I was reading a blog recently, actually, what was in the blog was less interesting than the ensuing "conversation". I put that in quotations because it's impossible to call it a conversation. Basically the blog article was about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and the lack of good dietary choices. This, apparently, leads directly into a heated debate about women who feed their children "dangerous, unhealthy formula".
*Sigh*
Haven`t we made it past this yet?
I think it's pretty much a given by now that breastfeeding is the preferred choice. Why on earth do we have to stomp all over other moms who can't? This isn't new... there have been wet nurses since the dawn of time, but for some reason that idea makes us squeamish now, so we came up with a really good solution: formula. Sure, it's not the ideal, (in an ideal world, babies would feed themselves and never poop) but it's kept probably millions of kids alive who otherwise would have been malnourished and suffered the effects of that.
I was formula-fed, have no allergies, no health problems, and am not obese. I do wear glasses, but so do both of my parents (breastfed), while my brother (also formula fed) does not. Oh, Lactivists! please run over here and tell me that I'm an anomoly! I sure am lucky to have made it this far. Perhaps tomorrow I'll be hit by a bus and you can blame my lack of peripheral vision on my infant diet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all over breastfeeding... it's cheap, convenient and healthy, I nursed Girl for 14 months (longer than I initially thought I would). I also have ZERO problems with others choosing differently. I don't see the point.
I try to feel compassion for the cranky folks. Maybe they are sleep-deprived or something, but I think overall it comes down to competition. It's easy to point the finger and look down on someone for something (whether wrong or not) if you haven't had to make that choice.
Formula moms... this is for you: You are wonderful. You are nourishing your child and there is nothing wrong with it. Thank you for caring enough for your child to ensure their health and welfare. Please ignore the snarky moms who have nothing better to do than exalt themselves for their own wonderfulness. All breastfeeding moms aren't like this. Forgive me for not standing up for you when I should have.
To the nursing moms (or just moms in general) who stomp all over others to make themselves feel better:
Shove it.
Well, I know exactly what blog you are talking about - I quit reading it a month ago because reading it made me SO mad.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, I wish the people at the 'other' blog could read it.
Amen my bosom buddy! I think you should cut & paste this onto that other blog.
ReplyDeleteI had to stop reading that blog fairly quickly, because it was very toxic for me. I was having so much trouble nursing my newborn son, and had to give him formula for the first few months of his life. Reading that blog made me feel like I was the worst mother on the planet... Mix that in with hormones and it was a recipe for disaster! Although I eventually was able to nurse my son, I was really thankful my husband and other family members encouraged me to feed him lovingly, regardless of whether it was breast milk or formula.
ReplyDelete