[Amila]

I have heard some pretty bad excuses, but this FLOORED me today.

We were having a yard sale, and this couple with a cute 5-month old came by to check out our surplus of baby clothes. Somehow we were talking about how petite her babe was, so I (nosily) asked, "Oh, are you nursing?"

Her response:

"Well, I did in the hospital. When I got home though I just couldn't, and man am I happy I stopped. My dogs went nuts. I have these two boxers, and every time I nursed her they would come up behind me over my shoulder, and they got so jealous. I just could not deal with that." (As baby spits up).

Me: "Oh."

:

:

:

 

[Jasmyn's Mum]

Well, as long as the dogs are happy then...

:

 

[ashleyhaugh]

interesting..... im sure my dogs will be jealous too, but they'll have to get over it, lol

 

[BeckC]

Oh wow. When I first saw the title of this thread I laughed because I thought it was a joke.

How sad that someone would put some perceived feelings of dogs before the health of their child. But it sounds to me like she was just dying for an excuse to stop bfing anyway. I just wish in cases like that people would just come out and admit that they didn't want to breastfeed.

 

[CaraNicole]

wow for like the 3rd time in my life i'm speechless....

 

[Mama~Love]

: I thought the title was a joke too! I'm

at the baby spitting up though!

Wow, who would put their DOG'S comfort above their baby's needs? Someone needs to get their priorities straight!

 

[les7699]

I have now heard everything.

:

 

[mamasophy]

This is one of those stories that fits into the category "you just can't fix stupid..."

 

[MommaLyon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamasophy This is one of those stories that fits into the category "you just can't fix stupid..."

laughup

 

[bluetoes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamasophy This is one of those stories that fits into the category "you just can't fix stupid..."

What annoys me about this besides the obvious is the lack of dog sense this woman has. Doesn't sound like she put much thought into preparing for when baby arrives. Dogs don't get 'jealous' like humans do. Sure they love us, but part of that love is that we're the provider of resources for them. These dogs knew the baby was being fed and should have been trained that baby being fed was good thing. Feeding baby, dogs get a treat. Our dog trainer said after a while of this sort of positive association they'll start seeing the baby in the house as a bringer of good things.

Yes children come first, but we also have a responsiblity to our animals to be prepared and to make sure they stay will us even as our situation in life changes.

 

[MidwifeErika]

ummmmmm....... wow....... not sure if I should laugh or cry

 

[WNB]

so when her boxers bite the child, she's going to place her with an adoptive family, b/c she could not deal with the dogs being disrupted?

 

[captivatedlife]

:

ell, we all know that formula is just as good anyway

:

:

 

[JamesMama]

Yikes...I'm glad that my dog claimed my son as 'her baby' once Josh was wrestling with James and the dog got mad and bit Josh to get him off her baby, then she promply got between Josh and James...

When James was brand new she got TICKED when anyone but Josh or I held him...she didn't bite but she stood right by the 'strangers' side to make sure they were taking care of her baby.

 

[mamasophy]

My dog always wanted to lick the baby's mouth and hiney! Like a mother dog does to newborn pups to stimulate them.

 

[Sagesgirl]

I feel for that kid. I know what it's like when your parent values the pets above you.

 

[gabysmom617]

As usual, I don't get it.

What difference would it make to the dogs "jealousy" (which I take issue with, because dogs operate on dominance/submissive of themselves within their "pack" or household, not "jealousy"...but I digress..) whether baby was being breastfed or fed with a bottle? I mean, to me, it would seem that if you are sitting on the couch, and you are holding baby breastfeeding him, the dogs would act the same as they would if you were sitting there bottlefeeding him, or sitting there cuddling him...

..Unless of course she doesn't hold baby to feed it because of "the dogs".

:

: Sounds like the dogs are running that household and are the leaders of that pack instead of the humans.

 

[Kleine Hexe]

: I'm sorry there is just no other response worthy enough. I really would have laughed loudly at her....and most likely lost a sale.

 

[E&Gmommy]

Wow, that is def the weirdest thing I've ever heard!

 

[HerthElde]

Okay, I admit, my first reaction was

But . . . then I started thinking about it. And before anyone goes off on an "I can't believe I'm reading this on MDC, it's gotten so watered down

" tangent, I probably should state that my views have been strongly coloured by the PPD experience I had with dd2 . . .

At any rate, it's highly unlikely she told you the WHOLE story. That's probably not even how she meant it to come out. So, here I sit, picturing a new mother, at home alone with a new baby, barking dogs (who were very likely her "babies" until the new baby came home), unsure what her next step should be, feeling like there just isn't enough time, enough strength, enough of HER to give to everybody, perhaps her husband expected her to start cooking and cleaning right away, or maybe he didn't but she's so used to doing everything herself and hates to ask him for extra help because she doesn't want to be a burden, especially if he hates his job and comes home stressed everyday, she doesn't want to add more to his plate, panicking, anxious, becoming angry at everyone's cries (including the dogs) for her attention, losing herself, yelling at the dogs for simply needing water, yelling at the baby for needing to be held, yelling at herself for yelling at anyone, angry with herself because she should be a better mother, a better human being . . . and maybe the bottle seemed like the only solution, especially if she didn't fully grasp the difference - different filters, we all see the world with, and even if she had seen the same information as you and me, there's nothing saying she interpreted it the same way.
Perhaps not. But just perhaps.

I know you meant this to be a laugh, and I'm sorry for crushing that, but . . . I think an overhaul of the expectations we as a society place on mothers, the expectations mothers place on themselves and the isolation so many of us feel needs to happen. I only hope that if she does come to a true understanding of what could have been, that she uses that to educate others rather than just concluding that's the way it is.