Replies to '10/07 The Latest Debates'

What do you mean by, "you nursing moms"?! 

I don't even have children! I have never nursed a baby in my entire life! 

I am however in school right now becomming a midwife. My entire life revolves around knowing everything there is to know about women's bodies, pregnancy, lactation, etc.  

But you're right, I think that non-nursing mothers are sub-par to nursing mothers. I think it is horrible that women know that formula is less healthy for everyone involved, more expensive, more difficult, more wasteful and makes your children more prone to disease and premature death- but you still do it. I think it's horrible that people have children and don't do what is best for them but then claim to feel bad when their kid gets sick, or dies of SIDS. I don't think women who genuinely try to nurse but are unable to should feel bad...but I DO think that women who claim to have tried to nurse, but really haven't tried should feel bad for making it seem like an impossibility for everyone else. 

I'm currently trying to concieve with my husband. If I am successful and if I have a child I will breastfeed. If both my breasts produce no milk, I will still have my child eat at my breast for the developmental benifits of it. Why? Because that's my job as a mother and it is my childs birthright. 

I agree that the wording could have been different, however the point is very true.  Often women say the CAN'T when they can, but don't WANT to.  If someone tells me they don't WANT to, I don't understand it, but I respect it.  I have a real hard time with I "can't" do it.  I had a baby who had FTT, she lost weight, we had to teach her how to suck, I had to re-lactate, it took MONTHS of very hard work.  It took months and was very difficult, but it was important to ME.  I KNOW it is possible, it isn't EASY, it isn't CONVENIENT, but it IS possible.  Heck, I don't even recommend someone else try it!  But I have a real hard time hearing "oh, I just couldn't nurse...there wasn't enough milk"...etc.  There is no way in the world I would go to that much work and difficulty just so that I could please someone else and give my baby a bottle while we are away from home.  That is ridiculous.  Any more than a bottle feeding mom would take her child to the bathroom or car to eat because there are people that see a bottle as "unattractive" or "unnatural" to avoid offending someone. 

No, telling someone after the fact that they might have been able to nurse isn't going to accomplish much, but the other information in her comments could help educate someone else that faces the same problem in the future.