Get your Legislation off my body

[stoney321]

Just read that a bill is getting pushed through to bar hospitals from sending new mothers home with formula. Guess who's backing this? Breastfeeding advocate groups. Before you get your back up, let me say that every friend I have that breatsfed their children said it was beautiful, wonderful, a glorious bonding experience... Okay. And it's free. And studies show it's better for babies. yes, I know all of this, and I can agree with the statistics.

However.

I didn't breastfeed. I find it gross. Sorry. I'm not saying I find YOU gross, if you chose to do it, but there was a mental block with me to do so. Then there was the little problem with my body not wanting to cooperate (Because, see, I read all the books, knew all the stats, and was going to force myself to do something I didn't want for the sake of my baby, but my body said "No.")

Then there was the little issue of the hospital withholding food from my newborn son for 24 hours, to encourage him to want to suckle, and put me in more classes with a bunch of strange women with their tits hanging out (I'm private with my body), plastic cups on my nipples to make them produce milk, and finally, FINALLY, when one of the La Leche women told me they could EXTRACT THE MILK FROM MY BREASTS WITH A NEEDLE AND DEPOSIT IT IN THE BABY'S MOUTH I yelled at them to give me a friggin' bottle.

Because I had every intention of breastfeeding when I went in to deliver (I also planned on natural childbirth, but the nurse looked at me and laughed, saying, "honey, didn't you know natural means 'no make-up?'" Ha!!) I didn't have any formula at home. The hospital sent me home with starter bottles, and enough formula to get me through the next several days. Thank you.

My most special memory (aside from the actual birth) of my son was 2AM every night for the first month. He'd wake up, little fist curled and flailing above the bumper pads of the crib, I'd gather him up, take him into the quiet of the kitchen, turn the dimmer switch so there would be just enough light to see by, and heat up a bottle. That one minute of waiting was my favorite. He would look up at me with his little mouth in a perfect O, eyes wide and bright, and my hair would curtain his face from everything else. Is this less special, or unhealthy for him because he waited one minute? Because he wasn't attached to my body? I'll say this: that boy has been sick three times in 9 years. You read that correctly. He wasn't harmed by having formula.

I have problems with one group who feel their way is the ONLY way pushing legislation onto my body and my choices. Feeding a baby formula isn't going to HARM the baby. Breastmilk is better (due to the immunities a baby can get, etc.) but that doesn't inherently make formula BAD. I was raised on bottles, as were my sisters because it was thought in the middle part of last century that breastmilk was BAD. And we three turned out alright.

I think everyone read the rant yesterday about not having sex with men who don't care about you and your choices to have a baby, based on legislation about abortion, sex ed, etc. This follows along, in my opinion. I am so tired of my government holding my hand on EVERY issue, as they see fit. This isn't like helmet laws (which I'm on the fence with, also) or not allowing people to drink and drive. This is legislature about something very primal with a mother, and they need to step away and spend their money on something more important, like, say... making sure poor kids get a free breakfast at school. How about that? Or... making sure that some of the mothers that leave the hospital know how to RAISE A CHILD? GET A JOB? EDUCATION?? Feh.

I don't need no stinkin' legislation at my tits or twat, thank you very much.

Comments

[sangpassionne.livejournal.com]

Personally I breastfed both my kids, but if someone tried to tell me I had to, I'd have told them to piss-off. It really is a matter of personal choice and no one has the right to force to do it.

Good on yer.

*hugs*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Is IS a matter of personal choice. And good for you, too. I know intellectually that you made a good choice for your babies. And it was a beautiful experience for you, I'm sure.

*hugs you back*

[sangpassionne.livejournal.com]

And it was a beautiful experience for you, I'm sure.

LMAO! Only if you think leaking all over the place everytime the kid cries, having such sore nipples that you wanna cry every time they latch on, and never being able to get out of the 4am feed, fun. Still don't regret doing it, though. If for no other reason than it was free and if I hadn't, we probably wouldn't have eaten. :-D

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Bwah!! I'll let you say the con issues, so I don't get raked over the coals. Definitely the price is right, and babies have less problems digesting BM than formula...

But I could give my husband the baby sometimes....

*hands you lifetime supply of udder cream for those sore nipples*

I went to church (gasp! I was religious waaaaay long ago) a week after #2, sans babies. Felt good, milk almost gone, then a baby next to me started crying, and I "let down" allllll over my pretty dress I had just started to fit back into. Nice mom of said baby lent me a baby blanket to drape over myself to walk out of church in the middle of service.

Motherhood is beautiful. Ha ha ha, tell me another one! ;-D

[sangpassionne.livejournal.com]

Damn, I shouldn't laugh but yeah, totally with you. LMAO It used to happen at the worst times, plus for the first few weeks I'd kinda go catatonic. The only thing I could think of was feeding the baby, not convenient when you're halfway to the shops. This was the first one BTW. The second wasn't so bad. Though I only fed him myself for 3 months, then I ran out of milk. Greedy little bugger. :-)