I saw this picture posted on Momastery‘s Facebook Wall by a gentleman. A discussion started about the picture and how some women thought that breastfeeding was a private act while others were saying this should be seen as the norm. In my opinion the best answer came from the gentleman himself in that it should not be seen as remarkable or uncommon. You can click the link and scroll down the page to participate in the discussion if you wish.
Our decision to breastfeed
At my home we did formula feeding and alternated with expressed breastmilk and breast. I did all three and looking back , I should have taken the advice from my sister in motherhood in the picture above. The more I read about breastfeeding, the less I used formula. When my daughter was three months, I decided that breast was the best option for her and stopped alternating between formula and breastmilk.
This decision came after I sat down to read about the pros and cons of formula versus breastfeeding on various sites such as @babygooroo and various videos on youtube. We are vegetarians and vegan in our home and try eat the best food all of the time. So giving my daughter formula did not go with our philosophy about food. My partner was going to support whatever decision I made when it came to breastfeeding. So I decided on breastfeeding one hundred percent with expressed milk in a bottle when we went out so my partner could also help.
“Mamá Teta”
Thirteen months later, we see the benefits of our decision. Our daughter has been lucky not to get sick, she has so much energy sometimes I get exhausted, and breastfeeding is something I do inconjunction with solids. Since she can now ask for breastmilk or “Teta” in Spanish, I am glad I made the decision to go with exclusive breastfeeding. She has also started saying, “Mamá teta” together just this week.
I rarely saw women around me breastfeed but I knew I wanted to try. I support any women’s right to choose what is best for their situation or circumstance. I will support any friend or family member that chooses to breastfeed and offer her my advice from my experience. What I won’t support is the bashing women get for breastfeeding their children.
Mother Nature
I think some folks in society have forgetten that mother nature has a purpose for everything that surrounds us. I learned that from my Uncle Pete who loved nature and told us that everything is interconnected with us. As much as we have advanced with technology, we need to go back to man’s earliest habits such as breastfeeding and going to mother nature for cures when it comes to our health. I use plants to help me with my kidney stones instead of pharmaceutical pills.
So when I look at the picture above, I don’t see anything that shocks me, except that mom has a machete and I would not want to be her husband getting home late from hunting. But in the chance I ever get flack from someone about breastfeeding in public, I’ll give my sister in the picture a holler and tell her to get that machete ready.
What do you see in the picture above?
Check out The Calming Contest on PapaHeroes and tell me this has not happened in your home.
Here is the link originally posted on the Facebook wall where the picture originated.
Photo Credit by Free Thoughts Blog
If you happen to find the original picture, please let me know. I give like to give credit where it is due.
Breastfeeding is a personal experience. My toddler is 2 years and he still ask for his teta prior to going to bed. The comfort a child receives does not compare to a formula bottle. The picture above has a motherly touch that every mom will have when you are at the mall and your 1 yr baby ask for teta and someone near you looks at you ashame. Ladies we need to go back to our roots and enjoy the beautiful gift of breastfeeding.
CN,
I could not agree more… Great to hear that your toddler is still breastfeeding!
We have not gotten any negative feedback so far. We were told by a Mall Security Gaurd one time that if we were more comfortable with using the Lactation room, that the mall we were visiting had one available. There was another mother with her little one and we just continued to breastfeed. I told the gaurd thanks for the information and he continued on his way. But my views on breastfeeding were not always the same. I hardly saw women doing it around me, I thought it was something weird, and having a child all together was something out of the movie Aliens. But once I got pregnant, had the baby, and researched the best options to provide food for her we ultimately decided that breastfeeding went more with the way we think. I think women just need to be supportive of one another if the choice is breastfeeding. And educating people about the benefits is key.
Thanks for commenting on the post and sharing your point of view.
Raul Great post once again. I could not agree more.
Thanks Ricardo. I wrote it because it is important for people to move past a woman breastfeeding in public. I see too many people write negative things about breastfeeding. I am pro-feeding humans and support any mother’s decision to breastfeed or not. This is what has worked for us.