Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Better Dead than Non-Breastfed

The American Academy of Pediatrics has come up with new recommendations to help prevent SIDS.

Not surprisingly, the Milk Mafia has come out against it. You don't get a good dose of it here but I heard a radio interview with a breastfeeding advocate who was foaming at the mouth about pacifiers and parents not sleeping in the same bed as an infant because they might cause a slight decrease in breastfeeding.

I'm not against breastfeeding but, if you haven't met one of the Lactose Lunatics, you can't begin to imagine how pompous, self-righteous, and condescending they are. You might have met non-smoking advocate, religious nuts of all stripes, health food fanatics, or anyone else with a Noble Cause but none compare to the Milk Mafia.

To the M.Mob, there can be no reason not to breast feed. Suppose a woman had breast cancer and had a mastectomy . Then she wasn't fit to become a mother in the first place. Suppose a woman can't produce enough milk. Then there is something seriously wrong with her and her child should be removed to a more proper setting.

They don't admit to feeling like Tom Cruise in that there's no such thing as postnatal depression (just dead aliens in your head) but they certainly act like it, hitting women when they're most vulnerable and causing as much guilt and pain as they can.

Again, I'm not against breastfeeding but if you'd rather see a child take a greater risk from SIDS than take anything but a natural nipple, I'd say you have problems.

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