Women, Cancer, Breastfeeding and Over Advocating

Breast cancer, or any cancer is not a diagnosis a Mom wants to hear. Especially a Mother who has chosen to breastfeed her child. Despite the wishful thinking of the Greenies AKA Crunchy Moms, it is almost always neccessary for nursing to cease while the Mother is undergoing treatment because the breast milk is not safe for the child.

But let me back up a moment and rant. REALLY rant. I'm tired of the pro-breastfeeding groups going overboard. No longer do they talk in the "I" format. It has switched to the "YOU" attacks. Oh, they think they are being helpful to a Mother who isn't breastfeeding by sharing their wisdom.

"YOU should really breastfeed, formula isn't best."

"Did YOU know there are harmful, unknown ingredients in formula that could be hurting YOUR child?"

"There are plenty of women who would barter/trade/give/sell their breastmilk to you so that YOU don't have to use formula."

I don't have a problem with women breastfeeding. I did with my kids. But there is a HUGE difference between being a Mom who breastfeeds VS. a Mom who advocates breastfeeding.

So how does this tie into the big "C" word?

Imagine being in the midst of your cancer treatments and have a toddler. On a day you have the energy, you take your toddler to the park for some time on the playground. While there, your child gets thirsty. You shake up a bottle of formula all the while sitting next to a breastfeeding mother who have both boobies out because she has an infant AND a toddler who insist on nursing at the same time.

And then it happens. The criticism, ever so concealed in a question "oh, how come your daughter isn't breastfeeding? I just love breastfeeding; I would hate to have to haul those bottles around. Was that formula you gave her or breastmilk?"

Dear breast feeding Moms - quit judging and assuming. Just because you think the breast is best, well, sometimes it isn't. Especially when its got cancer and toxic milk. Or, it just isn't there anymore because it had to be taken away so that the Mom could be around to see her children grow up.