Eve,
The name-calling ("rude and obnoxious")and judgment as to what is
"worthwhile" are not helpful to creating a supportive environment here.
I saw one rude comment and one sarcastic one below, but overall,
everyone just posted their own experiences or factual information. What
you are saying is no more positive than the few rude comments coming
from the other side. And by saying "you women," I get the feeling that
you are implying "those who have been supporting breastfeeding" in
general... a blanket judgment on us all.
By Erin
why
are you women so rude and obnoxious? Why don't you put your energy into
something worthwhile, such as striving for the end to world hunger?
By Eve
My
daughter bonds with her brother by talking to us while he breastfeeds.
And I set a good example for her. They are closer than ever. She has on
occasion given him a bottle of my expressed milk in the car, when I was
driving, but this is nuts to say that you are denying your children a
bond. What kind of brainstorming session did these people come us with
this BUNK!!!!????? Let women decide for themselves. We protect people
from themselves everyday in society: helmets, seat belts, but we can't
encourage women to breastfeed because they will "feel bad." Sorry, it's
just not true! I am a zealous breast feeder and lactavist, but I am pro
mom and I don;t make my bottle feeding friends feel bad. But don't make
stuff up to support your position it's just as good. It's not.
Breastfeeding is BETTER. Period. Is Formula fine. Likely, but these are
all ridiculous reasons to bottle feed a baby and you know it.
By Kelly
My
2 1/2 year old is very close to his 4 month old brother, without ever
feeding him. I think it's awful to hand a bottle to any child under the
age of 14 to feed a baby. It's just not safe. My son, instead, has
learned to tell me when J is rooting thus hungry, when he's getting
fussy for a change of scenery even. We read books to J together and do
many things that are more "bonding" than a bottle ever would be.
By Rose
Well
darn, I'll have to tell my daughter that she isn't bonded with her
little sister because she's never given her a bottle! I guess the same
must be true for my husband. Poor guy, and here he thought he was a
good dad who had bonded through things like baths, cuddles, play time,
stories, diaper changes, and love. He'll be sad to learn he has no bond
because he's never bottle fed!
By Kay
My
children bonded with their little sister by helping with baths and
reading her stories and helping me pick out a cute outfit to dress her
in and then helping me dress her. They held her and sang to her and
told her cute little stories. They held her hand and stroked her head
when she would get upset in the car. They pushed her stroller around
and around our driveway so I could finish getting dinner on the table.
They are very bonded to their little sister although they never fed her
a bottle.
I did see a mother in a restaurant "bonding" with her daughter the
other day. The baby was in an infant seat at the end of their table and
fussed a little bit. I was watching the mother out of curiosity because
she got all these receiving blankets out and a bottle and some water
and a container of formula mix. She proceeded to mix up the bottle and
shake it all together. Then she put the bottle in the baby's mouth and
got a blanket and started winding it around the baby's head or neck and
tucking it in here or there. Then she got two more blankets and stuffed
them under the bottle to hold it up. And then she scooted back over
away from her baby and continued her meal.
Poor baby. She might have just wanted to be held...
By Sam
One
of the ways in which my granddaughter bonds with her baby brother is by
telling their mama that he *needs nana* when he is gives feeding cues.
She is learning, very nicely, thank you, about good mothering and
breastfeeding, just like HER mama did, and without a bottle in sight.
By Granny
You are an idiot.
By Samantha
I
have five younger siblings. I felt very bonded when I snuggled next to
my mom on the couch while she nursed the new babies. Some of my most
special memories (long before I was married, let alone breastfeeding)
were of those times we all piled next to mom on the couch and watched
the baby nurse. I was 10 when my youngest sibling was born, so
obviously this method works great for older children. Why would I
compromise my health and the health of my youngest, with an attempt at
bonding which can be met as easily by snuggling on the couch while
nursing; by holding baby and burping baby after baby nurses; by helping
with diapering, bathing, and all the other newborn tasks? My 3 1/2 year
old loves to help with her sister's bath. She sits next to me and
nurses her dollies while I nurse her sister. We worried about her being
jealous - but she's not (even after 9 months). Probably because we
found effective ways for her to bond!
By TK
I
dunno, I had my baby at home with his older sister there. That seemed
to do a pretty good job at helping him bond and I didn't have to
sacrifice his long-term health and ability to have breast milk to do
it.
By Jen
My kids
bonded very well with their new siblings without a bottle. They could
hold, cuddle, help bathe, rock, etc the baby. My older kids knew that
feeding was more about nutrition then bonding, and breastfeeding was
the best nutrtiton our new baby could get. As long as I was there to do
it, that's the way our baby would be fed.
By Maureen
There are plenty of other ways to bond with a baby.
By Erin
What bonded my kids was tandem nursing. He didn't have to give her a bottle to share milk with her.
By Evelyn
All
little children smile when they hold a tiny baby. It's the not
*feeding* the baby that give the older child joy, it's the baby itself
and the physical act of touching and holding that baby.
~kg
By
