04/11/2023
How did my little article on breastfeeding attract such divided views?
Some readers took offense. “It’s good for your baby so you can’t call it a sacrifice!”
Oxford dictionary defines sacrifice as “give up (something valued) for the sake of other considerations.”
Isn’t that what breastfeeding mums do?
They give up something valued (time, certain food, even career progression in some cases), for the sake of other considerations — to give their child the best food they can. And ALL mums who breastfeed, no matter how long or short, willingly do it.
So in my books, yes, they made sacrifices and this side of the story deserves to be told.
Breastfeeding may be natural but it isn’t easy. I was lucky I could breastfeed for almost 3 years but many others couldn’t, or decide not to, for a variety of reasons. And that’s okay!
In the comments, some women said they “felt seen” and this is the expensive part of breastfeeding people don’t know about. Some urged others not to put pressure on mums who tried but couldn’t.
Some mums said they gave up their lucrative career but insisted that it was not a sacrifice at all. I’m happy for them that they are in a financially stable position to do so. (Kudos to their husbands for taking on the sole breadwinner role.)
Some men took the chance to thank their wives. One said if women in the past managed to breastfeed 10 kids, why are modern women complaining?
One dude said the writer (ME) should demonstrate how to breastfeed 🤦🏻♀️. He was swiftly shut down by a woman who called him a creep. 😂
You may or may not agree with me. That’s fine! But hopefully, my article has made you understand that ALL mums tried their best, maybe inspire you to better support them. Then, I’d have done my job.
Just as I wrote, “Breastfeeding is a personal and intimate journey that a mother chooses to embark with her child. She is not looking for pats on the back. She is too busy just trying to make things work.”
She’s not looking for it, but I want to give all mums who tried breastfeeding a pat on the back. Good job, mama!
Avoiding alcohol, breath mints and medicines, and planning every day around your milk-pumping schedule, and more. The writer, who breastfed her child for three years, sums up the sacrifices of mums who breastfeed in this CNA Women series on breastfeeding. And, she says, it’s okay if you can’t or...
