To Breastfeed Or Not To Breastfeed, That Is The Question

I've made my decision on this (I breastfeed), so it might seem odd that I'm writing up this post. But feeding the baby is one of those huge Catch-22 propositions that women (and only women) get caught up in after they give birth, and right now the public and medical clamor is all on the side of breastfeeding, while the practice "in the field", as it were, is primarily formula-based. And it's not all black and white the way some of the more extreme rhetoric (link has sound) around the situation would have you believe.

I started this off as an earnest and heartfelt post, but frankly, that was really boring. And then I realized, what a perfect time to use the Knock Knock "Decision Making Stationery" my friend R gave me! This totally ridiculous pad of paper gives one space to write in the "dilemma" and the urgency, provides "pro" and "con" columns and a tally area, and a space for conclusion and plan of action. "Decision Making The Easy Way," it claims in reassuring capital letters at the bottom. The perfect tool!

Thus:



In other words, all this "mommy war" crap about breastfeeding is just another infighting battle among people who should be banding together to support one another. As the mamas on my online group say, "The first rule of baby is: Feed The Baby!" How people experience and weight these factors is highly subjective and individual, and there's not a Right or Wrong decision, just a right decision for each family. 50% of all Americans are entirely formula-fed. Less than 25% are breastfed for the entire year that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends. Don't beat yourself or other people up over this decision. Just feed the babies, and hey, look at that little checkbox down in the bottom right-hand corner: Problem Solved!