Breastfeeding:The Big Controversy

In a lot of mommy groups I am in one of the biggest conversation pieces, as well as a big part of controversy is breastfeeding. The big quote is "Breast is Best." Everyone for the most part seems to agree with that, and for the most part I do agree.  In my opinion there are a few times where it may not be. Baby may have allergies, might have trouble growing, may need more calories than mom can provide, or there are times where mom for whatever reason may not be able to produce enough or breastfeed at all.

There are also times where mom may just choose to not breastfeed for whatever reason. Too many women are very quick to judge those who don't breastfeed, especially those who choose not to. That is not right, it is their choice as a mom to choose that. While breast may be best, babies who drink formula still grow and thrive just like babies who are breastfed.

With my first I tried breastfeeding. We even seen a lactation consultant. My body just wasn't producing enough. We had to switch to formula. I was disappointed in my body because with all the pressure from others I felt I was letting my baby down by not being able to breastfeed her. My second came shortly after, and so I didn't even try to breastfeed her. I was ok with that by that point. When my oldest son came, I tried breastfeeding again. He was a sick baby and landed in the hospital very quickly. I tried pumping because he wasn't able to breastfeed and I quickly lost my milk supply. When my youngest was born I breastfed with a mixture of formula feeding. I made sure he got what they call the liquid gold, but after that I wasn't preoccupied with making sure he was breastfed. For whatever reason my body just doesn't produce enough milk. There are all the lactation cookies, and fenugreek and things I could have tried, but I wasn't super worried about it. My older daughter had a milk allergy, my older son had medical problems as well as my younger son who needed thickened liquids. There are so many reasons why breastfeeding may not be the best option. We as a community need to stop making those moms who don't or can't breastfeed feel bad. They don't deserve to be put down. just ebcause they formula feed doesn't mean they are bad moms. They are still making sure their babies are fed and are growing. Some may not choose to breastfeed at all, some may do it a few days or weeks, some aim to breastfeed to 2 years or longer. It is all their choice.

Let's come together as moms, as females, as a community and stop mom shaming, stop putting others down. We are all mom or parents, we all have the choice to make choices for our children. As long as they are not being abused or neglected or children aren't in immediate danger we need to just support each other and allow others to make their own choices when it comes to their own children.