NEWLY TATTOOED MOTHER IS BANNED FROM BREASTFEEDING BECAUSE OF SUPPOSED HIV RISK DESPITE TESTING NEGATIVE

July 11, 2015 by: L. J. Devon, staff writer

        (NaturalNews) The natural way of life is constantly being attacked, discriminated against. Healthy lifestyle practices, like organic gardening, herbal medicine making and breastfeeding are often misunderstood by society's most ill-informed and authoritarian-minded. Professional pediatricians may pressure mothers not to breastfeed at all and instead give their newborns approved hospital feeding formulas. Women often have little support for breastfeeding, especially when onlookers forbid seeing a mother breastfeeding in public.

Now an Australian court is banning breastfeeding altogether for a newly tattooed mother. Apparently, one judge thinks he can control another woman's body, and his decision alone could spark a war on women and a war on breastfeeding.

Woman's court-ordered HIV test comes back negative, but the judge still orders the woman not to breastfeed

Citing a supposed HIV risk from the tattoo needles, the judge has ordered the mother not to breastfeed, even though her HIV test came back negative. With this kind of judicial reasoning, breastfeeding may become illegal across the board for any mother who has a tattoo. If mothers are brought into question, they may have to prove to a judge that they are worthy to breastfeed by passing court-mandated HIV tests. According to this case, even if a woman passes the test, she can still be banned from doing what she wants with her body – the natural thing, breastfeeding.

This is the kind of insane, authoritarian and litigious nanny state that the world continues to embrace. People are no longer free to do what they want with their own bodies. People are no longer able to take miniscule risks or make healthy lifestyle decisions. Everyone seems to need permission from a government, a bureaucracy or a court to do something natural, like breastfeeding or letting their kid walk home from the park by themself.

If the authoritarian in charge wants to take control of that person's mind and body, they feel that they have the right to dictate. In America, the Child Protective Services are often called in on parents who don't follow all the rules. For example, kids can be seized by the state because a parent chose to medicate them a different way.

Australian Breastfeeding Association calls the judge's orders "extremely concerning"
The Federal Circuit Court judge who barred the woman from breastfeeding, Matthew Myers, says the mother tested negative for HIV but that she should not breastfeed her 11-month-old boy because the boy could still get infected with HIV since the mother's tattoo is less than three months old.

"Looking at perhaps the benefit to the child, who is 11 months old, breastfeeding, as opposed to what would be a lifelong issue in circumstances where the child contracted HIV, it is the view of the court that it is not in the best interests of the child that the mother continue to breastfeed," he said.

The woman has appealed the judge's decision and is currently in a custody dispute with the boy's father.

The judge based his decision on information provided by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. The association warns that HIV can be transmitted to the child through breast milk. However, the association commented on the judge's ruling and said the ruling was "extremely concerning" and may cause other mothers to not breastfeed.

"As long as it [tattooing] is done in reputable way and that the infection control procedures are followed, the risk is low and we would absolutely encourage women who have had tattoos to breastfeed their babies for as long as they choose to," Rebecca Naylor, the association's head, told ABC Radio.

"Women do need to be careful... But it doesn't mean that you have to wrap yourself in glad wrap."

There should be an outpouring of support for women who breastfeed, not opposition and force. There should be more education available for women and men who work together to breastfeed their babies, but courts should never stop a woman from doing what she wants with her own body and child, especially when there is miniscule risk. If no life is being taken, the judge should just keep his hands to himself. The liberty to breastfeed shall remain a universal human right.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk