"That's sick."This was the response I received from a woman recently at a family birthday party, when I told I still breastfed my 20 month old daughter. This woman breastfed her own children til they were about 6 weeks old. She was the most enjoyable company up until that point. The feeling behind her statement took me completely by surprise. She had been so affable and we'd be getting on like the proverbial house on fire.
Have a look at the image of my daughter asleep on the breast...is that really so offensive? What is so "sick" about breastfeeding a toddler? Mothers give their toddlers dummies and bottles, don't they? That's exactly what I'm doing, I'm just not replacing the original item with the modern counterpart.
I don't for one instant condemn the use of a bottle but I am starting to get a little hacked off at the way breastfeeding is perceived as an "alternative" form of feeding your child. That you are in some way 'wacky' or 'eco-friendly' or (my personal favourite) an 'earth mother'. The "breast is best" slogan is partially to blame for this, I believe. Ramming such nonsense down vulnerable new mothers' throats is half the issue and can only lead to negativity towards those who breastfeed. It gives ammunition to those coporate giants who would benefit financially by drawing mothers into different camps when choosing how to feed their child.
There should be no slogan at all. Breast is NORMAL. At least, it should be.
What is sick is thinking that breastfeeding is sick =o(
ReplyDeleteWell this is a friend you are better off without! Those are the sort of opinions one can do without - especially about something that is inherently natural! I breastfeed two of my three sons and bottle fed the first (tried but failed due to prematurity) so I've seen both sides of the coin. There's a natural point when to give up and that is up to the individual - I stopped at around 9 months primarily as my milk seem to tail of naturally and also cos the boys were huge (husband is 6,6) so there was hardly any space on my lap without looking we were playing Twister!!
ReplyDeleteLol Jane! With bubble being close to 2 I can empathise! It's getting a little awkward to nurse her now ... I don't think she'll nurse for much longer. I feel sad but I can see her moving away from it - they say in these situations you always nurse your first the longest but when the next comes along he/she will be too busy with their sibling to bother with nursing!
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