A Rochester man bottle-feeds his newborn to give mom some time off.
The benefits of breastfeeding are undeniable. Breast milk is naturally filled with nutrients newborns require and is perfectly tailored to the child’s without any chemicals, and of course it’s free. However, despite the controversy, many working moms are switching to formula.
The truth is that bottle-feeding has provided moms on the go with an alternative to the traditional daddy-does-nothing routine. Working mothers can pass off some of the duties to the father and at least get enough sleep to begin her work day. Since both parents have to work, both parents are required to take care of the little one.
The constant pumping is more of a chore than a benefit to the baby or life in general to many women. If a busy mom does wish to breastfeed, and she still requires assistance from daddy every now and again, she must pump. Even breast milk only keeps in the refrigerator for so long, so pumping often is necessary, particularly in the beginning stages of newborn development.
It’s difficult to find the time while at work to pump. Even if this is possible, it’s quite embarrassing for a woman to carry a pump around. It’s tough to keep it conspicuous, and coworkers talk. It becomes time-consuming and humiliating at some point. Therefore, most moms switch to formula within several weeks after returning to work.
So although it is difficult to ignore the benefits of breastfeeding, and every “baby-friendly” advocate pushes it to no end, babies will still grow to become toddlers, then adolescents, teenagers, and finally adults. Most moms have to work, and just as everything in life changes and old-time traditions become less recognized as technology improves, bottle-feeding is simply a way to keep both baby and mom healthy and happy.
Comments
I just want to say that I am in no way stating that bottle-feeding is better than breastfeeding. I'm simply stating that it is easier. Statistics have proven this.
Bonnie,
Breastfeeding is what nature intended for our species - it is actually what defines us as "mammals". Unfortunately, thanks to big pharma, we now have the option to artificially feed our babies and they make billions year after year, as less moms BF. With their well-funded, deviously marketed, and readily available option of artifical feeding, choosing to breastfeed exclusively, partially or not at all becomes the choice of every mother, not her baby. It is a decision moms need to make responsibly. Working and breastfeeding exclusively is NOT easy to do, but neither is raising a child. I understand your desire to help working moms (who choose not to exclusively breast/bottle-feed) not feel guilty, but what they really need from someone who has a media outlet like you is quality education and genuine support to successfully do it first, so they empowered to make a true choice in the matter. It is troubling to hear you relate to BF as a chore and not a gift. +1 for Big Pharma
PS...sorry to hear that your work environment is not more supportive, that's unacceptab. If more corporations new the financial & emp morale benefits to support moms breastfeeding their babies, they would be more supportive. There is a new movement that is shifting the conversation away from mom vs mom (breast vs formula) to educating the institutions (corps, hospitals, med professionals, etc) to become more knowledgeable so they can become more supportive of moms to successfully breastfeed. BestForBabes.org says it best "women are encouraged to breastfeed, but set up to fail". Did you receive expert education and counsel? Had you been fully supported and encouraged to pump at work, and taught a more efficient pumping method, would you still choose to artificially feed your child? Would you still prefer to pay a pharma company hundreds of dollars to create in their factories, what your body produces naturally (and uniquely balanced for your baby vs generic for all babies) for free?
PPS...Last comment - This isn't only about women. There are a lot of Dads out there that need to step up, become better partners, get educated, so they can be really supportive of their wives and become great care takers for their children. I don't know about your situation, but I know that unsupportive husbands are one of the leading causes of breastfeeding not working out. The other is lack of proper education or misinformation. Its troubling to read that you are "struggling to make ends meet". So many families are today. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of families are lining up to pay formula companies thousands of dollars every year?! Money that can go towards paying for their housing, paying down debt, savings for their children's education, etc. What's missing? Better education, better institutional support, and less disuading other moms from BF.
My intention is to offer a counter point to your article, not disrespect you. I hope you take it that way. Joe
Joe: I am a working mom who knows this writer very well, and her husband is VERY supportive. Why is it that when a writer says something somewhat controversial, everyone immediately attacks him or her and assumes what he or she writes is about him or herself?
To everyone else:
It is true that more people feed infants from a bottle in America rather than breastfeed. Is it right? Perhaps not, but it does happen, and the way we work as a society right now is not the same as back in the day when women didn't have a schedule where she has to get up early in the morning and get some shut-eye. Men's roles have changed as well. They used to be the bread-winners. Now, it can be either member of the family, and men are taking a more personal role in the raising of children. In order to do so, it is easier to feed a baby from a bottle. There is nothing wrong with it, and all children, no matter how they are fed, will grow up just fine.
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