So now the government is coming out with ads telling mothers that not breastfeeding your baby is as dangerous as smoking or going riding on a bull while pregnant. Really?!?! C'mon. I think all normal minded people can agree that ideally, breastfeeding would be the way to go. And, I think most mothers go into their birthing experience with the intention to breastfeed. Sometimes, though, that just doesn't work out like we had hoped. For a whole host of reasons, sometimes moms can't exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. And, the government coming out with these ads and claims doesn't help the problem at all. Heaping guilt on people who are trying to do the best that they can does not solve any problems at all.
Not one of my children were breastfed exclusively for 6 months. None of them had chronic ear infections or chronic respiratory disease. I think all told, not including Spina Bifida related things, all four of my kids have been on antibiotics maybe 10 times combined in the 8.5 years since becoming a mom. They consistently (again, except for Jaden) miss less than 5 days of school per year because of illness. They are very healthy children. I get that that data doesn't qualify as a scientific study, but I just have to wonder if the data they have isn't somewhat skewed. I mean, afterall, babies who are exclusively breastfed for 6 months, probably aren't in daycare several hours a day where there are germs all over the place. They are probably at home. Could that perhaps be why they are more healthy?? Something to think about!
Of course, now in my next post, I"m going to have to say something nice about daycare, since I just made those moms feel guilty :)
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