Why do breastfeeding women make their decision out to be some sort of noble crusade?

Question

Please explain this to me. Phrases like "sabotage of the nursing relationship" and "detrimental to the milk supply" are puzzling. Women back in the old days either breastfed little Johnny, or Johhny was fed from a goat or another chick. There was no flippin crusade. Last time I was in history class, I can recall nothing of Constantine addressing the nursing mothers of the world. Whay is it a crusade? And why do you have to put formula users down in the process of your choice? I mean, Hugh Hefner has a badass mansion, it's dope. But he is not on the internet, magazines and TV blasting out those of us who live in ranch houses, flats, and apartments. Yall need to get over yourselves and get a life . For real. I fear one day you truly will get pimpslapped backwards spouting off to the wrong hormonal one.

Answer 1

Amen to that. I tried to breastfeed both mine, and I just couldn't. Sure it's the best thing for the child, but not all of us are built for it.

Answer 2

You just need to ignore those who offend you, really. I'm not saying anyone has a right to make you feel bad but - well, take your cousin for example. She'll be humbled soon enough, meanwhile either ask her to stop making comments about your daughter or stop seeing her. If the breastfeeding websites offend you, don't visit them. Nobody is forcing you to read breastfeeding.com or anything written by Dr. Sears. And if someone asks a question here on Y!A then they should expect a myriad of different answers and opinions - some respectful, some strong, some rude and offensive, and some just plain disgusting. We don't have to like it; we just have to accept that this is a free country and there is a thing called freedom of speech.
And Hugh Hefner - bad example. He sells sex - one of the reasons why many people think breastfeeding in public is obscene.

Answer 3

I agree I think it's somehwat of a personal decision somthing that shouldn't really be shoved in other people's faces. I myslef once I have children will breastfeed but for me I don't care if another woman chooses to formula feed. Theres different levels of difficulty for each woman to breastfeed. My mother couldn't due to a sickness in the glands which produce breast milk. My sister could never breastfeed due to past drug addictions which caused her milk to become caustic. I do know that breastfeeding is healthier for the baby because your breast milk has certain properties tailor made by nature that you can't find in formula. I know that some women need to really think of this as a decision. I do agree with what you are saying. Try and look at this from there point of view though.

Answer 4

I breastfed all three of my boys, and I had a great time with it; that's one thing I really miss. Yes, my middle son bit me a couple of times, and my youngest latched on wrong the first two times we did it, but we made it through and they're the better for it.

I don't look at breastfeeding as a crusade; as you stated, women have been doing it for centuries. I think of it as a privilege. Even Jesus was breastfed. Some people who oppose it probably can't do it, and wish they could. Those who can sometimes expose too much, and I'm not a fan of that. I'm all for a woman breastfeeding her child, as long as she is discreet about it. I've even fed my youngest son on a bus, and no one was the wiser.

Answer 5

As mentioned by previous responders to this "question" breast milk has been proven to be best for baby as it has anti-bodies, amongst other things in it that can not be recreated in formula.
However, It is not always possible for a mother and her newborn to perfect the difficult, arduous and painful technique of breastfeeding.

I breastfed my 3 year old for 7 month, by which time I was glad to delegate the feeding duties to my husband.

I thoroughly enjoyed breastfeeding, it was a very intimate and special bond that could only be felt by me. despite this, my husband who occassionaly fed my son expressed milk via a bottle also stated a feeling of satisfaction at knowing that he was doing the best for his child.


Every woman has her own thoughts and feelings regarding feeding.

Moving on to the point about breastfeeding in public.
I fail to understand how ANYONE has the right to call breatfeeding in public disgusting.

I did, although I was always discreet about it. However it does take a bit of practice to be able to latch a babay on and keep everything covered.

What really annoys me is when the elderly complaign about breastfeeding. What they seem to forget is they were more than likely breastfed, and more than likely so were their children.


What does it take for people to accept something that is perfectly natural. No one feels the compulsion to complaign about fast food places opening up in domestic areas, or pizza delivery. When you are hungry you need to eat. You may be able to wait until you get home, but a new born baby can not!!!!

Answer 6

Breastfeeding only seems to be a crusade in America. I mean do you think some poor rice paddy farmer in Vietnam who lives in a village without running water runs down to the store to pick up formula. No. Why, it's not an option. But here in a America with our seemingly endless Puritanical belief structure we decided it was unseemly to breastfeed in public. Then we decided it wasn't and thus comes the crusade. There is conclusive evidence that breastfeeding is better for children. Of course it is, that's the way we're designed and 100 years of bottlefeeding and canned formula isn't going to hold much sway in the evolutionary process. However, very intelligent scientists and researchers have developed formula that mimics breastmilk. And now it's a woman's perogitive. In a world where mothers are now many times the only source of financial and emotional support for their children, bottle feeding has become an invaluable resource in trying to juggle the demands of raising and providing for a family. As for people who say that you don't develop as close a bond with children who aren't breastfed, I say bull. What about adopted children, what about premature children who can't be, what about children who have medical conditions and allergies that don't allow them to partake, babies who have HIV postive mothers but who are negative themselves. Are you saying that by these mothers making a concious decision not to breastfeed, either because they can't or because it will protect their children's health that they are in the wrong? I have a godson with such bad allergies that breastfeeding made him break out in hives. Guess what? His mother bottlefed him. And I have never seen a child so in love with a parent as he is with her.

Answer 7

Everyone just needs to leave each other alone. It is like people bringing up the abortion issue on here just to piss people off. My husband always says opinions are like A**HOLES, everyone has one, but we don't always have to bare it! I did both (I pumped breastmilk for my preemie) and when he came home from being in the hospital for 10 weeks he went on formula, and he is now 2 years old, and totally healthy and smart as a whip. It is a personal decision whether people want to breastfeed or not and I don't judge, as long as women keep their breasts covered while breastfeeding in public it is all good. I had a woman come up to me at Costco once when I was giving my son a bottle and she said "I hope that's breastmilk" and I told her "I don't tell you what to do with your bodily fluids so don't tell me what to do with mine!" And that is bull that a beastfeeding mom has a stronger bond than a non-breastfeeding mom! My son could not latch on due to being a preemie and we have an incredibly strong bond, and other than having a minor cold he has never been sick, not bad for him being almost 3 months early!!

Answer 8

Spreading the importance of breastfeeding to the general public is a "noble crusade."
Breastfeeding was stolen from women and babies first by male doctors and second by formula companies.
Read the World Health Organization's recommendations on breastfeeding. They recommend that for the health and wellness of mother and baby to breastfeed until the child is two.
Read the American Pediatric Association's' guide. They recommend to breastfeed "at least" for the first year.
Also, however much mothers who choose not to breastfeed are in denial about this point, breastfeeding does create a stronger bond and deeper trust--thusly causing the breastfed baby to be a happier and more self-assured human being.
So again, breastfeeding is a noble calling (and a difficult and learned one) and anyone who has a baby and wants to be noble should breastfeed.

Answer 9

Breastfeeding mothers usually do research about it. The more we find out about how good it is for our babies, and the more we learn about how to avoid potential breastfeeding problems, the more we want to share that knowledge.

It is about helping babies get their milk, and helping mothers give it to them. Most women who can't reastfeed probably could have if they had the proper support.

The other thing is, formula is not as good. Formula companies have a vested interest in you failing to breastfeed, so they sponsor information that will make you choose to formula feed. This is wrong, and evil, and harmful to children. We just want to counteract that.

Formula has it's place, and I am glad it is around, but babies deserve mother's milk whenever possible.

Answer 10

This is more a rant thatn a question. I breastfed and formula fed. To me it was easier to wake up and pull baby to bed rather than get up to heat a bottle but to each their own. as far as th "crusade" you are speaking of, i believe they are refering to the fact that women cannot publicly breatfeed without being called indecent yet a woman can wear a see-through shirt while braless and it is no big deal. as for breastfeeders attacking non breastfeeders......that is wrong but you are doing the same thing. You are verbally attacking me because i chose to breastfeed.

Answer 11

That is like asking, why dont you just use formula? Its a personal choice. Breastfeeding women have to make it into a "crusade" as you call it to get equal rights. You pop out a bottle to feed your kid nobody even glances at you, I put my child to my breast (keeping everything covered) and get dirty looks and rude comments. Trust me when I can feed my child with out having to defend myself I will stop "crusading" about breastfeeding. The simple facts are that it is BEST for the baby, not to mention the health benifits it provides for the mother, and it is the MOST controversal way to feed your child in this country. Posts like this that start off ok but end up insulting, are reasons why we feel we have to defend ourselves. When you are faced with what we deal with not just in public but in our own familys from well meaning but missinformed people and also some just plan rude people then you "crusade" your point of view. Until then educate yourself, breast is best, that is a fact. Breastfeeding is HARD work, especially the first few weeks. We have every right to be proud. And if you are a formual feeding mom and come at me like this post is written I will "crusade" about the wonders of breastfeeding to you. If you are that insecure about your choice on how to feed your child you need to work on yourself not attack breastfeeding mothers.