Before breastfeeding advocates fly off the handle, I’d like to make it clear that I breastfed my two children – my son for three months and my daughter for six months. It was all I could manage because every day was a struggle to breastfeed my son who preferred the bottle. He didn’t care what was in it as long as it came in a bottle and so I just pumped for milk. It wasn’t long before I didn’t have anything to pump. My daughter was more willing to breastfeed so I was able to double the length of time. Unfortunately I had to go abroad for a business trip and so I had to stop at six months.
Suffice to say, both my kids were on formulas before their first birthdays. They’re in elementary school now and they both like drinking fresh milk. I must confess that I give my 6-year-old daughter one of those highly enriched milk powder preparations because I worry that she’s not getting enough nutrition. She’s a petite girl and she brings baon to school for lunch every day. However, I can’t really police how much she eats on a daily basis because I’m not there during her lunch break. Some days she’d come home with emptied out baon containers, while some days the food is barely touched.
I know mothers who’ve breastfed much longer than I have. My own sister was able to do so for eighteen months straight without ever turning to formulas. I think that is the ideal scenario for mothers, but does it make someone who was unable to do so a lesser mother? I’m sorry but sometimes people tend to get extremely preachy and I don’t like being made to feel that I’m not as good a mother as those who are more successful in their breastfeeding efforts. The kind of milk I give my kids is not the sole indicator of how I am as a parent.
I am all for breastfeeding. I can see the difference when it comes to resistance against sickness and recovery times between my two kids. The one who was breastfed longer has a better constitution. I think it’s good that moms today are becoming more vocal about the matter and that they care enough to share their experiences and educate fellow moms. All I’m saying is that there’s no need to be so high and mighty about it because not everyone can achieve the same experience even if they follow all the same steps. Besides, what about grade schoolers like my children? I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a breastfeeding first grader and so I hope you’ll understand if I choose to give mine what I believe to be a very nutritious milk supplement. I’m not saying that what I’m doing is correct or ideal but it’s what I chose to do after careful consideration… and it’d be nice not to get judged for it.