What If We Took Breast Out Of Breastfeeding?
/It's no secret that breastfeeding moms face extreme criticism, harassment, and discrimination. You wouldn't think that a mom who is doing the best she possibly could for her child would get so much hate. We all know the reasoning behind it. A baby eats from the breasts and much of society look at breasts in a sexual manner. Most of society only associates sex with breasts and that's okay to associate sex with breasts no one is saying otherwise. At least, not in this blog. The association with sex and breasts is stronger for a lot of people than the fact breasts biological purpose is actually to feed a baby. The reason it's so much stronger for them is because that really might be all they know. They may have never come across breastfeeding in their lives and it's more likely that they have come across breasts in a sexual sense most of their life. Which is why people like myself are trying to normalize breastfeeding and remind society what their biological purpose is. I thought it would be interesting to switch the words a bit to show how ridiculous some of these arguments against breastfeeding are. I'm going to list some of the common arguments against breastfeeding, but just change the word "Breastmilk/Breastfeeding" to Formula/bottles. Now if the arguments sound absurd when replaced with formula or bottle those same people should also find it absurd had it stated breastfeeding instead. Otherwise it's a bit hypocritical.
* "I support formula feeding, but only if you cover yourself while doing so in public."
* "Do you really think it's appropriate that my child see you formula feed? I was not ready to have "the talk" with my kid."
* "I mean if you know your baby will get hungry you should plan ahead and bring enough bottles of formula so people won't have to see you formula feed. "
* "Must you expose your bottle not everyone wants to see your bottles."
* "Have some respect and class. Exposing your bottles to my husband is upsetting to me."
* "You are just bottle feeding for the attention."
* "You should formula feed in the bathroom."
* "By all means bottle feed , but you don't need to post pictures of it online. No one wants to see your bottles."
* "Your bottle feeding is making our guests uncomfortable I'm going to need you to cover yourself or leave."
The fact of the matter is breastfeeding is just that, feeding. Formula/bottle feeding is just that, feeding. If you are going to argue one you need to make sure it would apply to the other. Breastfeeding moms have just as right as any to feed their babies in public without criticism for how they happen to do it. Now I'm not saying people should criticize the other, I'm saying I know for a fact the same people who make the above arguments for breastfeeding would not do so for bottle/formula feeding. Which is hypocritical to say the least. I know a few will argue that it's because breastfeeding is different than bottle feeding. Is it though? Is it really? Both formula and breast are both nourishing baby, both need to take place anytime and anywhere, both do it how it feels more comfortable to them. Yes there is a difference with the milk and how baby receives it, but both ways are feeding hungry babies. When you try to stop or seclude a breastfeeding mom just know that you are interfering with an innocent little baby getting fed simply because it makes you uncomfortable. It does not make a mom selfish for not caring about what the people around her think about how she feeds. Just as it wouldn't make her selfish for not caring about what people think about any other parenting choice. The only selfish one in my book are those who care about their own comfort over a baby's, are those who care more about their comfort than about a hungry baby getting fed, & are those who would discriminate and harass a mom for feeding her baby. People uncomfortable with breastfeeding should try to look past the breast part and concentrate on the feeding part. Breasts are not the only thing involved and when people argue against breastfeeding they always fail to recognize that a mom is actually nourishing her baby with those breasts, providing comfort, and security to their baby. Take away the breast part and you're left with them being against the baby being fed. If it's the breast part that makes you uncomfortable then take away the breast and just see that a baby is eating and mom is providing that nourishment. If you say you aren't against a baby being fed that's only true if you're not against breastfeeding. If you are against breastfeeding in public think long and hard about that stance of yours because it also means you're against babies eating and I do not know what kind of decent human being would be against that.
