Thursday, August 02, 2007

Excuse Me Whose Breast is This Anyway?

We all know that breastfeeding is the best way to feed infants. However to nurse or not to nurse is a personal choice. I remember when I had my children I was asked what I wanted to do, but I was not pressured either way. Now more and more, new mothers are being pressured to breast feed. Several cities and states, Texas included, are pushing this. Many no longer send mothers home with formula in their gift bags. The latest uproar in in New York City. Now instead of a little bit of formual along with the other little gifts, they get breast milk coolers or pumps and instructions for nursing. The gift bag given out in New York City even includes a little t-shirt with the saying "I eat at Mom's" on the front.

I think a lot of women are upset by this. Breast feeding is a personal choice and not the business of any government or it's agencies. Only a mother can decide if bottle or breast feeding is right for her. I bottle feed my childre. One of my daughters bottle fed all three of her children. My younger daughter tried in vain to breast feed her first child. She was very frustrated because no matter how hard she tried, it did not work.

If the government wants to advise on the merits of nursing that is fine. Give the mothers all the information they need to make an informed decision. But to take away even something as simple as a formula sample in a gift bag is not a good idea. Sometimes formula is more convenient. Many mothers do both. But sometimes mothers work or for others reasons can not nurse. I don't think it is a wise idea to push this issue. Information is the way to decide. Governments should not be involved in a mother's decision of on or off the breast.

4 comments:

Lori's Minute said...

I agree with you....I nursed my first one for 11 months and the second one I tried but had an appendectomy two weeks after he was born. I tried to pump while I was on the medication to keep up the supply (I felt sorry for the make nurse who had to dump the mile and clean my breast pump) but it did get to the point where I was not supplying enough so we went to bottle feeding. This really helped because my son was colicky and would scream for two hours every night so hubby and I took turns staying up and feeding him every other night.

Do what makes you happy....

Lori's Minute said...

Ahhhhh....that should be male nurse....

cube said...

Typical of the nanny state the libs want to impose on us. They won't be happy until they control us from cradle to tomb.

pineapple said...

The government should not be involved with a lot of decisions people make in their personal lives. The government sucks.