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Verbal diarrhea

 

Oh it’s late! I completely forgot to drop you a line and here I am, just before bedtime, frozen chocolate piece in hand. So I’ll make this quick. Gisele Bundchen is making a lot of noise, isn’t she? Breastfeeding should be mandatory (as in legally enforced!). Because why would you give a “chemical” to a small, vulnerable baby. Well, Gisele, let me explain something to you. I know you mean well, but I think you probably should have thought a little before you went public. You’ve offended me. Deeply.

I love breast milk. Not to drink myself, per se, but I think it is the perfect food for a baby. It is Mother Nature’s gift to little ones. It is perfectly formulated to be digested by a human baby and to give them not only nutrition but important antibodies. Plus Mom and baby get a special bond. And there’s always a snack on hand should a little person get hungry.

That said, there are times when a mother cannot breastfeed. Simply cannot. I didn’t always believe this. And then I became a mother without actually being pregnant. Being the deep believer that I am, I went to the lengths of actually inducing breast milk. Yes, you heard me. I tricked my body into making milk for my children. I’ll spare you the details but suffice to say that it is not a trick for the faint of heart. I read all kinds of articles about the beauty of “adoptive nursing” and took my herbs and bought my pump and got myself one of those little pouches that straps to your shoulder and has a tube taped to your nipple to supplement a hungry infant will encouraging bonding. Do you understand yet how committed I was to this project?

The reality, however, was that it didn’t work as well as advertised. Yes, my children both got some breast milk for a period of time. But it wasn’t all sunshine, lollipops and roses. Formula isn’t poison. And if a mother can’t breastfeed, whether by circumstance or choice, it’s okay. In a perfect world, it would be different. But it doesn’t always work that way. So, yes Gisele, thank you for raising awareness about the value of breastfeeding. But please don’t make me feel bad for circumstances that were out of my control. Looking at my kids, I’m pretty sure that they haven’t suffered any irreparable damage. Well, at least not from their formula.

 

Dr. Lara Zibners, Aug 05, 2010

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"WHAT I LIKED: This book is written in a funny, down to earth way that doesn't make you feel like an idiot. I really would have appreciated something like this when my kids were really little and I freaked out over everything they put in their mouths. It has a scenario/question and answer format, with clear answers on when not to panic and when to call 911."

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