Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Thoughts on parenting and breastfeeding



Sometimes I sit and think to myself about all the things going on around me, that touch the lives of our babies, our generations to come. I reflect on the widely self-sparing attitude of parents nowadays, and it elicits both feelings of anger and sadness. Anger for the fact that the victims are often silent, innocent babies who unwittingly must bear the brunt for frustrations and difficulties experienced by the parents. Anger because these same babies are given an unfair disadvantage in life, because of being raised amidst belligerence, ignorance, and a self-preserving attitude. Sadness because all babies, born to mothers of all ages, cultures, races and intellect, deserve the same thing - Love


Some random observations of parenting


Sleep Training
When we look at adults and work, we'll observe many times that everything will revolve around a work schedule even changing our circadian rhythm completely to adapt and yet, when these same parents have a baby, it is expected of him to prematurely conform his sleep patterns to his unrelenting parents. The fact of the matter is that your job will go on whether you exist or not. Sadly... we cannot say the same for our children...

What are the decades of our lives we'll spend working compared to the months our children will spend as infants?

The use of formula or rice-cereal to 'promote better sleep'
When you want a snack before bedtime, do you prepare and eat a whole big meal? No. You stick to something light, because you don't want to go to sleep with such a cumbersome and heavy meal on your stomach especially since digestion slows at night, so why do we insist on 'topping' our infants 'off with formula or rice cereal' a soi-disant aid to promote better nighttime sleep
Breastfeeding 
One of the reasons some may think formula is the equivalent to breast milk is because they see it only as a 'feeding-method'. Breastfeeding is not just a "feeding choice", it is a relationship, a bond, one that cannot be recreated or simulated with a plastic feeding device. Expectant mothers who view the act of breastfeeding in its rightful light, will usually end up having a more enjoyable nursing relationship, not due to its ease or convenience but rather due to its value


When our families, the nucleus of society, get the attention and love they merit, we as human beings are giving back to ourselves. Love given, is love received because true love, never returns void

1 comment: