I came across this blog post dissecting the cons of formula milk and I must say that while I was alarmed and shocked by the facts and statistics that the author provided, at the end of it, while looking through all the comments on her post, I actually felt, for the first time in my life, quite liberated.
Not judged, not depressed, just liberated.
Quite simply because I've been on both spectrum of feeding types, I know and have experienced the torment and guilt when I thought I have no milk for the son, and the joy and tenderness for the kid when I did managed, quite to my surprise, to be able to breastfeed the second time round.
There will always be the lactivists (pro-breastfeeding activist) throwing and hurling those judgemental stones on those mothers who chose to formula feed and going on and on about the benefits of breastfeeding, but truth be told, no one, especially for a first time jittery mother, to hear your almighty views on how you breastfed your child and how wonderful your milk is and how when we chose to formula feed, we are depriving our child the best that nature intended.
No mothers would want to hear that!
What they want to hear are words of encouragement, of love, of tenderness and an unwavering support from their husbands and family without any bias-ness and judgement. If you had breastfeed successfully before, show them the right way to do it. If you've been disappointed before, show them that whatever decision she makes is for the good of her child.
All mothers want the best for their children. But if your point of view or principles differs, please don't turn what was given to us mothers, this gift of feeding, into such lofty aspirations that only the BEST mothers can achieve. And to judged those who had tried and tried and still gave up, as evil.
We are not.
We are simply trying to give our children all we can, to feed them.
So show some kindness, and hey, its free too!
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