My new soap box

My wonderful sister-in law recently started her own blog, seems to be the thing to do these days, and her last entry was a bit of a vent about infant feeding practices: specifically bottle versus breast feeding. She wasn't saying which she thought was best or anything of that nature, rather she was commenting on how everyone seems to be fairly opinionated and want to make sure you know that the way you're going about things is wrong. She went on to say that if you have an opinion, blog about it instead of casting disapproving looks. Well, I know I'm guilty of casting those disapproving looking and secretly thinking, "Poor bottle fed baby". So to anyone who was at the receiving end of those looks, I do apologize. So now I accept her advice and step onto my soapbox.

I am well aware that not every mother can or should breast feed their baby. I personally know moms who fall into both of those categories, because they have a physical reason why their body is unable to provide milk, or they must take a medication that is found in high enough amount in breast milk to make breastfeeding unsafe. I also know that it is possible to bottle feed with love and that bottle fed baby are norished, as I am proof of that. I don't have a problem with those moms giving formula. That's what it's there for.

But there is something I have a problem with. (And this is going to make me sound like one of those crazy militant breast feeding moms and maybe I am.) It really bothers me when moms don't even bother to try to breast feed or wean early (and by early I mean before the WHO guidelines). Now you might be thinking that I'm awfully critical of those moms. Well yes and no. Do I think that those moms should have done things differently? The simple answer is yes, I do. But the longer, complicated answer is that while I feel they should have done more, it often isn't their fault they didn't try or weren't able to carry on. Although breast feeding is far more common now than it was in past decades, there are still a great many issues that cause moms problems. And often these problems are caused by lack of information or misinformation, and also lack of support. I really believe that there is still a huge knowledge deficit when it comes to breast feeding. If you don't understand how it works, you're apt to encounter problems and if you go looking for help, and find those are around you are not supportive and/or knowledgable themselves, then those problems will be too much to overcome. So we have moms who won't try or will give up.

I will have to thank my sister in law. That felt good. I like having a soapbox to stand on. If you can't tell, I am very passionate about breast feeding. But I am aware that I can't just go off on random women feeding their babies formula. So this gives me a nice little way to rant about my pet issues. So if you are saying preach it sister, please come back and read more. I know there is so much I bite my lip about that I'm dying to let out.