Straight from the Tap

Okay, so if you read my blog, you most likely know that I breastfeed. I enjoy breastfeeding. It helps my family in many ways. We don't dish out tons of cash for formula, in turn Erich and I get to enjoy eating as well. My baby is very very happy, ahead of the milestone timeline, and I sleep well at night (beside her!) knowing that she is getting the *best* nutrition possible. I don't think formula feeding is a great option. I really don't think it is an option at all for our family. Anyways, back to my point...

I was reading some online forums and came across an entry about extended breastfeeding and dr. phil. These women were raving about how "gross" and disgusting it was for "a 7 year old american girl" to be breastfeeding. They were talking about how formula was a "decent replacement." First off, why would it be okay for a chinese little girl to nurse at age 7 or a nigerian baby boy to nurse at age 9, but not an american girl to nurse at age 7? Aren't all three gaining the same thing from it? What makes the american girl any different?

Secondly, since when is formula "a decent replacement?" When have they ever said that formula is just as good as breastmilk? If you believe that, I'm sorry, but you are WRONG. It isn't as good, and if you have the option to breastfeed then why the hell don't you? IF you physically CAN'T, I'll pardon you right now. But if you choose not to breastfeed "because you don't want to" or because "it was to hard" I'm not very happy with you. I bled, I cried, M cried, we all cried while learning to breastfeed. I had bruises, I cried in pain, but we learned. How is it I stuck with it and you didn't? And I hate when people say, "she had a hard labor, so she thought it best to bottlefeed." What the hell? I do remember my 22 hours of undrugged labor topped off with a csection at hour 26. I STILL breastfeed. Why are people patting the backs of others to make them feel better for breastfeeding. I don't often hear people saying, "gee Suzanne, that's great that you stuck with it and pulled through" (some really great friends have said that though) or " gee Suzanne, I'm sure Magdalena demands a ton of your time and it's really great that she is still breastfeeding at 6 months" or "I know it's rough but I did it and you can too! Even when you feel like you don't ever want to be touched again, it really is worth it." So to demonstrate how awesome I think you breastfeeding moms are I give you PROPS!

"YOU ROCK! YOU BREASTFEED YOUR BABIES AND RECEIVE LITTLE TO NO RECOGNITION BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I ADMIRE YOU! YOU ARE SO SPECIAL BECAUSE YOU BREASTFEED, YOU CHOSE TO OVERCOME YOUR ISSUES AND YOUR CHILD WILL BE THE LIGHT IN YOUR EYES. AND I'M SURE HE/SHE WILL THANK YOU WHEN THEY GRADUATE FROM HARVARD MED SCHOOL!"

I won't say to your face that I'm sorry that you bottlefeed. And I won't pat you on the back and say "it's okay" because I don't really think it is.

I apologize in advance for feelings I may have hurt by writing this. This is my space on the web though and I felt compelled to spit my guts out.