"When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form." -Christine Northrup, M.D.
Formula Fed America
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5 comments:
That is great. I wouldn't trade nursing for anything. Fritz is slowly weaning. He's 3y4m now, same age Cameron was when he weaned and a month younger than Ani was. He hasn't nursed in about a week, but that's pretty typical for the last 6 months. Adrian of course nurses quite a lot at almost 17 months.
You know...this post sort of upsets me a little bit. I was one of the unfortunate mothers who could not breast feed. I could only do it for 6 weeks because my body did not produce enough milk. My baby lost close to 2 pounds after coming home from the hospital because she was not getting enough milk. Long story short without formula my baby would have not survived. I just wanted to make sure you know what it's like to NOT be able to breastfeed (trying relentlessly to do this by feeding baby, pumping, eating healthy and staying stress free) and to be completely heartbroken about it. Just remember that not everyone is blessed with that gift physically....that's why they had wet nurses because some women are incapable of doing it. Just keep that in mind. So, when people mention things like this I get upset because I tried harder to breastfeed than anything else in the world, because I know it is best--but my body would not allow me to do so.......
Indeed, I know EXACTLY how that feels. I only breastfed Seth for 4 weeks. I know what it feels like to have your heart set on something and it doesn't work out. I wish I had the support and knowledge I did back then that I do now. I think my experience would have been very different. It still breaks my heart to think that I didn't get to have that relationship with him.
I think the point of this documentary is going to be rebutting the folks that say formula is just as good as breastmilk. For years now, pediatricians have been telling mothers to not worry about breastfeeding, that formula is just as good. When, as we all know, it isn't. It's time for breastfeeding to be supported, understood and promoted by the medical community.
I'm sorry that you were offended by the trailer.
I think the trailer is great. I know that it's aiming at encouraging the women that don't nurse because it's inconvenient.
But.....
I have a really hard time watching trailers like this. I wish they would speak up more about "circumstances".
As an adoptive mother I was never given the chance to nurse, so seeing things like this are upsetting. Not because I don't understand where they're coming from. Because I know that if my body would have been able to conceive and deliver a baby, I would have done everything I possibly could do to nurse, but I wish they were more sensitive to some out there.
Again, I completely understand. I didn't make the documentary, so I can't say for sure, but that isn't what it's about. It's about education. It's about teaching mom's (like I was when I had Seth) that every effort should be made to breastfeed, that formula shouldn't just be a "well, I don't really feel like breastfeeding" excuse. Unfortunately, that is how it is marketed though. Formula should be used for those special situations where nursing is not possible (adoption, etc.). I certainly don't think the movie is out to hurt adoptive mothers and mothers with medical reasons for not nursing. Again, it's about education.
I'm another mom who wasn't educated properly and has a hole in her heart over not breasfeeding my child. I'm also another mom who has, and still is, had the most amazing experience with nursing. So, I can understand both sides of the coin here.
Obviously, this really hits home for every single mother. Breastfeeding is such a personal and intimate issue. I can post videos all day about autism, homebirth, vaccines and food and nobody would feel like I was hurting their feelings. I use this blog to advocate and educate about the things I'm passionate about. Breastfeeding is one of them.
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