Location: Greenville, MS, US Date taken: 1937 Photographer: Alfred Eisenstaedt Time Life Magazine
The Juicebox Jungle has a video article (which can be seen in my tool bar to the right) called Silent Shame, that made me wince. It is about mothers who do not breast feed and the shame they feel bottle feeding in public. I stand on my soap box to address this issue.
Disclosure: I nursed my now 7 year old for 2.5 years and am currently nursing my 14 month old. I have no plans to stop any time soon. I have nursed on planes, trains and subways. I have nursed at the neighborhood diner as well as upscale restaurants around town. I willing whip my tit out in front of men, women, boys and girls. I can easily maintain eye contact and continue conversations already in progress. I have never put my titty away because of other people looking at me in any kinda way. I used to use a cover but just can not be bothered any more.
As an African-American mother who breastfeeds, I find myself to be in a huge minority. For a myriad of reasons, most of us do not nurse. As such, I just do not get it. My eyes are crossed and my head tilted, “Ehhh?” Really? Hold up, I have never heard of this one before, at all. Get outta here.
Let me get this straight, African-American woman used to nurse their children almost exclusively. Modern days came and many Black women in America choose or were convinced to use bottles and formula instead. Many had to join the work force out of necessity. It is 2009 and it seems to me that in the last few years report after report has been released stating that substituting formula for breast milk is detrimental to your growing baby for a number of reasons. The very least of them is the bottle in which the milk was warmed releases chemicals that attack the endocrine system. In response to these bio-chemical threats to children, women of European-American descent overwhelmingly have gone back to breastfeeding and those who have not caught on and are still using bottles are looked down upon. Meanwhile, women in my community, which has some of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, look at breast feeding as disempowering to say the least.
Look as far as I am concerned there is no controversy about nursing or not nursing your children. Either you do or you don’t. There are consequences either way and you choose which you will manifest by engaging or not engaging. The research is out there. It can be found easily on Google and Youtube. Whatever you choose,be confident in your choice, know that you did the best you could.
Peace. Love. Light.
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See now that is what I am talking about. You did what you could do and there are personal regrets but none tied to what other people think. You are amongst the smartest women I know.
I felt bad about not breastfeeding my girls longer. However, an overly exhausted mommy was more detrimental at the time. You do what you have to do in order to give your children the best that you can. I don’t have time to worry about what others think. I’m too busy living, loving and enjoying my family and my life.