Mother refuses to wean 15-month-old daughter, Gov't takes baby UPDATE*

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Amyable

Amyable

Crowing
14 Years
Dec 16, 2008
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Greenleaf, WI
http://www.amormaternal.com/2011/06/please-help-habiba.html

On May 31st, a Morrocan mother known as Habiba had her child taken away from her without her consent, allegedly because she breastfed her child on demand. Due to her dire financial situation, Habiba had been living with her 15 month old daughter in a women's shelter in Madrid (Instituto Madrileño del Menor y la Familia- IMMF-, which roughly translates to Madrid's Family and Children's Institute).

Dr. Olza, the psychiatrist who evaluated Habiba, as well as a psychologist, whose name has not yet been released coincide in their impressions on Habiba:
"I'm under the impression that [Habiba] is a sensible and loving mother, with a healthy attachment to her child."
"It is obvious that this separation is highly stressful for the nursling and I can easily predict oncoming symptoms of psychic distress if the physical and emotional bond with her mother is not immediately restored."

According to declarations in the newspaper, allegedly coming on behalf of the IMMF, the reason for separating mother and child has nothing to do with their breastfeeding relationship, yet after saying that the child was removed from her mother's care "temporarily and the case would be reevaluated", they warned Habiba beforehand that nursing her child during their one hour weekly visit was absolutely forbidden supposedly because "it would be contrary to the child's institutionalization".

Thus the IMMF's attitude on breastfeeding, and their opinion on it, calling it "chaotic and damaging to children" has caused great alarm among mothers everywhere, not only the breastfeeding community.

If you are as outraged about this as I am, here is a petition asking to immediately reunite Habiba and Alma:
http://www.change.org/petitions/worldwide-mothers-support-habiba-immf-give-her-baby-back

Facebook also has a page:
http://www.facebook.com/WeAreAllHabiba#!/WeAreAllHabiba?sk=wall

UPDATE:
They have been reunited! http://www.amormaternal.com/2011/06/habiba-and-alma-together-hugging-and.html Apparently Habiba has agreed to counseling thru IMMF, which is not a positive IMO, but for now mother and baby are together.
 
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There has GOT to be more to this than meets the eye.

Once many years ago I personally forced the court to take a child from a mother who was nursing. It was an extremely painful decision to make for me but the mother would not / could not stop doing drugs. The drugs she was doing were going into her infant. I strongly suspect there is probably something similar going on here. Have any of you ever held a child through heroin withdrawal?? I have.

I strongly support breast feeding and am very supportive of helping homeless mothers stay with their infants rather than taking them just because mother is homeless, but there are some times when it cannot be done.
 
That's what I thought too. It couldn't be just breastfeeding. The IMMF accused the mother of having 'violent tendencies', but no documentation about it. The mother was evaluated and found to have no psychological problems and not on drugs.

From an IMMF release: "The hours and type of food are chaotic" and " she uses breastfeeding as a pacifier and a toy, offering her breast any time the girl cries and letting her take it anywhere, no matter the time and context in which this happens (offices, corridors). "

"She (Alma) does not have proper sleep patterns. From the first moment Habiba didn’t want the girl to sleep in her cot and she lies with her in her own bed. She uses the cot to drop off things and toys and on very rare occasions to leave the girl ... "

http://www.facebook.com/WeAreAllHabiba?sk=app_103822229704881

Breastfeeding on demand and co-sleeping are valid reasons for taking a child from her mother??? Lock me up, I'm guilty.
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Here are three news stories about it.
http://www.examiner.com/new-moms-in...o-extended-breastfeeding-protesters-to-gather
http://www.examiner.com/new-moms-in...arated-mother-and-child-medical-report-issued
http://www.imperfectparent.com/topi...ish-government-takes-away-rights-of-a-mother/

My main concern is about the petitions. What are Spain's laws regarding online petitions?
In many states here in the US, online petitions are nothing more than an opinion poll. They hold no legal weight and have no real value.
Sure, you've made a statement about the situation, but if the petition is worthless, then you haven't done anything that actually helps. Unless they hold legal validity, signing an online petition makes as much of an impact as changing your facebook profile picture.
 
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I agree. Unfortunately, it seems to be about the only thing to do if you don't live in Spain. There have been some demonstrations/protests at the IMMF building, and some people have hand-delivered letters to embassies. A petition may put some pressure/bad press on IMMF, and publicize, but that's about all.
 
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Guilty too...I did that with both of my children and my preemie daughter went to work with me until she was 10 weeks old and reached 6 lbs to go to daycare...she slept in her carrier under my desk. She survived and is almost 15 years old now....Lock me up!
 
Holy cow, I geuss I'm guilty too. I breast fed my 13 year old til she was two. My eight year old til she was 6 months.(She was not liking nursing... Daddy didn't have the equipment and she wanted Daddy if he was home.If she heard him, that was that. No more. Oh well..) I've slept with my kids at one point in time or another...
 
that is sooo beyond sad! My heart breaks for that little girl. Boobs aren't just for nurishment, they are also for comfort. She's trying to comfort her baby who has been taken from her. And I'd have violent tendencies if they took my baby from me too!

Lock me up, I'm still breastfeeding my 13 month old
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