tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648090185807136154.post2177190792730587341..comments2024-02-23T09:10:16.659+00:00Comments on Crummy Mummy (who drinks): Thanks for the mammeriesCrummy Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236010469858051562noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648090185807136154.post-31276001415286863382008-03-19T22:38:00.000+00:002008-03-19T22:38:00.000+00:00Apologies in advance for what is going to be a lon...Apologies in advance for what is going to be a long, rambling post...<BR/><BR/>Firstly, I love your work, crummy mummy - great writing and great honesty. But - give us breastfeeders a break! As you say, there is nothing to be gained from this pathetic competitiveness, and it is appalling that other women have made you feel so guilty about the way you chose to feed your son in the first months of his life. Less references to heavily veined mammaries etc - I understand you're letting off steam, but the backlash needn't cause more divisions - we're all just doing what feels right, and the fact we're even worrying and blethering about it means our children are in the point tiny percentage of supreme global winners in life so why are we 'sweating the small stuff'. <BR/><BR/>I don't know what the answer is for health professionals - they have to promote breastfeeding but seem unable to do this without stigmatising bottle feeding or even - gasp - mixed feeding. I mean, mixed feeding was never mentioned as an option to me - only by friends who were onto their second child by then and able to take the pragmatic view. I reckon decent informationon mixed feeding would result in far more mothers partially breastfeeding for far longer than the current 'breast or you've failed' philosophy. I'm not sure I'd ever have carried on feeding my first baby but for the whispered advice of a midwife who happened to have four (breastfed) children - she slipped me a small bottle of boiled water and a syringe and told me to give the baby a few drops to calm her down and take the edge of her thirst before putting her to the breat - worked a treat, but the lovely midwife was all 'it's more than my job's worth to be telling you this..' in case she was accused of causing nipple confusion or something.<BR/><BR/>My personal view is that 'whatever works' is what is best for mother and baby, and yes, provide support to make sure any early problems with breastfeeding are overcome, but there's no need to be judgemental about it. Of course breastmilk is better than formula - it's the bleedin prototype, natural ideal, it's what formula is emulating, but the advantage is complicated by so many factors and essentially marginal, and how you feed your child is such a weeny part of how you mother your child - yet the two seem so often to be lumped together.<BR/><BR/>I think you only realise that the feeding thing is really not that important once your child passes the milk only stage - it's such a major, obsessive focus of the first few, sleep deprived, hormone addled months. And it's a shame as it does create divisions at the time when you most need solidarity.<BR/><BR/>Talking about it is good. I did warn you at the start of this post it would be a long one...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648090185807136154.post-35067218428519648112008-03-18T13:22:00.000+00:002008-03-18T13:22:00.000+00:00Dearest Crummymummy i am now terrified of my breas...Dearest Crummymummy i am now terrified of my breasts filling with milk and becoming mammary glands rather than tits! <BR/><BR/>P.S<BR/>you are a really talented writerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648090185807136154.post-26596699191351176272008-03-17T15:12:00.000+00:002008-03-17T15:12:00.000+00:00Morgan - I admire your determination and the fact ...Morgan - I admire your determination and the fact you knew what you wanted to do - and did it. I agree that mothers shouldn't be made to feel second class citizens - but they sadly are - mainly by other women. thanks for posting on my blog. <BR/><BR/>Best wishes<BR/><BR/>CrummymummyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648090185807136154.post-72512756487307168132008-03-15T09:57:00.000+00:002008-03-15T09:57:00.000+00:00There is a huge emphasis on breastfeeding here in ...There is a huge emphasis on breastfeeding here in Canada, too. I managed to breast-feed, but it was not an easy task. It literally took my daughter and I over a month to get it figured out and working. Several times I wanted to throw the kid, but I never threw in the towel. I guess I had new-mommy determination. I wanted to BF for me, and for my kid, and not because I felt I had to. Now several of my girlfriends are pregnant, and there are nurses telling them that formula is their last resort. I think it's rediculous. Moms need to do what's best for them and baby, and if it means to feed formula to save their nipples and get enough food into the child, then that's what they should do - And they shouldn't be made to feel like a second rate citizen because breast feeding didn't come naturally.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com