Alright, I'm just warning you. Today's a bit of a rant. Why? Cause I read an article that whistled my steam pipes but good. It's titled, "The case against breastfeeding". For curious minds, check it out: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding/2
Ok, so my knee-jerk reaction is this:
Are you SEEErious?! Why build a case AGAINST breastfeeding, for ALL OF THE OTHER MOMS out there? You don't need to make someone else WRONG to make yourself RIGHT. It felt like she was trying to rationalize her way out of breastfeeding her 3rd born. It's hard enough to tough it out, what with all of the latch-on trials, especially in the beginning. We live in this ultra “convenient” culture, that tries to lure us into believing we're not capable the moment we enter our 3rd trimester. Once we enter the delivery room, it's a process of, "Just in case you can't do it... sign here for your epidural, here for the C-section, and your consolation prize? Here’s a “gift” of ready-to-eat formula." We are barraged with these messages from jump!
If she doesn’t want to press on with her 3rd, so be it. No need for the histrionics, really. She could just be honest, quit judging HERSELF and bow out. It’s her choice. It's ok. Look, I can see how a child #3 would present a logistical challenge in the nursing department. I just had my second, and I’m juggling nursing him and entertaining/caring for/feeding/toilet training/etc. my toddler at the same time. I'm up late at night, several times. Truth is, it can be exhausting. And I only have two babies. But it’s doable, mainly cause I want it to work. I knew the 1st year would be marathon. It's ok, I'm good for it :). Now, I know there are women who simply can't breastfeed, no matter how hard they try. And I empathize with how painful this can be. I'm only talking about Rosin. Just had to say this... cause I don't want to offend.
NOW…Another quote that's itching my back-side: “Being stuck at home breast-feeding as he walked out the door for work just made me unreasonably furious, at him and everyone else.”....
Sounds to me like she’s got a lot of resentment for her husband. Perhaps she should take a look at what she’s REALLY so angry about. I get that there are things that take a back seat while we’re nursing. I get it. But it’s short lived in the big scheme. Breastfeeding is NOT A SENTENCE, it’s a gift to your child, for goodness sake!! But, I've got to say. If she FEELS checked-out, then for goodness sake, she NEEDS to check out! Given how "furious" she feels, she probably should stop breastfeeding her baby, so that poor child isn't absorbing all of that negativity! Seriously. But, I digress.
Sadly, what I took away from her article is a woman who’s lost sight of the gifts she has: her healthy children, her employed husband, her ability to nourish her baby. She’s resentful - trying to explain away why she doesn’t want to nurse her baby, instead of just being real about it. Her watery excuses feel like a mask. How about, "I just can't press on this time around."? She’s defensive, and looking for the information she needs to back-out of it, at the expense of all of the women who are currently/plan to breastfeed. It’s annoying, quite frankly. I feel sad for young girls in our society. It's like swimming upstream against the messages we're encouraged to believe that we're just not good enough. Not thin enough, rich enough, smart enough. Not strong enough... to handle what we were born to do. Enough... is ENOUGH!
Just do what ya gotta do, lady, and never mind anyone else. I don't believe that breastfeeding is for every woman. We're unique people, who can't be expected to follow some cookie-cut standard. That's the glory of parenting: you do your homework, find out what suits you, and do your best.
She seems like the kind of lady I would avoid at the playground… always complaining about motherhood. Not that we're not entitled to our moments of frustration. BUT... please. She needs a bubble bath, if you ask me.
I'm sure it's no surprise here... But, I feel good about being able to breastfeed both of my children. While there's a ton of literature backing the cause, and this has undoubtedly motivated me during the early phases of acclimation, it really just, instinctively, feels like the most natural thing... for me and my babies. I love the bonding, it's dreamy. I nursed my 1st for 17 months - weaned when I got preggy with #2. I plan to nurse my 2nd baby for as long as he wants to. I stay at home with them and I know this has facilitated my commitment to nursing. And yes, I do feel proud. I've worked REALLY hard at this.
Ok, so my knee-jerk reaction is this:
Are you SEEErious?! Why build a case AGAINST breastfeeding, for ALL OF THE OTHER MOMS out there? You don't need to make someone else WRONG to make yourself RIGHT. It felt like she was trying to rationalize her way out of breastfeeding her 3rd born. It's hard enough to tough it out, what with all of the latch-on trials, especially in the beginning. We live in this ultra “convenient” culture, that tries to lure us into believing we're not capable the moment we enter our 3rd trimester. Once we enter the delivery room, it's a process of, "Just in case you can't do it... sign here for your epidural, here for the C-section, and your consolation prize? Here’s a “gift” of ready-to-eat formula." We are barraged with these messages from jump!
If she doesn’t want to press on with her 3rd, so be it. No need for the histrionics, really. She could just be honest, quit judging HERSELF and bow out. It’s her choice. It's ok. Look, I can see how a child #3 would present a logistical challenge in the nursing department. I just had my second, and I’m juggling nursing him and entertaining/caring for/feeding/toilet training/etc. my toddler at the same time. I'm up late at night, several times. Truth is, it can be exhausting. And I only have two babies. But it’s doable, mainly cause I want it to work. I knew the 1st year would be marathon. It's ok, I'm good for it :). Now, I know there are women who simply can't breastfeed, no matter how hard they try. And I empathize with how painful this can be. I'm only talking about Rosin. Just had to say this... cause I don't want to offend.
NOW…Another quote that's itching my back-side: “Being stuck at home breast-feeding as he walked out the door for work just made me unreasonably furious, at him and everyone else.”....
Sounds to me like she’s got a lot of resentment for her husband. Perhaps she should take a look at what she’s REALLY so angry about. I get that there are things that take a back seat while we’re nursing. I get it. But it’s short lived in the big scheme. Breastfeeding is NOT A SENTENCE, it’s a gift to your child, for goodness sake!! But, I've got to say. If she FEELS checked-out, then for goodness sake, she NEEDS to check out! Given how "furious" she feels, she probably should stop breastfeeding her baby, so that poor child isn't absorbing all of that negativity! Seriously. But, I digress.
Sadly, what I took away from her article is a woman who’s lost sight of the gifts she has: her healthy children, her employed husband, her ability to nourish her baby. She’s resentful - trying to explain away why she doesn’t want to nurse her baby, instead of just being real about it. Her watery excuses feel like a mask. How about, "I just can't press on this time around."? She’s defensive, and looking for the information she needs to back-out of it, at the expense of all of the women who are currently/plan to breastfeed. It’s annoying, quite frankly. I feel sad for young girls in our society. It's like swimming upstream against the messages we're encouraged to believe that we're just not good enough. Not thin enough, rich enough, smart enough. Not strong enough... to handle what we were born to do. Enough... is ENOUGH!
Just do what ya gotta do, lady, and never mind anyone else. I don't believe that breastfeeding is for every woman. We're unique people, who can't be expected to follow some cookie-cut standard. That's the glory of parenting: you do your homework, find out what suits you, and do your best.
She seems like the kind of lady I would avoid at the playground… always complaining about motherhood. Not that we're not entitled to our moments of frustration. BUT... please. She needs a bubble bath, if you ask me.
I'm sure it's no surprise here... But, I feel good about being able to breastfeed both of my children. While there's a ton of literature backing the cause, and this has undoubtedly motivated me during the early phases of acclimation, it really just, instinctively, feels like the most natural thing... for me and my babies. I love the bonding, it's dreamy. I nursed my 1st for 17 months - weaned when I got preggy with #2. I plan to nurse my 2nd baby for as long as he wants to. I stay at home with them and I know this has facilitated my commitment to nursing. And yes, I do feel proud. I've worked REALLY hard at this.
Rosin didn't need to "build a case against breastfeeding" to stop doing it herself. Why feel compelled to minimize the value of something that has sustained us through time? Now that's just silly.
You know? We don't need a MOTHER in this day-and-age to reinforce these outdated notions. Just look at a baby's eyes when they're being breastfed by a mother who wants to do it.
Enough said.
Nursing my 5 month old as I type…
MomE
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