Masochistic Mommy

Sometimes occasions arise which prevent a mom from being able to nurse her baby. Many mothers who have a baby who cannot or will not latch, for whatever reason, resign their breastfeeding dreams to failure folder and reach straight for formula. There is a more baby-friendly option however, and one that doesn’t seem to get the support or acknowledgment it deserves: exclusive pumping. When faced with receiving breast milk, or not, method of delivery often becomes a moot issue. Many exclusively pumping mothers are doing the best they can in the situation they find themselves. However, situations evolve. Lots of pumping moms dream of sacking the pump in favour of exclusive nursing. The following story details one mom’s journey from one end of the spectrum to the other. “When I was pregnant with my son I wasn't sure I wanted to breastfeed, since I had failed to breastfeed my daughter in the past. But time waits for no mom, at 35 weeks pregnant I woke up to regular contractions ranging ...

What follows is not intended as a convince-you text where breastfeeding as such is concerned. If, in the light of the compelling evidence that’s readily available elsewhere, you don’t already fully subscribe to breastfeeding’s universal significance, it’s unlikely that you will be won over by delving here. On the other hand, if you already accept this fundamental truth, I hope that my reflection will contribute by suggesting what we might do, individually and collectively, to move things forward. From a commercial standpoint, one of infant formula’s most important comparative advantages is that in most markets – for that is what we’re dealing with here, marketing – it is firmly lodged in the public consciousness as No. 2 in the child-feeding hierarchy, and a very close second to breast milk at that. I compare this strategic result to what the global rental-car company Avis has accomplished since 1962 by making a lemons-into-lemonade virtue out of being second behind the reputed market ...

If there’s something Defensive Formula Feeders (DFFs) love even more than visiting breastfeeding discussion forums, it’s resorting to Godwin’s Law during said discussions: “As an online discussion grows longer and more heated, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches” ( Wikipedia definition of Godwin’s Law ). Otherwise known as “Playing the Hitler card”, it involves trying to refute an opponent's view by comparing it to a view that would be held by Adolf Hitler. “You think mothers should put their babies’ needs first ? OMG get lost Breastapo!” DFFs do not, however, offer very compelling arguments as to why we should see some kind of moral equivalence between Nazism and breastfeeding advocacy. Perhaps they don’t need to. Simply by making some kind of link between National Socialism and the practice that irritates them, they succeed in implying guilt by association: putting two things that have no necessary connection together in the hope that the bad nam...

Breastfeeding is seldom a breeze, but what if it becomes yet another stick for your abusive husband to beat you with? That’s precisely what happened to the mother in the following story. Trapped in a controlling relationship, thousands of miles from her home country, this new mom was subjected to incessant emotional terrorism at the hands of her husband and his family, which gradually escalated to physical abuse. Yet throughout it all, this mom held onto one of her most cherished goals: breastfeeding her baby girl. Despite the challenge of breastfeeding - or perhaps because of it – she found the strength and courage to escape her nightmare. For this mom, breastfeeding was empowering. It solidified the bond between mom and baby, a bond that no amount of bullying could demolish. “I have been preparing for a long time to share my story on The Alpha Parent. I hesitated because I was not sure whether I wanted to reincarnate these memories or not. But then I realized my story may help other...

We all arrive in this world more or less the same way and in the same condition – naked, wet and ready for the breast. After that, nearly all bets are off as culture kicks in and we begin the long differentiating journey to becoming who and what we are based on the rules of the group into which we’re born. Not surprisingly then, our approach to the only example of a universally common food and feeding system – breast milk and breastfeeding – is conditioned by culture’s stamp. Our identical biological birthright continues to be transformed – even deformed – in multiple ways in society today. A not so rhetorical question The world’s second biggest-selling English language daily, The Daily Mail, put it this way: “We know that breast is best for baby – so why do women in the UK continuously ignore the important health benefits of breastfeeding?” Good question, particularly if you take a look at surveys undertaken to coincide with Breastfeeding Awareness Week. When the Department of Health ...

It is late, later than usual. The lights are low and they are alone at last. Soft music is playing, with a familiar cadence. They have made love to this one before. A faint but primal scent is in the air. The origin is certain; the fragrance is an unmistakable blend of the two of them. Everything is perfect, the time is right; intimacy is at its peak. Their gaze is unbroken; their union is penetrating, physically and emotionally; a smouldering combination. It is as though they have waited for months for this very moment, the anticipation is vast. They move back and forth in unison. The energy is building, one can feel the pulsation. She is breathing heavier now; driven by her hormones she is moving to a familiar rhythm, he follows her lead. He caresses her, ever so gently, in all the right places, she lets him know just where. They have been here together before, but never like this. “Oh Yes! Yes please! Yes, thank you, darling. Oh right there, yes, oh baby. You are doing it just right...