for BFing her child by the father if she doesn't want to but the father wants her to, so it's her body, her choice.

There is enough education here, I had crap experience at the hospital when I gave birth as they refused to give my LO formula when I couldn't BF, I had a consultant, nurses & midwives tried to help but they were other doing it IMO. I had to leave the hospital early after a traumatic EMCS as I couldn't take it anymore with their attitude.

We come from a culture that is pro-BFing, I dont know anyone who FF out of choice without giving bfing try.

But it gets beyond a joke, at the hospital there are posters saying "mummy please bf me instead of using a bottle, formula will make me sick" which is not fair for those who weren't able to BF & are already feeling guilty about it. I chose to go private after giving birth, I even paid for vaccines as I couldnt stand their attitude towards ffing.

& is it going to be a law for everyone or only locals? I'm an expat, 80% of the residents are expats, they cant force a law on us IMO as we pay loads to stay, we dont get anything for free, all prenatal check ups & classes are not free, delivery is too expensive, insurance is also expensive, many expats have insurance through their companies, but the majority dont have maternity covered especially for those on low income.

What about leaves. We only get 40 days maternity leave, & they you have to go back to work full time, there is 1 hour feeding break from work, but come on no one works close to home it is a big city with loads of traffic! So all those I know choose to leave one hour early instead of taking the feeding break mid day.