Each year many women will have babies. This is not an abnormality in our current society. When the new baby is here the mother must feed this child. This can look like many things. The new mother may choose to feed her infant a bottle with formula inside. Another mother may choose to feed her child at the breast. Some mothers may even choose to feed their child breast milk from a bottle that has been pumped out by the mother or even donated by a milk donor.
Society sees breasts as a sexual organ only
While this may be true and breast can be used for sexual stimulation, this is not their sole purpose.
In fact, baby formula was not even invented until 1867. The powder formula that we all know today was not introduced until 1951. So what did women do before this version of alternative mild came out? No one thought twice about breastfeeding. It was the norm of the time.
So how did breasts become seen as sexual objects versus ones that are used for the intended purpose of providing nutrition to infants? In today's society, the idea of "sex sells" is front and center in every ad campaign on the television and billboards. Many companies use breasts and the female form to sell everything from burgers to band-aids. Another contributing factor is the pornography industry. Pornography is addictive in nature and many viewers of pornography see other people as no more than sexual objects.
There are so many benefits to breastfeeding
There are benefits to both the mother and the child. For the child, if they are breastfed the child is less likely to get infections in the future by building their immune system. This includes ear infections. For the mother, if a woman breastfeeds they are less likely to get ovarian or breast cancer in the future.
A mother will be able to get back to her pre-baby weight sooner as well.
If breastfeeding has so many benefits, why is it taboo?
Many women are pressured to fit into the societal norm of bottle feeding. This is unfortunate for both the baby and the mother. It takes away their ability to have a special bond with their child. I am not saying that bottle feeding is bad. Nor am I saying that breastfeeding is the only good way to feed your child.
I am simply advocating that we, as a society, normalize the image of breastfeeding mothers. They are not taboo. They are not doing anything dirty or unnatural. They are only providing what they feel is best for their child. We should respect the way a mother chooses to feed her child and not vilify any of them for choosing to feed their child by bottle or at the breast.
