Climate Change : like the insufferable man and woman

Less lessons and more thoughts.

Dear World,

Believe it or not, there’s a correlation between climate change and most day to day life experiences.

From the frequent debate of the type of sunscreen that you should apply the frequency of droughts and intensity of storms. From disability inclusion in natural disasters to empowering newborn mothers to build resilience against climate change events that impact their ability to breastfeed.

Yes. Climate change has a say-so in all of it.

I consider climate change (CC) to be one of those insufferable men or women who insist on doing things their way regardless of the impact their actions will have on others. They do whatever they want to the detriment of everything and everyone without remorse.

The sad part about it is that they get away with it because no one has really kept CC in line. Or, at the very least, lessons in how to cope with CC haven’t really been a priority for most. That can be irritating. Buuuut, if you educate yourself on how CC operates, then you should be able to better manage.

Pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women

FYI, vulnerable groups impacted by CC also include women before and after giving birth.

2023 has seen record temperatures ever in the history of everything. So much so that NOAA and NASA confirmed July as the hottest month ever recorded on Earth.

Not sure about you, but I thought about how such a CC event can impact breastfeeding mothers.

I did some reading and fell into a rabbit hole that I struggled to get out of. I learned that there are a few climate change threats to breastfeeding women. These include, but aren’t limited to: water-related illnesses, food systems impact, heat illnesses, and respiratory illnesses. So, that’s health and food security concerns.

For example, changes in air and water temperatures, which contribute to increased flooding and more intense droughts, can bring forth water-borne diseases that once ingested will lead to a series of problems. Droughts and floods can impact food sustainability.

Imagine a breastfeeding mother ingesting contaminated water. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that she may also formula feed her baby. Contaminated water and baby formula equals a recipe for disaster. Imagine there being constant water restrictions due to drought conditions. How will clean water be accessed to feed baby? Imagine excessive heat throwing the power grid out of service. Mom may not be able to properly store and refrigerate the milk she’s pumped.

I’m no expert, but it all seems like doom and gloom. I’ve said so much but barely touched the surface. Am I even going in the right direction with these thoughts? 🤷🏾‍♀️

I’m gonna speak with some subject matter experts and see how much we can uncover, and then I’ll come back with details.

Whew! That was a mouthful!

Do you have thoughts on this?

Signed,

The Suburban Girl JA