02/12/2026
A long, but very worthwhile read. 😔
What does Epstein and the Epstein files have to do with breastfeeding?
“What does breastfeeding have to do with Epstein? Why do you keep talking about politics, this is a breastfeeding page, stay in your lane.”
I could explain that the survivors of Epstein’s child s*x trafficking ring were once babies, that they were very possibly breastfed.
I could talk about how the survivors of Epstein’s child s*x trafficking ring could go on to have babies of their own, very possibly breastfeed their own babies.
I could remind readers about how many of the survivors of Epstein’s child s*x trafficking ring were, in fact, children when they were abused.
I could try to spell out how caring about accountability for abusing CHILDREN and exercising our rights in a representative democracy constitutional republic like the US shouldn’t be about political parties but about basic human decency.
I could. But wow I am tired of trying to encourage people to see and care about other human beings.
That we even have to humanize the survivors to others speaks volumes of how our society has dehumanized itself.
We shouldn’t ever have needed the files. We should have just believed the survivors.
What do the Epstein files have to do with breastfeeding?
We shouldn’t need that either. We shouldn’t need to justify CARING. We shouldn’t need to defend asking for justice. We shouldn’t need to excuse going “off topic.”
What does it have to do with breastfeeding? How about our very humanity.
But, since so many can’t get past it, fine. I’ll tell you what it has to do with breastfeeding.
Experts estimate that 1 in 4 women experience some kind of SA by the time they are 18.
Survivors of childhood SA are more likely to have late start to prenatal care and childbirth/ lactation and parenting education.
Childhood SA is associated with several adult characteristics that are known to decrease the likelihood of breastfeeding including but not limited to mental health difficulties (such as C-PTSD, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc.), lower educational attainment, lower socioeconomic status, partner abuse, unintended pregnancy, etc.
SA in childhood is known to increase the risk of postpartum mood disorders and possibly impact breastfeeding outcomes.
Survivors of childhood SA may be more likely to feel uncomfortable with various intimate parenting tasks, including bathing a child, and possibly breastfeeding.
While childhood SA does not seem to have a significant negative impact on the rates of initiation of breastfeeding, those who self-reported childhood SA had lower breastfeeding duration rates, stopping before 4-6 weeks old and before reaching their lactation goals.
Childhood SA survivors are more likely to be undersupported in their pregnancy and parenting experiences in relation to their personal and social circles including employment, health care, and family environments.
Survivors of childhood SA report experiencing high levels of shame and disgust about their body with breastfeeding and discomfort with touching their own breasts, experiencing a sense of shame in a way that affected their comfort with and ability to breastfeed.
Some survivors experience discomfort with being on demand to another human being or having their infant at their breast with difficulty separating their breastfeeding experience from the SA experience.
There are reports of some childhood SA survivors being retraumatized by breastfeeding, experiencing shame, fear, guilt, isolation, flashbacks, dissociation, suicidal thoughts, addictions, eating disorders, powerlessness, hypervigilance to danger, and erosion of trust.
Survivors of childhood SA are more likely to experience breastfeeding complications and difficulties.
Childhood SA survivors report experiencing higher levels of disassociation with breastfeeding, interfering with bonding and being emotionally present during feeds.
It is important to note that for some survivors, myself included, the baby feeding journey of lactation can be very healing of childhood SA trauma. That is a wonderful but not guaranteed outcome and is full of complicated barriers.
Because every single person that has experienced SA is watching how everyone else is reacting to what is in those files. They’re watching how the highest offices in the country are saying it is time to move on. They’re seeing how the ones protected are the ones with the most money, the most power, not the ones that are the most vulnerable and have suffered the most.
And they know. They know if this is how this plays out at this scale, if this is what the people around them say and do about this… it’s not likely they’ll experience any kind of meaningful support or care, let alone justice.
And those that have not been abused will remember all this if ever they are. Our children are watching.
What does this have to do with this page? With breastfeeding?
Everything. It has everything to do with every one of us. With humanity.
I won't stop talking about it. I won't stop expressing my humanity and my care for others.
NOTE: This was written by a real human being not some ai software that steals the work of others.
