Molly and Me!

So, I'm another one dwelling on the "cannot be fagged" comment. The more I think about it, the more I feel for the mothers who formula feed and feel nothing like this woman. Those who wished to breastfeed, those who were failed by lack of government funding, those who are ashamed to say they FF because they have been lumped in with those who "cannot be fagged".

We live in an age of choice, true, but statistics show that most of us choose to at least try to breastfeed and, for one reason or another, very few of us make it to any substantial length of time. More often than not, you will hear it said, that this is not through choice. So, for those women who did not choose to formula feed their children it's a trying time... living with the stigma attached thanks to the thoughtless few and with the constant lectures of healthcare professionals forever ringing in their ears.

It's time for a change. It's time that formula feeding mothers aren't all grouped into one box, it's time formula companies were shamed and not formula feeders. It's also time money was ploughed into support, knowledge, advice and time for women who genuinely want to breastfeed and are facing difficulties, poor advice, overcoming trauma, going back to work fast and don't know much about pumping or women who are simply finding it hard to get their head around.

We all know breast is best, but the support is not. Most of us are willing to try, for our babies, to put ourselves through anything a genuinely helpful feeding counsellor can suggest... for those of us who "cannot be fagged", well... I very much doubt there are many who truly feel that way but we've all come across ignorance in our lives and not just from parents. It's a shame this should ever reflect upon formula feeders or take respect away from impossible situations because they, without any shadow of a doubt, deserve as much respect as any of us.

In times such as these, it's a matter of luck.