Saturday, August 07, 2004

Breastfeeding nazis

I post on several mother oriented message boards, and have been doing quite the battle AGAIN with a militant breastfeeding advocate. I hate these people. They keep on harping how horrible formula is, and how you are abusing your child/being neglectful to give them such 'malnutrition'. I'd like to give them a carefully placed foot up the ass. One of them actually started saying that formula kills infants! What a crock of SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT.
Her latest steaming pile of festering excrement involved a post called Happy breastfeeding and nurse-out Day. And then she proceeded her usual cramming useless doctrine and rhetoric down everyones throats. So, I have my own response...

HAPPY 'MY CHILD SURVIVED FORMULA DAY

Gals, if you formula fed your child, and the kid has managed to somehow escape the harrowing death they were doomed to by this abuse, feel free to read and celebrate. If you breastfed, but have managed to keep your dinner down upon seeing someone else give their child a bottle, I suppose you can feel free from attack here too.
As a first time parent, especially just out of the gate, we are often times filled to the brim with self-doubts. But, it doesn't mean we're going to stubbornly march in with ignorance and blindly just do 'whatever'. If so, new and soon to be parents wouldn't be so easy to spot in a book store, obsessively pouring over 'What to Expect' tomes and 'Your Baby's First Years' like they were writing a new masters thesis.
As there are so many other issues facing our children in this day and age, we need to be focusing on giving terrified newbies positive affirmation and gentle education. We need to present ALL options available, and not screech anything as the ONLY way. We should encourage bonding and nurturing, above all else.

So, I'll stand up in my 'confession'. Hello, my name is Sharona Spangler, and I formula fed my child. For this terrible indescretion, I got an extremely active, beautiful, strong as an ox child who has only been sick once in his entire 14 months. He's a happy little smiler, extremely confident and outgoing, and gets lots of kisses, cuddles, and love. He likes to give mommy and daddy hugs.
I was formula fed myself, as was my husband. I'm happy to report we're both still alive and well.

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