To the mothers out there who lovingly hold their darling sons and daughters while feeding them from a bottle, I am sorry.<br><br>
To those mama's from whom I have averted my eyes in the Formula aisle in the baby store, I am sorry.<br><br>
The disgust I showed when I saw that bottle peeking out of your diaper bag, I am so sorry.<br><br>
I had no right to judge you personally based on your feeding decisions. I thought I was a lactivist but the truth was, I was just a self-righteous coward, unable to lend the grace and decency to a mom just trying to keep her baby healthy, happy, and satisfied.<br><br>
I didn't know your situation. I didn't know why you had a bottle; all I knew was that you had a bottle and I judged you for that. I don't know what led to you having a bottle. Maybe you agonized like I am doing right now over the fact that my baby will no longer be hooked to me like an extension of my being.<br><br>
Everyone has the freedom to choose and I chose to boastfully breastfeed until it was medically necessary for me to wean prematurely at 10 months. The ache I feel inside, the emptiness from knowing our breastfeeding relationship is coming to an end, I can now finally understand what some mamas have gone through in their struggle to feed their babies from the breast.<br><br>
The thought of my sweet daughter taking a bottle of formula just two weeks ago would have turned my world upside down but now, it is truly what I must do.<br><br>
I am a lactivist. Breastfeeding is wonderful. But I now understand that what I was doing to other mamas, even in my quiet thoughts, was an utter disgrace to the purpose and beauty of breastfeeding.<br><br>
To all those other lactivists out there... please lend grace, mercy and understanding. Some of us truly want to breastfeed for an extended period of time but it just can't happen for one reason or another.
To those mama's from whom I have averted my eyes in the Formula aisle in the baby store, I am sorry.<br><br>
The disgust I showed when I saw that bottle peeking out of your diaper bag, I am so sorry.<br><br>
I had no right to judge you personally based on your feeding decisions. I thought I was a lactivist but the truth was, I was just a self-righteous coward, unable to lend the grace and decency to a mom just trying to keep her baby healthy, happy, and satisfied.<br><br>
I didn't know your situation. I didn't know why you had a bottle; all I knew was that you had a bottle and I judged you for that. I don't know what led to you having a bottle. Maybe you agonized like I am doing right now over the fact that my baby will no longer be hooked to me like an extension of my being.<br><br>
Everyone has the freedom to choose and I chose to boastfully breastfeed until it was medically necessary for me to wean prematurely at 10 months. The ache I feel inside, the emptiness from knowing our breastfeeding relationship is coming to an end, I can now finally understand what some mamas have gone through in their struggle to feed their babies from the breast.<br><br>
The thought of my sweet daughter taking a bottle of formula just two weeks ago would have turned my world upside down but now, it is truly what I must do.<br><br>
I am a lactivist. Breastfeeding is wonderful. But I now understand that what I was doing to other mamas, even in my quiet thoughts, was an utter disgrace to the purpose and beauty of breastfeeding.<br><br>
To all those other lactivists out there... please lend grace, mercy and understanding. Some of us truly want to breastfeed for an extended period of time but it just can't happen for one reason or another.