A thought

[lls_mutant]

For the most part, I am willfully ignoring what's happening in the world right now. My husband is traveling, and that's how I cope with it. I mean, I know the odds of something happening to him are extremely slim. But still. With the panicmongering in the media, it's hard not to get scared.

There are, however, two types of liquids they are allowing on planes: prescription meds and baby formula. But to prove that the formula really is formula, guess who gets to drink it? The mother.

Have you smelled baby formula? I've not had the guts to taste it, but it's pretty gross.

I'm SO glad we're not flying any time soon.



On a similar subject, I've been walking with a girl in our neighborhood whom I like very much. She has a three month old son. She tried nursing, but in the end she had to give it up because she was having such intense pain. Reasonable, right?

Well, she was talking to a girl at work, and the girl actually told her that she'd rather drop dead than feed her baby formula. I have a little problem with that thought in general- I mean, some women can't produce enough milk and it truly is in the baby's best interest nutritionally to supplement. But I do understand that women feel strongly about breastfeeding- heck, I feel somewhat strongly about breastfeeding. But to say that to a woman you know is bottlefeeding her kid... I just think that's rude. And when my friend reminded her of just why she doesn't nurse, the girl said "I'll bet if you work really hard, you could relactate." Um, hello? Did you not listen to what she said?

It bugs me, because like me, my friend had a LOT of guilt when she quit nursing. There's so much talk about how much better the breast is than the bottle that it's sometimes hard to remember that while formula IS a second best choice, it's not poison. It's also hard to remember sometimes that there are real benefits to bottle feeding that go beyond convenience or fashion. In my ever-so-scientific study, it seems like the fathers of bottlefed babies bond easier and earlier with their babies. I'm not remotely saying that fathers of breastfed babies don't, but I know Howard really enjoyed bottle feeding Toby when he was younger (he's generally at work nowadays when Toby gets his bottles, except for the bedtime one which I always do anyway), and I do think that contributed some to how close they are now. (I also think Howard would have bonded quickly with Toby anyway, because he really makes a huge effort.) But still, it took me several months to let go of my guilt, and I finally did when Toby started laughing, and it was obvious he was happy. My friend hasn't quite hit that stage, and it makes me sad to see people try to guilt her for doing that. I mean, she was dreading feeding her son because it hurt so much, and hated him waking up. She was doing more for him by giving up the nursing and bottlefeeding so she didn't resent him than she was by continuing to try.

Argh.

Oh well. And it sounds like my little bottlefeeder is up from his nap, and oops, I didn't get any housework done.

Oh well :)

Comments

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, I didn't know you were expecting! Congrats!

I know what you mean about the cesarean guilt. I definitely felt a bit of that after, not so much from myself but from various people's reactions. It took me a long time to come to terms with the epidural, too, until my one gynecologist said "would you go to the dentist and have them drill without novacaine?" (Turns out since my C-section was emergency, I'm REALLY glad I had the epidural, because all they had to do was swap what was going in!)

And I like you reply to people who might give you shit. Hehehe.

But like k_marauders said, it's really sad the shit women give other women!