Today's post is brought to you by plinky.com. The answer prompt for today is:
What did you feel when you first asked someone out on a date?
I actually remember this very clearly. It was the fall of 1995, and we were coming up on one of our annual ROTC military balls at UCLA. I had a bit of a crush on one of the cadets who was a year ahead of me, and after much persuasion by some friends (also fellow cadets) who were aware of this crush, I mustered up every last ounce of courage I could find to dial his number (which I got off the class roster, of course) and ask if he wanted to accompany me to the ball. I didn't do the dial-and-hangup spiel that you often hear of, but I did pick up the phone and hang it up a few times before even dialing. I was THAT nervous.
Anyway, I got him on the line, and asked if he wanted to go to the ball with me. Bless his heart, he tried to let me down as gently as possible. He said he was only popping in for an hour and then going right back home to study for his LSAT. It was a totally plausible excuse-- we all knew he really did have the LSAT coming up in the next week or two. At the end he tried to temper the refusal by saying "maybe next year!" It made me feel a little less embarrassed, at least.
But after I got off the phone, I realized that what he said made no sense-- he was a senior, so there would BE no "next year" for him to be around for another military ball. He wasn't just saying that he didn't want to be my date for the ball, he was saying he wasn't interested in going out on ANY dates, period! Talk about embarrassing!
After this experience, I vowed NEVER to ask a guy out on a date again, at least not so obviously. It was more nerve-wracking than it needed to be, and I feel like I got a glimpse into what it must be like for guys, on whom the onus to do the asking is much greater. I definitely sympathize! 17 years later, I can still vividly recall how my stomach was in knots, how nervous I must have sounded, how disappointed I felt when he said "no", and how embarrassed I felt now that he knew I liked him. Not something I ever want to relive!
Why is dating so complicated??
La Maison des Tortues: One third of the "heckled trio" writes...
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Seattle Trip 2012
Earlier this month, Allan went up to the Citrix branch in Redmond on business for 3 weeks, and I decided to join him in the middle of that trip, for a week. I managed to hit absolutely perfect weather-- before I arrived, it was warm but cloudy, after I left, temperatures soared in the muggy 90s, but during my stay, it was sunny and warm.
The adventure began with my flight-- we were delayed for an hour because they had to kick a passenger out just before takeoff. I don't know exactly what happened, but the flight attendant came up to me, asked if I was traveling alone, and wondered if I would be willing to switch seats. There was a little boy (not much older than Todd) traveling alone, and they were concerned about the guy sitting next to him, didn't feel comfortable with him there. As it turns out, the switch was unnecessary, as they ejected the passenger from the plane in the end. I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but based on chatter I heard around the flight attendants afterward, I'm guessing the guy was uncooperative (possibly drunk/high), and likely swearing at the flight staff. Anyway, we all made it to Seattle without incident!
Day 1 in Washington started with a frantic hunt for shoes-- I'd forgotten to pack my flip flops! You see, I'd sent most of my clothes and shoes over with Allan in his checked luggage, so I wouldn't have to pay extra to check my own bag in. Evidently I'd forgotten that I did not pack my flip flops with Allan! Luckily I found a perfect pair at DSW, and after lunch, made my way to the Seattle Center. One of my first stops? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visitor center. It was actually pretty inspiring to see how they supported various humanitarian causes. As much as people like to rag on Microsoft, I'm pretty impressed with the Gates' philanthropy.
Next stop was the Space Needle, and while I waited in the line, the sun came out, affording me a mostly sunny view of Seattle. I got a few panoramic shots of the city, and although it was beautiful, it wasn't as impressive as I'd expected. I was also expecting to ride in a fully glass elevator, but was disappointed that it was just a plain elevator with a few small windows.
Here's a non-panoramic shot of part of the city around Lake Union. The V-shaped buildings in the foreground constitute the Gates Foundation:
After battling horrendous traffic (reminiscent of LA!) to return to Redmond for dinner, Allan and I came back to visit the Space Needle at night. The night views were very pretty, but unfortunately, none of my panoramic shots came out clearly. Nighttime shots are hard!
Day 2 was spent lounging around at the hotel, grocery shopping, doing laundry, reading, napping, and swimming in the indoor pool. Pretty noneventful, but it's nice to recharge the batteries. We had dinner at Moghul Palace, a delicious Indian restaurant. The best part of dinner was the homemade coconut-almond ice cream. Normally I'm not a fan of coconut, but this stuff was to die for! The owners could turn a nice profit if they opened up an ice cream parlor and served that! ;-)
Day 3 was my big day of stuff in downtown Seattle. I got up early, had a hearty breakfast, and made it to Pike Place Market in time for cheaper early bird parking. I joined one of the historical market tours and got to see/learn a lot, from the Japanese heritage of the market before WWII, to the disgusting-yet-fascinating Gum Wall, to walking on cobblestone made out of building rubble from the San Francisco Earthquake. Afterward, I slowly meandered around downtown, stopping by the Seattle Public Library (what a unique piece of architecture!) and finally, the Columbia Center, where I took a few elevators to the Observation Deck on the 73rd floor. And wow.
Let me tell you-- if you only see one sight in Seattle, the Columbia Tower is it. It sits higher up than the Space Needle, and offered some absolutely magnificent views of the city, far better than what you get at the Space Needle. Better yet, it was cheaper, quieter, and less crowded. It didn't offer full 360-degree views (more like 270 degrees), but what you did get was amazing just the same.
Here is a view facing north (see the Space Needle in the distance?)
A view of the harbor:
And a view of Lake Washington with the floating bridge:
Afterward, I enjoyed a light lunch of piroshki, a delightful Russian pastry filled with chicken, cabbage, and mushroom. Recharged with food in my belly, I made my way down to Pioneer Square, to catch the Underground Tour. Now that was an adventure! Walking around the underbelly of the city, hearing about the history of how Seattle came to be, seeing the ruins of the lives and shops that use to bustle at that level, long ago, learning about what life was like back then. For example, the crappers had to be raised on platforms to avoid getting propelled off your seat by the sewage backwash at high tide. This toilet is actually raised about 3-4 feet off the ground:
And these purple "mosaic tiles" on the sidewalk? Are actually skylights to illuminate the spaces down below.
After that, I decided to head down to the waterfront. I had planned to visit Elliott's Oyster House for happy hour, but when I got there, the waitlist for happy hour was already 20 persons long, so I decided to skip it. I wandered around the waterfront a little bit, and then walked up the steps of Pike St to get back to the parking garage. Halfway up the steps, I spied a sign for a gelato shop. I was hungry, since I didn't get to eat at happy hour as anticipated. So I ducked inside. Unfortunately, the shop was closed, but when I turned around, I was greeted with the entrance to what turned out to be my ABSOLUTE favorite Seattle attraction: the Seattle Bug Safari, which contained a live bug zoo! I read the list of critters housed behind the closed doors of the zoo, and when I saw that it contained several tarantulas, I was sold. I bought a ticket and entered the museum that was about the size of my living room. And I was not disappointed. Here's a collage of some of the critters I was able to get decent shots of:
Day 4 started off with a drive to Portland, where, after a delicious lunch at the Doug Fir Lounge, we made our way to Salem to visit Allan's cousin.
Day 5 began with waiting in line at the famed Voodoo Doughnut. I must say, I was not very impressed. For the amount of time we had to wait, I was expecting a spectacular donut. Instead, the only noteworthy thing about the place was its unique menu, featuring items such as the "Cock n Balls", which I was originally going to get, but discovered it was too huge (heh). So I settled on the "Gay Bar":
The frosting was too much and overall made the thing so sweet my teeth hurt. Literally. The dough was nothing to write home about-- a bit on the dry side, not soft and moist like a donut should be. Well, at least now I can say I've been to Voodoo Doughnuts. Next time I'm skipping the lines and going for Krispy Kreme :-P
We visited Powell's book store and made off with some really good finds before heading out to visit our friend Chris, who grew up in Santa Barbara and had recently bought a home in Portland.
Day 6: back in Seattle, and I took the morning to explore the Half Price Books near our hotel in Redmond. Between that and Powell's, I had quite a cache of books and DVDs! So I found a post office and mailed them to myself, knowing that we couldn't carry all that stuff back in our luggage. Media Mail is a sweet deal-- cost me $6 to mail 10.5 pounds of books back to SB, and because California was so close to Washington, it took less than a week to arrive.
In the afternoon, I took the bus to downtown Seattle again and hopped onto one of the Argosy Cruises tour boats, enjoying a 1-hour circle around Elliott Bay while we enjoyed views of the city skyline, nearby islands, and the harbor.
Allan drove down after work, and we met up with an old high school classmate of mine, Phil, for happy hour/dinner at the Tap House Grill. Phil, who's lived in Seattle for the past decade, had been really instrumental in providing tons of great advice on what to see, where to go, and where to eat during my stay here.
The next day, I returned home. I enjoyed my stay in Seattle, enjoyed the sights, even got to enjoy the weather! But as our plane approached SBA, I was reminded again of why I was glad to be back home: where else can you live with mountains on one side, ocean on the other, perfect Mediterranean climate, and a beautiful wharf and harbor of our own? Ah... it's good to be home :-)
p.s. Full set of pictures here: https://picasaweb.google.com/103173517017548034300/Seattle2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink
The adventure began with my flight-- we were delayed for an hour because they had to kick a passenger out just before takeoff. I don't know exactly what happened, but the flight attendant came up to me, asked if I was traveling alone, and wondered if I would be willing to switch seats. There was a little boy (not much older than Todd) traveling alone, and they were concerned about the guy sitting next to him, didn't feel comfortable with him there. As it turns out, the switch was unnecessary, as they ejected the passenger from the plane in the end. I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but based on chatter I heard around the flight attendants afterward, I'm guessing the guy was uncooperative (possibly drunk/high), and likely swearing at the flight staff. Anyway, we all made it to Seattle without incident!
Day 1 in Washington started with a frantic hunt for shoes-- I'd forgotten to pack my flip flops! You see, I'd sent most of my clothes and shoes over with Allan in his checked luggage, so I wouldn't have to pay extra to check my own bag in. Evidently I'd forgotten that I did not pack my flip flops with Allan! Luckily I found a perfect pair at DSW, and after lunch, made my way to the Seattle Center. One of my first stops? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visitor center. It was actually pretty inspiring to see how they supported various humanitarian causes. As much as people like to rag on Microsoft, I'm pretty impressed with the Gates' philanthropy.
Next stop was the Space Needle, and while I waited in the line, the sun came out, affording me a mostly sunny view of Seattle. I got a few panoramic shots of the city, and although it was beautiful, it wasn't as impressive as I'd expected. I was also expecting to ride in a fully glass elevator, but was disappointed that it was just a plain elevator with a few small windows.
Here's a non-panoramic shot of part of the city around Lake Union. The V-shaped buildings in the foreground constitute the Gates Foundation:
After battling horrendous traffic (reminiscent of LA!) to return to Redmond for dinner, Allan and I came back to visit the Space Needle at night. The night views were very pretty, but unfortunately, none of my panoramic shots came out clearly. Nighttime shots are hard!
Day 2 was spent lounging around at the hotel, grocery shopping, doing laundry, reading, napping, and swimming in the indoor pool. Pretty noneventful, but it's nice to recharge the batteries. We had dinner at Moghul Palace, a delicious Indian restaurant. The best part of dinner was the homemade coconut-almond ice cream. Normally I'm not a fan of coconut, but this stuff was to die for! The owners could turn a nice profit if they opened up an ice cream parlor and served that! ;-)
Day 3 was my big day of stuff in downtown Seattle. I got up early, had a hearty breakfast, and made it to Pike Place Market in time for cheaper early bird parking. I joined one of the historical market tours and got to see/learn a lot, from the Japanese heritage of the market before WWII, to the disgusting-yet-fascinating Gum Wall, to walking on cobblestone made out of building rubble from the San Francisco Earthquake. Afterward, I slowly meandered around downtown, stopping by the Seattle Public Library (what a unique piece of architecture!) and finally, the Columbia Center, where I took a few elevators to the Observation Deck on the 73rd floor. And wow.
Let me tell you-- if you only see one sight in Seattle, the Columbia Tower is it. It sits higher up than the Space Needle, and offered some absolutely magnificent views of the city, far better than what you get at the Space Needle. Better yet, it was cheaper, quieter, and less crowded. It didn't offer full 360-degree views (more like 270 degrees), but what you did get was amazing just the same.
Here is a view facing north (see the Space Needle in the distance?)
A view of the harbor:
And a view of Lake Washington with the floating bridge:
Afterward, I enjoyed a light lunch of piroshki, a delightful Russian pastry filled with chicken, cabbage, and mushroom. Recharged with food in my belly, I made my way down to Pioneer Square, to catch the Underground Tour. Now that was an adventure! Walking around the underbelly of the city, hearing about the history of how Seattle came to be, seeing the ruins of the lives and shops that use to bustle at that level, long ago, learning about what life was like back then. For example, the crappers had to be raised on platforms to avoid getting propelled off your seat by the sewage backwash at high tide. This toilet is actually raised about 3-4 feet off the ground:
And these purple "mosaic tiles" on the sidewalk? Are actually skylights to illuminate the spaces down below.
After that, I decided to head down to the waterfront. I had planned to visit Elliott's Oyster House for happy hour, but when I got there, the waitlist for happy hour was already 20 persons long, so I decided to skip it. I wandered around the waterfront a little bit, and then walked up the steps of Pike St to get back to the parking garage. Halfway up the steps, I spied a sign for a gelato shop. I was hungry, since I didn't get to eat at happy hour as anticipated. So I ducked inside. Unfortunately, the shop was closed, but when I turned around, I was greeted with the entrance to what turned out to be my ABSOLUTE favorite Seattle attraction: the Seattle Bug Safari, which contained a live bug zoo! I read the list of critters housed behind the closed doors of the zoo, and when I saw that it contained several tarantulas, I was sold. I bought a ticket and entered the museum that was about the size of my living room. And I was not disappointed. Here's a collage of some of the critters I was able to get decent shots of:
Day 4 started off with a drive to Portland, where, after a delicious lunch at the Doug Fir Lounge, we made our way to Salem to visit Allan's cousin.
Day 5 began with waiting in line at the famed Voodoo Doughnut. I must say, I was not very impressed. For the amount of time we had to wait, I was expecting a spectacular donut. Instead, the only noteworthy thing about the place was its unique menu, featuring items such as the "Cock n Balls", which I was originally going to get, but discovered it was too huge (heh). So I settled on the "Gay Bar":
The frosting was too much and overall made the thing so sweet my teeth hurt. Literally. The dough was nothing to write home about-- a bit on the dry side, not soft and moist like a donut should be. Well, at least now I can say I've been to Voodoo Doughnuts. Next time I'm skipping the lines and going for Krispy Kreme :-P
We visited Powell's book store and made off with some really good finds before heading out to visit our friend Chris, who grew up in Santa Barbara and had recently bought a home in Portland.
Day 6: back in Seattle, and I took the morning to explore the Half Price Books near our hotel in Redmond. Between that and Powell's, I had quite a cache of books and DVDs! So I found a post office and mailed them to myself, knowing that we couldn't carry all that stuff back in our luggage. Media Mail is a sweet deal-- cost me $6 to mail 10.5 pounds of books back to SB, and because California was so close to Washington, it took less than a week to arrive.
In the afternoon, I took the bus to downtown Seattle again and hopped onto one of the Argosy Cruises tour boats, enjoying a 1-hour circle around Elliott Bay while we enjoyed views of the city skyline, nearby islands, and the harbor.
Allan drove down after work, and we met up with an old high school classmate of mine, Phil, for happy hour/dinner at the Tap House Grill. Phil, who's lived in Seattle for the past decade, had been really instrumental in providing tons of great advice on what to see, where to go, and where to eat during my stay here.
The next day, I returned home. I enjoyed my stay in Seattle, enjoyed the sights, even got to enjoy the weather! But as our plane approached SBA, I was reminded again of why I was glad to be back home: where else can you live with mountains on one side, ocean on the other, perfect Mediterranean climate, and a beautiful wharf and harbor of our own? Ah... it's good to be home :-)
p.s. Full set of pictures here: https://picasaweb.google.com/103173517017548034300/Seattle2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Thursday, August 2, 2012
To Feed or Not To Feed
Did you know that the first week of every August is designated as National (or is it World?) Breastfeeding Awareness Week? I didn't-- until now. Hearing about it brought to mind a few breastfeeding-related topics that really get my goat.
First off, let me be clear that I definitely believe that "breast is best" (if for no other reason than it's more convenient and cost-effective!) and that women should be educated about their choices. What I DON'T believe, however, is that breastfeeding is a one-size-fits-all deal. Some women can't breastfeed. Some women choose not to. And what I don't believe in is shaming them for it. I believe a mother should be supported no matter what her choice.
Secondly, I draw a clear distinction between people who genuinely care about and lovingly support breastfeeding mothers, and those that would vilify any mother who chooses otherwise, guilt-tripping them for not breastfeeding. The latter group has truly earned the "boob Nazi" moniker.
There is an episode of "Law and Order: SVU" in which a new, young mother is brought to trial for the death of her newborn baby, who starved to death because she was unable to nurse him. Why didn't she feed him formula? Because she was so terrorized by the bullying lactation consultant, who convinced her that feeding him formula was the worst thing she could possibly do. Here was this new, young, inexperienced mother who believed the professional who should know better. Instead, the "professional" raged about how vile and awful formula was. Now, no question, breastmilk is superior to formula, but that doesn't make it poisonous! As the prosecutor said: "babies don't starve to death from it!"
I myself had a similar experience when Todd was born. I had incredible difficulty getting Todd to nurse, and the boob Nazi assigned to me was rude and brusque. She did nothing to help me feel better about being unable to nurse my child. She made me feel like it was MY fault, like I wasn't trying hard enough. And though she never outright said anything, I could feel her disapproval when I fed Todd a bottle. Sorry, but I'm not gonna let my baby starve! (as it turned out, I was able to get a supply going by pumping exclusively, so while Todd never nursed, he did drink expressed milk from a bottle for the first 6 months of his life. And while I would've loved to keep it up longer, I'm glad I was able to for that short period of time, and have no regrets about it).
And now, NYC Mayor Bloomberg wants hospitals to lock up formula, keeping track of bottles that are signed out, and forcing new mothers to endure a lecture every time they ask for a bottle. This is just another manifestation of the arrogant, brusque behavior I encountered with the nurse at my hospital. Women are made to feel like they are harming their babies by feeding them formula.
Given that breastfeeding fell out of favor not that long ago, I can understand (and totally support!) efforts to educate and support women in this endeavor. What I DON'T understand is how treating women like idiots and shaming them into breastfeeding is supposed to encourage anyone to do so. For a myriad of reasons, breastfeeding can be a hard task for many. Most women (like me) who try and fail are already feeling bad that they can't breastfeed their babies, what they need is kindness and compassion and support, not judgment and condescension that only worsens the guilt. And even if formula feeding is a set, conscious choice from the get-go, that is no reason for shaming, either. Contrary to what boob Nazis would have you believe, formula DOES provide adequate nourishment for a growing baby, and as long as baby is healthy and loved, that's all that matters.
Another thing I take issue with are the reasons that boob Nazis give for support of breastfeeding. I will grant that yes, nutritionally and economically, breastmilk beats formula. But when they make formula out to be this evil, deadly potion, I'm really offended. Plenty of people (including me) have been raised exclusively on formula and turned out just fine. The worst part is when they use "statistics" to illustrate how much worse off (physically and mentally) children raised on formula are compared to their breastfed counterparts. Not only is much of this data skewed, misleading or outright false, but it lays needless blame on mothers for not "trying hard enough" to do what's "best" for their child. Unless you've walked a mile in that mother's shoes, you have absolutely NO right to dictate what is best for her and her baby.
Yet another "advantage" that boob Nazis tout about breastfeeding is the close "bonding" between mother and child. I'm sorry, but that is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. Does this mean fathers can't bond with their babies? What about adoptive parents? Or the mother who had a double mastectomy long before the baby was born? True bonding comes from the act of closely holding, loving, and caring for the child-- and this can take place whether the feeding is done by bottle or by breast.
As you've probably surmised, this is a bit of a touchy topic for me. I understand what it's like to try so hard at doing my best for my baby, only to be made to feel like an inadequate, incompetent mother for not nursing him, for supplementing with formula, for not going longer than 6 months, etc... I have boob Nazi Facebook friends who post statuses and links to articles that they believe are supposed to educate women about the benefits of breastfeeding, but really only serve to guilt-trip those who don't.
Parents make a myriad of choices when it comes to raising their children. Every situation is unique. Everyone has their own individual set of challenges to overcome. So why is what/how they feed their babies anyone's business but their own? Barring outright abuse or neglect, there is no one right or wrong way to do thing. Why, then, are parents being shown anything but support, love and compassion for their choices?
First off, let me be clear that I definitely believe that "breast is best" (if for no other reason than it's more convenient and cost-effective!) and that women should be educated about their choices. What I DON'T believe, however, is that breastfeeding is a one-size-fits-all deal. Some women can't breastfeed. Some women choose not to. And what I don't believe in is shaming them for it. I believe a mother should be supported no matter what her choice.
Secondly, I draw a clear distinction between people who genuinely care about and lovingly support breastfeeding mothers, and those that would vilify any mother who chooses otherwise, guilt-tripping them for not breastfeeding. The latter group has truly earned the "boob Nazi" moniker.
There is an episode of "Law and Order: SVU" in which a new, young mother is brought to trial for the death of her newborn baby, who starved to death because she was unable to nurse him. Why didn't she feed him formula? Because she was so terrorized by the bullying lactation consultant, who convinced her that feeding him formula was the worst thing she could possibly do. Here was this new, young, inexperienced mother who believed the professional who should know better. Instead, the "professional" raged about how vile and awful formula was. Now, no question, breastmilk is superior to formula, but that doesn't make it poisonous! As the prosecutor said: "babies don't starve to death from it!"
I myself had a similar experience when Todd was born. I had incredible difficulty getting Todd to nurse, and the boob Nazi assigned to me was rude and brusque. She did nothing to help me feel better about being unable to nurse my child. She made me feel like it was MY fault, like I wasn't trying hard enough. And though she never outright said anything, I could feel her disapproval when I fed Todd a bottle. Sorry, but I'm not gonna let my baby starve! (as it turned out, I was able to get a supply going by pumping exclusively, so while Todd never nursed, he did drink expressed milk from a bottle for the first 6 months of his life. And while I would've loved to keep it up longer, I'm glad I was able to for that short period of time, and have no regrets about it).
And now, NYC Mayor Bloomberg wants hospitals to lock up formula, keeping track of bottles that are signed out, and forcing new mothers to endure a lecture every time they ask for a bottle. This is just another manifestation of the arrogant, brusque behavior I encountered with the nurse at my hospital. Women are made to feel like they are harming their babies by feeding them formula.
Given that breastfeeding fell out of favor not that long ago, I can understand (and totally support!) efforts to educate and support women in this endeavor. What I DON'T understand is how treating women like idiots and shaming them into breastfeeding is supposed to encourage anyone to do so. For a myriad of reasons, breastfeeding can be a hard task for many. Most women (like me) who try and fail are already feeling bad that they can't breastfeed their babies, what they need is kindness and compassion and support, not judgment and condescension that only worsens the guilt. And even if formula feeding is a set, conscious choice from the get-go, that is no reason for shaming, either. Contrary to what boob Nazis would have you believe, formula DOES provide adequate nourishment for a growing baby, and as long as baby is healthy and loved, that's all that matters.
Another thing I take issue with are the reasons that boob Nazis give for support of breastfeeding. I will grant that yes, nutritionally and economically, breastmilk beats formula. But when they make formula out to be this evil, deadly potion, I'm really offended. Plenty of people (including me) have been raised exclusively on formula and turned out just fine. The worst part is when they use "statistics" to illustrate how much worse off (physically and mentally) children raised on formula are compared to their breastfed counterparts. Not only is much of this data skewed, misleading or outright false, but it lays needless blame on mothers for not "trying hard enough" to do what's "best" for their child. Unless you've walked a mile in that mother's shoes, you have absolutely NO right to dictate what is best for her and her baby.
Yet another "advantage" that boob Nazis tout about breastfeeding is the close "bonding" between mother and child. I'm sorry, but that is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. Does this mean fathers can't bond with their babies? What about adoptive parents? Or the mother who had a double mastectomy long before the baby was born? True bonding comes from the act of closely holding, loving, and caring for the child-- and this can take place whether the feeding is done by bottle or by breast.
As you've probably surmised, this is a bit of a touchy topic for me. I understand what it's like to try so hard at doing my best for my baby, only to be made to feel like an inadequate, incompetent mother for not nursing him, for supplementing with formula, for not going longer than 6 months, etc... I have boob Nazi Facebook friends who post statuses and links to articles that they believe are supposed to educate women about the benefits of breastfeeding, but really only serve to guilt-trip those who don't.
Parents make a myriad of choices when it comes to raising their children. Every situation is unique. Everyone has their own individual set of challenges to overcome. So why is what/how they feed their babies anyone's business but their own? Barring outright abuse or neglect, there is no one right or wrong way to do thing. Why, then, are parents being shown anything but support, love and compassion for their choices?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)