No really, WHAT is your effin' problem?!? I thought to myself whilst nursing my daughter in a discreet corner of our local doctor's surgery today. Not discreet enough apparently, for the woman sitting lengthways from me, with a face on her like a slapped arse. You'd think I'd farted. But no, all I was doing was breastfeeding my 15 month old baby. Bubble has had a temperature for 3 days so this morning I got her an appointment to get checked out at our doctor's. She has been completely out of sorts, will not eat much of anything and is 50/50 on whether she'll drink something so I went back to nursing her on demand as the weather here has been glorious these past couple of days (amazing I know...sun in NI). Why would good weather encourage you to BF? I hear you wonder. Dehydration, I'd respond.
You see, when my daughter has a fall or is hurt or upset, she wants the breast as comfort. She is unwell at the moment (turned out to be an ear infection) and so doesn't understand why she feels so awful. A quiet breastfeed helps to soothe her and comfort her. It also guarantees that Bubble is being kept hydrated in the hot weather AND getting some form of nutrition when she doesn't feel like eating. All in all, it helps her combat any illness she's struck with.
I'd say that's fairly logical so WHY do some people have an issue with what is an entirely natural (and sensible) thing to do for your child?
It ASTOUNDS me that it's women who give me the most grief for still breastfeeding. I have been attending a BF Support group locally but I no longer feel comfortable going because it is clear that the women there are uncomfortable with the idea of nursing a child as old as my daughter.
Why are people so offended by it? I lay the blame entirely on the sexualisation of women's breasts in Western society. I have been accused in the past of 'enjoying' breastfeeding. Of course I enjoy it!! It wouldn't make sense to not enjoy it!! But that's not what they mean... they mean I'm getting some kind of sexual kick from it. What bullshit. Get a grip. Get informed.
I'm fed up being looked at the way I was looked at in the surgery today.
After browsing your posts, this one caught my eye. I wonder if some women get so offended because it makes them face choices they have made in the past? They set a limit on thier own breastfeeding (if they did it at all) and anyone that has exceeded that limit must be making the wrong choice because otherwise it suggests THEY made the wrong choice? I may be totally off the radar here, but I've found that when it comes to a variety of parenting issues, people become very polarised about what is the best way of doing things. For example, how to wean or whether to use a dummy. If you do it a different way to them, they are critical because it's not their way. By not doing it their way, you are suggesting their way is wrong.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what their reasons are, I say good for you for not being deterred by such people imposing their opninions on you.
Oh Lolopylol, on re-reading this, I'm cringing a little! I wrote it in a temper as I was so angry at feeling ashamed.
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit the nail on the head with regards to people's reactions on parenting choices. We become almost fundamentalist, in order to defend our choice of parenting style. I suppose I'm a little guilty of it too!
Thank you for your supportive comment :o) I wish I had been a bit more objective in my post but, c'est la vie!
:o)