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How to Deal With
Breast-Is-Best Police
By
Robin OBrien
Many mothers who choose to bottle-feed rather than
breast feed are made to feel like dysfunctional mothers.
It sometimes seems that the breast-is-best mantra has
pervaded our society to such an extent that mothers are
now more embarrassed to bottle-feed than breastfeed in
public. If you bottle-feed, what can you do to combat
such condemnation?
My wife and I recently went to a fashionable eatery and
suffered the side glances of disapproval from the
breast-is-best brigade. It’s very trendy place, with a
laissez-faire attitude, which is reflected in its
designer tables and chairs spilling out onto the
pavement. The clientele is middle-class, well off and
educated; the sort that prides itself on living life as
one sees fit. Before the birth of our first child we
would come often and notice mothers' breastfeeding their
babies on the pavement. Little did we know that we would
be made to feel like pariahs by merely bottle-feeding
our child?
It was a Sunday and was one of our first outings as a
new family. We sat down at a table and, a little later
on, noticed two mothers, at two different tables, who
were busy breastfeeding. When we first noticed the other
mothers we felt a sort of camaraderie; a special club of
new families.
Soon our child began to cry. He wanted feeding.
Naturally, my wife reached for the prepared bottle of
formula and placed it on the table. She then stopped and
slouched back in her chair. I asked what was wrong but
she refused to say. I kept pressing and she eventually
told me that one of the other mothers - who were
breastfeeding - had given her a rather dirty look. I
told her she was imaging things and I began to feed our
child. I looked about and, to my amazement, I also
noticed that two women – the one who was breastfeeding
and another who had been breastfeeding earlier – were
giving me looks of disapproval.
We left soon after with my wife holding back the tears.
At first we put this down to a one-off. But sometime
later my wife went to a mothers and babies group. The
idea of these groups is for mothers to get to know other
mothers and to exchange idea, tips and generally help
one another. What my wife noticed was that the walls of
the class were plastered with breast milk propaganda.
Also, no mothers talked about bottle-feeding, what
formula they used, or what was the best way prepare
formula. Rather, the talked incessantly about
breastfeeding, latching-on and sore nipples. My wife
didn’t get the support that the group purported to offer
and left the meetings altogether.
My wife ending up feeling embarrassed about
bottle-feeding in public or even talking about
bottle-feeding.
It was time to fight back. After all, formula milk is a
fantastic alternative to breast milk. It has many
advantages of that of breast milk; no sore nipples, you
can stop fretting about how much milk she’s getting, you
can eat whatever you want, you can still feed your child
even when you get sick, and others in your family can
feed your child.
My wife got a T-shirt printed; ‘Bottle-feeding and
Proud’ and we paid another visit to the trendy eatery.
We sat down and ate a very nice meal. Later my wife
placed our baby’s bottle feeding paraphernalia on the
table and then began to feed him.
I don’t know if we got many disapproving looks; I was
too busy being a proud father and husband. I love my
wife and seeing her bottle feed our child, I knew why
I’d married her; she’s strong, independent-minded and a
wonderful mother to our child.
Robin O'Brien is a successfully webmaster and founder of
http://www.bottle-feeding-baby.com where he
provides help, support and advice on
bottle feeding baby.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_OBrien
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Deal-With-Breast-Is-Best-Police&id=270440 |
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