Most mothers should feel a sense of obligation to breastfeed their children. [View all]

[Just Saying]

Just heard a woman discussing the obesity epidemic make this statement on MSNBC.

I can understand encouraging mothers to breastfeed, but it always irks me when people try to guilt mothers into what they must do. My experiences with breast feeding went more like this:

I'd had this child in my life for three short days, and instead of eagerly waiting for him to open his eye so we could spend precious time together, I was dreading it. Like Pavlov's dogs, I was beginning to equate feeding my baby with nerve jangling pain that made my eyes water and my joints clench. Even in my exhausted state, I knew that this was not the way to begin a great bonding experience. The lactation consultant glared at me accusingly as she watched my eyes well anew with pain-induced tears. It was as if she was daring me to give up.

http://jezebel.com/5934750/sorry--you-cant-guilt-trip-me-about-bottle-feeding-my-kids

And still I tried with my first even while recovering from a c-section and on my own. Eventually, I gave up the fight to latch, something he fought me on endlessly and pumped for 6 weeks, every 2 hours day and night and supplemented with formula.

After a rough 2nd pregnancy and c-section #2, I decided I wasn't going through it all again. My pediatrician arrived to meet my son and holding him, asked whether I was breast or bottle feeding. I told him he would get formula as I'd had a lot of trouble breast feeding my first and his response surprised me. He said people will tell you breast feeding is best and it is, but formula is good too. And that what ultimately is best for the baby is what's best for his mom. Particularly recovering from a c-section sometimes it's just so challenging to breast feed.

I know some women feel very strongly about breast feeding and hey, more power to ya! But this is a personal choice and I think each mom has to make her own choices.