**This is my opinion. You don't have to like it. For the record, I'm very FOR breastfeeding, so don't think I'm talking down about it. **
Lately there has been much debating over breast and formula feeding. Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of having to read about it. Honestly, I don't care if your child uses your boob or a bottle for their meals.
I'm tired of reading about how you're discriminated against if you chose to breastfeed in public. We live in a predominately conservative country, of course seeing a mother feed her child in very public place is cause for a stare or two. Why do these mothers care enough to start Facebook pages about it and post status after status about how they have the right to breastfeed? It's a free country, if your child is hungry, pull out your boob and feed them! Who the hell cares what people think? You cannot be arrested for feeding your child.
I'm just tired of the ridicule that us families who chose to feed our babies by a bottle with formula are getting. I wanted to breastfeed. I had help in the hospital from a LN. I read an article about how ALL women can breastfeed, it's just our country that doesn't allow it. WTF? There are tons of resources out there for it. I read lots of books from the library about breastfeeding when I was pregnant. Different ways to get your milk supply up. Different holds for the baby. ETC.
You know what? It didn't work for us. After leaving the hospital, my daughter nursed all the time and she was always still hungry. I never produced enough milk for her. I started to spiral down into a depression from a mix of not being able to feed my baby to the adjustments of becoming a mother. Call me selfish, call me uneducated, call me whatever you want. It didn't work for us, and I don't think we should be looked DOWN upon because I ultimately decided to give my daughter a bottle of formula for her nutrition.
I even saw something about how formula fed babies are more likely to DIE. Well, that makes us feel REAL good about ourselves. We were so selfish, we're putting our own babies at risk of DEATH! You know what? My daughter is a happy, healthy 16 month old. Thanks.
Friday, April 9, 2010
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3 comments:
I can't imagine wanting to nurse and then not being able to...and feeling stressed out about it.
You have to do what works for you and your kids...and I'm sorry that there are people out there that feel differently...especially the pushy ones. Why do they think it's right to make people that formula feed fell like poo?
I support a families decision whatever it may be to feed their child. I am not the type to judge a woman who feeds her baby via a bottle, so what. I also would not make a woman feel like a bad mother for doing so nor would I ridicule a woman for breastfeeding in public. It doesn't bother me one bit.
I'm with yah girl. I will give it my best to breastfeed but will have no shame if it doesn't work out for me to bottle feed my child.
*hugs*
I think all the different studies and resulting discussions are a really good thing. It's important for those who feel they have been looked down upon to express that and for those that may not have had the chance to be educated about breastfeeding to get more information. There are so many positives to the research... and people need to really think critically and ask about the research too, because some of the studies are more sound from a research basis than others.
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