Breast is Best!

This article saddens me greatly. I am a HUGE advocate of breastfeeding. I am currently breastfeeding Aiden, which I LOVE and wouldn’t change for anything. I am unlucky enough to have to work but I express milk when I’m at work so breast milk is all he gets.

This woman’s ignorance and sheer nastiness are enough for me not to mention her name here or the title of her article. Hospitals not giving out formula to EVERY woman that comes through the doors and delivers a baby is not the end of the world. The ban is only against including the free formula in every bag. A woman who is interested in formula and does NOT want to breastfeed her child is welcome to ask for the formula and it will be provided. Of course that is not covered in her article because that would actually explain that the ban isn’t against all formula and there would be no point for the article in the first place.

I try not to be judgmental of women who choose to feed their babies formula but I’m shocked at how judgmental a lot of people, men and women included, are when they find out I breastfeed. First of all, and I’m not sure how this happened, my choice to breast feed Aiden must be publicly accessible. At least that must be what people think because I cannot begin to tell you how often I get asked that question. Now I admit I have GIANT breasts and that could be the cause for the questions but I had those before so I don’t really count them. And just to be clear I am extremely proud of the decision my husband and I made that Aiden would only receive breast milk (and it was a choice made by us both – I wanted to exclusively breastfeed but G’s support has been invaluable in that decision). Anyway, when people ask and I indicate Aiden is breastfed they then want to know what else he eats. I tell them nothing. This is followed by an almost shocked look and a “nothing else??!!” When this first happened I know I was a lot more defensive of my choice and felt a need to explain that additional food is completely unnecessary, he gets all the nutrition he needs, he is gaining weight very well, etc., etc., etc. Now my response is “nope”. When they ask when he will start eating other foods my response is “6 months if he’s interested”. People don’t get this and I’m afraid they think he’s missing out on something, which I don’t understand. He’s almost 5 months old and over 19 pounds and 27 inches long. The boy is not lacking in nutrition to say the least.

I had it relatively easy with Aiden having no latch problems and pretty much breastfeeding like a pro – I know I am blessed – but why do people judge that? One woman I work with brought me formula when I came back to work even though I was clear before I left for maternity leave that I would be breastfeeding. Her response – but you’ll be using formula soon won’t you? No, he doesn’t need it was all I could think to say, I was just that surprised by her assumption and nerve. Why is it that so many see breastfeeding as less culturally acceptable and formula the norm? I know once I was warming a bottle in a restaurant for Aiden and someone referred to his “formula”. I said “that’s not formula” and they were very surprised that I would have breast milk out right there at the table. For some reason formula was “cleaner” or less “gross”.

I don’t know where I’m going with this other than to say I would love to see a day when all women were educated on the benefits – physically and emotionally to breastfeeding. When I lay down at night with Aiden, he closes his eyes (with a little blissful eye roll included) and has a pure look of happiness mixed with sleepiness and I know he’s getting everything he needs from me there truly is no better feeling in the world. That alone makes me want to breastfeed my guy as long as he wants to.

Oh and here's a pic of Aiden in all his chubby goodness in his new bebepod (which he definitely seems to enjoy):