Breastfeeding Rant

Whilst i agree that it is every womans choice whether they breastfeed or not i'm baffled by how many women choose not to.

From a purely practical point of view it's much cheaper to breast feed. Aside from the obvious formula milk that is not needed, there is no need for sterilisers or bottles. It really cuts the cost down of having a baby.

Bottle feeding also requires alot more effort. I am not a lazy person but i do not see the point in spending all that time sterilsing, mixing and warming when boobs can do all that for you!
It seems to me that alot of women are just pressured into bottlefeeding by society. This starts from a young age, just consider a little girl with her baby doll. Almost all baby dolls come with bottles. This implants the image of a baby and bottle in a childs head therefor normalizing a bottle over breast. Whilst i obviously do not expect a model breast to come with a baby doll i wonder why there is any need to include a bottle. My little girl has many baby dolls but i've never given her a bottle to go with them since i dont see the need. She still has as much enjoyment out of her dolly as any toddler.

We are then shown consistently as girls and women the image of baby and bottle. Not only from the ruthless formula companies but also from television programmes and films. Can you remeber the last time you watched a film with a woman breast feeding in? Combine these images of the bottle with the negative opinions of breast feeding presented by men and women alike is it any wonder why so many women feel it's something they cannot do.

It is mainly breasts that you see plastered over mens magazines but oftn men do not want women to breast feed since they then feel this would stop them being able to look at breasts as sexual objects. I would like to remind them that large breasts were originally attractive as a sign of fertility since bigger breasts usually meant a woman breastfeeding and therefor having had a child. So why knock the reason why men found large breasts attractive in the first place?

This leads to the question of why thereare so many negative views about breastfeeding from people who have never even tried or indeed do not have breasts! Over my time as a 'nursing mother' which is a fair amount i have heard alot of opinions about breastfeeding and i must say that it is mainly women whom i have the strongest negative opinions from. However i do feel that they do not realise that they are just spouting the usual sexist views that ultimately men create.

Breastfeeding should be looked at as a symbol of feminine power. I feel empowered by breast feeding. It is an amazing feat to be able to, not only carry and grow a baby inside of you and bring it into this world, but to be able to sustain it for 6 months by just your body alone. Yet most women do not find it empowering. Why are women not praised for doing this amazing act for there child? Why are we made to feel like social outcasts, strange or 'hippies'? It is another example of womens beauty and strength being knocked down by a masculine world, this may sound strong and feminist but i honestly believe this to be true. That does not mean that i blame all men. I have met and continue to meet individual men who are very supportive. However men in groups seem to have different opinions and unfortunately we still live in a society where men hold most of the positions of power both in business and government.

Well i guess thats the end of my rant.