It seems like no matter how you choose to feed your baby, there’s always someone with something to say about it.
You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.
The big kicker is, most of this judgment is coming from other parents!
When did feeding a baby become the root of such a heated debate? These little babes have to eat!
Since the haters are gonna hate, we’re gonna keep doing what we do best and keeping it judgement free. We aren’t the only ones fighting the good fight and there’s more celebrities speaking out against the hate and promoting the empowerment of mothers.
Breastfeeding
The biggest problem is the sexualization of the female body.
Criticism with public breastfeeding, or breastfeeding in general, can be an ugly. Women should not have to be worried about disgruntled onlookers judging them for ‘indecent exposure’. Breastfeeding is a natural process and until women’s bodies can be seen as creators and not sexual objects, there will unfortunately always be an audience that will be judging breastfeeding moms.
Celebrities like Alyssa Milano, Gwen Stefani and Salma Hayek are a few of the celebrity breastfeeding advocates that aren’t staying quiet about the normalize breastfeeding movement and are standing up for confident, healthy breastfeeding. Hayek made a splash when she wet-nursed a hungry child in Sierra Leone. Selma mentions that her decision to feed this child in need was in part a way for her to help diminish the stigma associated with breastfeeding.
Milano shocked Wendy Williams when asked about posting a photo of her breastfeeding her newborn.
“Breastfeeding is only a particular amount of time, [but] the rest of your life, your breasts are sexual things,” Wendy said.
“But biologically, they’re not made for sexual things,” Alyssa countered. “That’s what we’ve done to them.”
While many women are speaking out about normalizing breastfeeding, there are other breastfeeding advocates that are shaming mothers that formula feed. You’d think that women who are so often scrutinized about their parenting decisions would empower other mothers instead of putting them down, but unfortunately that’s not always the case.
Formula Feeding
Aside from constant scrutiny from breastfeeding advocates, many parents who formula feed their children are constantly judged for their decision. Although formula feeding can be a choice, there are many women who are physically unable to properly breastfeed.
So you can’t give a baby a bottle either? What is wrong with everyone!
Has the world gone crazy?!
Yes of course breastfeeding is healthy, but many baby formulas can be healthy too. Before people can judge parents who are formula feeding, they should take a moment to consider what it might be like to have difficulty producing breast milk and a new baby to feed. Some babies won’t breastfeedand some have other medical complications that create a need for supplemental formulas. Formula feeding parents also fight back against breastfeeding, appalled when a mother breastfeeds within view.
What if formula parents had to cover themselves to give their child a bottle or sit in the car on a hot summer day to bottle feed?
Cover yourself, there’s children here and you’re pulling that baby bottle out. It has a nipple on it! *Gasp*
Long story short, why are we going back and forth about feeding preferences?
We can’t take our newborn babies out for a steak dinner and expect them to feed themselves, so why are people hating on women for the way they feed their kids? We’ve always advocated for judgment free support for parents and it’s possible to empower parents for their decisions without pressuring them to acclimate to a specific parenting strategy.
You want to breastfeed? Awesome.
You want to formula feed? Awesome.
You want to feed your baby with a sippy cup? Awesome.
You want to wean early? Awesome.
You want to breastfeed your kids until they’re 4? Awesome.
Want to raise your kids vegan? Awesome.
Want to raise your kids organic? Awesome.
