Mommy's Milk - The Organic Choice for Babies

So I have been thinking alot about Breastfeeding and choices lately. I've never really considered myself a extremist on the issue mainly because I am not publicly outspoken and I don't go bearing all just to prove a point in public. Yes, I have fed my babies in public, but I have also done so "discretely". I have found that the older I get and the more children I nurse (I have 3 now), the more comfortable I am. But why should I have not been comfortable? There are probably several reasons, but are those reasons the same for those who choose not to feed their baby "mommy milk"? I was talking with a friend the other day who said she had never heard anyone say they were "too lazy to bottlefeed" (I said this jokingly). She had only heard the opposite, that they were "too lazy to nurse". That got me to thinking...how hard is it to nurse?

Bottlefeeding you have to:

• buy the formula,
• buy bottles/liners,
• * sterilize bottles and nipples,
  
• hopefully use filtered water,
• heat the water to the right temperature (shouldn't microwave formula already mixed),
• mix it,
• feed baby
• repeat *

Breastfeeding you have to:

• buy nursing bras,
• buy nursing tops or wear loose shirts and sweaters,
• buy nursing pads (either disposable, washable, or lilypads)
  
• put boobie in babies mouth
• wash boobie

Which would be easier to do at 2am with a screaming baby? I can say, having done both, that feeding mommy milk to my baby is WAY easier than bottlefeeding. I look back at when I nursed my first and "gave up" at 6 months and wish that I had stuck with it. I had gave in to social pressure that I had nursed long enough and anything more than that was not "normal". If I had known then what I know now! I do believe that social "opinions" need to change on this issue. In such a knowledgeable country as we are, we seem to be pretty closed minded and stupid (I'd say ignorant, but we are educated and still choose not to do what is best). It is sad when a mother who makes the right choice and nurses her baby has to have laws in place to protect her baby's right to eat in public! Recently, Facebook chose to delete photographs and user accounts because mother's chose to upload pictures of them feeding their child. In looking at ones that were deleted they ranged anywhere from completely covered up to no shirt on at all nursing two babies. Some showed nipples, but most just showed the baby eating. With my first I was told by the pediatrician that he HAD to be on a schedule, wake him up to feed him, he HAD to nurse 15 mins each side, yada yada yada. Do you know how hard it is to wake a baby who is sleeping and force him to eat? No wonder it got tireing and wasn't as enjoyable. With my second I threw that out the window and adopted the "on demand schedule". It worked out a WHOLE lot better. I woke up and fed her when she was hungry for however long she wanted. She gained weight consitatly, had enough wet/poopy diapers, and was happy! I use the same "method" with my third. While I know that she eats every 3 hours or so, I try to schedule being home for feedings (because it's quieter and more comfortable for me to sit), there are times when you can't get home. Then you are faced with the decicion...do I feed a hungry baby or do I make a baby wait who is hungry now? Hmmm...this should be a no-brainer! Feed the hungry baby. What is bad is that I know women who have breastfed their babies make comments on how "she shouldn't do that here" (oh and the mom that feeding her baby was at a restaurant with a blanket covering everything up). I think that is a shame! Hooray for the mom who feeds her hungry baby. A lot of people would say, give the baby a pacifier and feed it when it is "appropriate". LOL Maybe if we used the same "logic" on some people there wouldn't be issues with obeicity! Ok, back to the Facebook issue. So I did a search for breastfeeding groups and came across the "Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is not Obscene". So I decided to look at it and joined. Take a look at their Content Code of Conduct and tell me what catagory photos of a baby eating are grounds for deletion:

"Inappropriate Content

While we believe users should be able to express themselves and their point of view, certain kinds of speech simply do not belong in a community like Facebook. Therefore, you may not post or share Content that:

• is obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit
• depicts graphic or gratuitous violence
• makes threats of any kind or that intimidates, harasses, or bullies anyone
• is derogatory, demeaning, malicious, defamatory, abusive, offensive or hateful"

Hmm...I personally don't see any catagory it would fall under. Now, in doing more research, how could nursing a child fall into any of those catagories when the Pope publicly approves of paintings of Mary exposing her breast to feed Jesus? I'm not Catholic and I do disagree with many of their stands, but I'm with them on this. Here is another article.Virgin and Child, by Joovs van Cleve, painted in 1525

"The Holy Family" by Rembrandt

Breastfeeding has also been "imortalized" through the centruries and in different civilizations.

Wow, this turned out to be a much longer post that I had initially intended it to be. I will join the "nurse-in" that will be held this saturday. While I am well aware that my one act will not change how feeding a baby in public is viewed in my lifetime, maybe it will help to change it for my children and theirs.