So much for breastfeeding and better mothering
Posted
April 28, 2006 at
9:00 am by
Jessica
I can’t help it. I get news alerts with keywords “parenting”, “mothering”, “children”, “baby” etc. and every time I catch a poorly behaved mother who happens to breastfeed (although the following story clearly demonstrates more than poor judgement), it catches my eye. The reason it catches my eye is because of the ridicule formula feeding mothers experience by way of self righteous internet cowards who lambaste formula feeding moms and scoff at their choices, as if breastfeeding were in and of itself a litmus test for good mothering.
From the Houston Chronicle:
OSHKOSH, Wis. — (AP) A woman accused of smothering her infant after she drunkenly fell asleep atop the 4-month-old while breast-feeding pleaded no contest Thursday to child neglect resulting in death
Lorinda Hawkins, 28, had been scheduled for trial next week. She could face up to 21 years in prison when sentenced July 11.
Prosecutor John Jorgensen said he would recommend that she receive at least some prison time.
“We just believe she should be held accountable for the neglect,” he said.
Hawkins had been drinking at a bowling alley in February 2005, and after her husband dropped her and the child off at home, she started breast-feeding the baby but fell asleep, a criminal complaint said.
When she woke up about an hour later, the baby was pale and not breathing, the complaint said.
Obviously this tragedy cannot be blamed on breastfeeding, but rather plain and simple neglect and stupidity, however, I think it helps to drive home my continued argument against stereotyping formula feeding mothers, their competence and the overwhelming insistance to connect a causitive link between formula feeding [properly] and death. Suffice it to say, it’s better to be a dedicated guardian of your childs safety than to be a breastfeeder who puts her baby’s life in jeopardy. Sound like a no-brainer? One would think, but shockingly enough, I have witnessed these sort of absurd suggestions from the lunatic fringe on various parenting boards.
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2 Responses to “So much for breastfeeding and better mothering”
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1. Alan Thomas said:
April 28, 2006 @ 2:36 pm | Quote
You’re right, of course, that one good mothering practice (like breastfeeding) is not automatically accompanied by every other good mothering practice.
Still, the fact remains that formula feeding is harmful to babies (usually in subtle ways but sometimes not) and should be avoided whenever humanly possible. And it IS associated with a higher risk of infant mortality, not just in developing nations but right here in the U.S.:
http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/32233/
—–
Forste’s study also explains that breastfeeding is just as important to infant mortality as is low birth weight.
“The encouragement of breastfeeding needs to be a priority for health care providers,” Forste said.
“If physicians and other health care workers can successively increase the percentage of black infants being breastfed, the infant mortality gap between blacks and whites should close,” she said.
—–
(How’s that for biting the hand that feeds me, Jessica?
2. SewingSiren said:
April 29, 2006 @ 8:33 am | Quote
Again, this is clearly a case that demonstrates that it is very dangerous to care for an infant while you are drunk.Breastmilk is better (nutritionally), but is not magic, it won’t protect against smoothering!
I am against stereotyping of any kind, breastfeeding does automatically make you a good mother, nor does formula feeding make you a bad one. Does anyone really think that?