Amy Tuteur

“There are two others: the erroneous claim that anything natural must be safe, and the bedrock assertion of midwives, doulas, and other natural childbirth advocates that childbirth itself is an inherently safe process. Unfortunately, both claims conflict with medical and historical reality.”
― Amy Tuteur, Push Back: Guilt in the Age of Natural Parenting – An OB-GYN's Guide to Childbirth Science, Debunking Myths and Empowering Women

“IgA can protect mucous membranes (like the lining of the digestive tract and the lining of the respiratory tract) from bacteria and viruses. That’s why breastfed babies are less likely to have diarrheal illnesses or colds in the first year. Most other diseases can be prevented with other types of antibodies. These protective antibodies can cross the placenta from the mother to the baby, but they cannot be passed in breast milk. That’s why breastfeeding can’t replace vaccination. Even if the mother is immune to whooping cough, for example, she can’t pass that immunity to her baby through breast milk. She can pass it through the placenta during pregnancy, but those antibodies will last in the baby’s bloodstream for only six months at the longest.”
― Amy Tuteur, Push Back: Guilt in the Age of Natural Parenting – An OB-GYN's Guide to Childbirth Science, Debunking Myths and Empowering Women