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Breast is best, was Re: Internet survey - should mothers breastfeed in public?

Naomi Lynne Pardue <npar...@steel.ucs.indiana.edu>

In misc.kids.breastfeeding Robert Davidson <s036...@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:

> "Suzanne Dallapè" wrote:
> The point is valid, however.  Even though no one has said "let your baby die
> before giving it formula" there have been many insensitive statements made on
> the ng about women who feed formula for whatever reason.  And that 2 percent of
> people who need to use formula is quite a lot of people in a large population.
> This is such an emotional issue for parents that it needs to be handled with kid
> gloves.

Why?  Why do we have to wear kid gloves to say 'breastmilk is much better
than formula, and if you CAN provide breastmilk, you really should do
so."?

Analogy. Some people can't exercise. Some people have medical problems
that limit their activity, or have to work two jobs so they lack the time.
So do we say "Exercise is nice, but if you can't exercise, or just don't
want to exercise, or try exercising and don't like it, it doesn't really
matter if you exercise or not, because people who don't exercise are just
as healthy as those who do?"  

Some people can't afford nutrious food or have severe allergies that limit
their food intake.
 So do we say "It is important to eat a balanced diet. But if you can't,
or if you don't want to, or just don't like fruits and vegetables, it is
fine to eat what you want/can afford. Diet doesn't REALLY have any effect
on our overall health."?

Or how about economics?  Some people find themselves in economic dire
straits through no fault of their own, while others dig themselves in
voluntarily. So do we end up with ... "It is important to live within your
budget, avoid excessive debt, and not have more bills than you can afford
to pay.  But if you're a shopaholic, or you just like living well, it
really doesn't matter if you get yourself into unmanagable debt.  It
really doesn't make any difference in the long run if you have to declare
bankruptcy."?

Naomi