(201) Family August 2017 | Page 46

MOM TO MOM fed is best! KEEPING MY CHILD HAPPY AND HEALTHY ON MY OWN TERMS B efore your child is born, the nurses will ask you, “Are you bottle or breast feeding?” and you can feel them judging as soon as you say, “bottle.” I will never judge a woman based on whether she wants to breastfeed or formula feed. I don’t think you should be made to feel like a bad parent if you don’t follow certain recommended parenting styles. I am one of a few of my friends who did not breastfeed, but I can tell you a few of the things my breastfeeding friends have said to me: “I felt like a cow. Always having to pump.” “My baby is less likely to become sick.” Some enjoyed it. Some didn’t. But none of this mattered to me, and it shouldn’t to new moms trying to make the decision of bottle or breast. I went with what I felt comfortable doing as a parent. The last