Scrolling through Facebook, I just read a status written from a young mom, with one on the way, that I couldn't deny the rest of the world from reading....so I thought I would share (with her permission). I think her thoughts were phenomenally written and well said. She said, and I quote....
"For those of you that know me really well, or read all of my stupid Facebook posts, you know that I wasn't able to breastfeed [my daughter] for long and that it is extremely important to me to breastfeed this baby. Therefore, I am a huge advocate for breastfeeding and at the same time I understand that some people have no desire to do it. That is not something I take issue with. However, if your reasoning behind not breastfeeding or not advocating breastfeeding is that breasts were made for sex, I would like you to remove me from your friend's list. I do not have the time for that sort of blatant ignorance.
Breasts and nipples are only reproductive organs in that they were perfectly designed to feed our offspring, just as an udder on a cow is there for her calves. And quite frankly, I find the assertion that breastfeeding is somehow sexual or perverted to be extremely, extremely creepy and telling of our perverse societal views. Unfortunately, Americans have been ingrained with very backwards ideas about what is natural and what is not.
When people walk past Victoria's Secret, do they cringe? Do they think to themselves, "how dare they show so much of their breasts? Those are only for sex." I doubt it. Yet the thought of a woman feeding her child in the most natural way possible is somehow deemed indecent by the very same people who normally don't have a problem with seeing breasts everywhere. When you put down breastfeeding and nursing in public, you advocate for these gross displays of misogyny and hypocrisy. My breasts were made for my children, not for anyone else to enjoy sexually. Yes, it is a nice bonus, but it is NOT their purpose. When you have kids you let go of your selfish desires and those of your partner.
This is not a formula vs. breastfeeding debate. This is letting the fact be known that breastfeeding is NORMAL. Nursing in public, whether covered or uncovered, is normal AND a right protected by law in every state in this country. Full-term nursing is NORMAL. The average weaning age for humans is 5 year old. The World Health Organization tells us that children wean naturally (on their own) between the ages of 2 and 7. So think twice before you judge a mother nursing her two year old. It is normally the mother who chooses to end the breastfeeding relationship early- women do not, and cannot, force children to continue to nurse when they no longer wish to do so. Also, the benefits of breast milk do not end at some arbitrary age. If I hear, "they don't need it anymore," one more time I will lose it. Breast milk is always the healthier alternative to cow's milk. This should be pretty simple to understand considering human milk is made for humans and cow's milk is made for cows. Also, have you ever seen a 3 year old with a pacifier? Breastfeeding at any age is also done for comfort, just like the use of a pacifier.
Anyways, if you're still with me, do your research before spouting false information or creepy bullshit about breastfeeding. The end :)"
Thank you M, you make a damn good point. That is all.
xoxo -Viktoria
For the record: the writer just corrected herself and said "Also, to clarify, breasts and nipples are NOT reproductive organs. I meant that their feeding purpose is for after reproduction has already taken place. This is why they are legally allowed to be out in public"
