"Explain to me why you aren't raising your kid the way I would"

[Jan74]

Yebbut - even if she had, that's no guarantee of anything...  I was breast fed.  I have a LONG list of things I'm allergic to.  I don't get any reaction worse than common garden hay fever, but I get symptoms from A TON of things.  You just can't win.

I'm allergic to 97 out of 100 common allergies they test for. I have hay fever, frequent sinus infections, rhinitis, and asthma. I was also a small sickly child, and I'm an adult with a multitude of health problems. I was breastfed until 1 year old. So much for that theory.

[Eisa]

I was breastfed for a while, too. Not sure how long. Probably until I started growing teeth and biting her.

I have a whole host of health problems. I was born with health problems! 

What was breast milk supposed to do, cure my clubfeet? 

Heh...heh...no, I don't want to try using that on someone...now I'm wishing someone would ask me that very rude question of was I breastfed. I'm a terrible person.

[General Jinjur]

Wow, a lot of great snappy answers here! I'm glad to know I didn't cross the etiquette line with my responses to either Nosy Nellie.

Incidentally, both my brother and I were breastfed...as a kid I had the WORST ear, nose, and throat problems. And he had lots of weird allergies, including a skin problem that made it impossible to wear shoes. So breastfeeding is hardly a cure-all.

I agree that breastfeeding is being pushed big-time, something I actually agree with. However, some people do not seem to realize that just because it's *best* doesn't make it *possible* for everyone. It makes me especially crazy to hear upper-class women go on and on about how they just don't understand why poorer women would choose formula. Well, um, maybe because they couldn't afford a lactation consultant? They can't afford to stay home with the baby? They don't have a job that allows them to pump multiple times a day? It's like breastfeeding is this upper-class obsession now.

[Jan74]

Wow, a lot of great snappy answers here! I'm glad to know I didn't cross the etiquette line with my responses to either Nosy Nellie.

Incidentally, both my brother and I were breastfed...as a kid I had the WORST ear, nose, and throat problems. And he had lots of weird allergies, including a skin problem that made it impossible to wear shoes. So breastfeeding is hardly a cure-all.

I agree that breastfeeding is being pushed big-time, something I actually agree with. However, some people do not seem to realize that just because it's *best* doesn't make it *possible* for everyone. It makes me especially crazy to hear upper-class women go on and on about how they just don't understand why poorer women would choose formula. Well, um, maybe because they couldn't afford a lactation consultant? They can't afford to stay home with the baby? They don't have a job that allows them to pump multiple times a day? It's like breastfeeding is this upper-class obsession now.

It is the Mommy Olympics. You're not Mommier-than-thou unless you breastfeed until the child has teeth, only feed them organic foods, cloth diaper with sustainably grown, organic fabric, of course, washed in all-natural biodegradable detergent. Bonus point if you use Soap Nuts!, do not let them watch tv, buy a huge SUV sized stroller (the fact that buying a huge, non-organic stroller contradicts the other treehugger beliefs doesn't matter, it is all about The Best for the Babbeh!), etc.

[MrsJWine]

Wow, a lot of great snappy answers here! I'm glad to know I didn't cross the etiquette line with my responses to either Nosy Nellie.

Incidentally, both my brother and I were breastfed...as a kid I had the WORST ear, nose, and throat problems. And he had lots of weird allergies, including a skin problem that made it impossible to wear shoes. So breastfeeding is hardly a cure-all.

I agree that breastfeeding is being pushed big-time, something I actually agree with. However, some people do not seem to realize that just because it's *best* doesn't make it *possible* for everyone. It makes me especially crazy to hear upper-class women go on and on about how they just don't understand why poorer women would choose formula. Well, um, maybe because they couldn't afford a lactation consultant? They can't afford to stay home with the baby? They don't have a job that allows them to pump multiple times a day? It's like breastfeeding is this upper-class obsession now.

It is the Mommy Olympics. You're not Mommier-than-thou unless you breastfeed until the child has teeth, only feed them organic foods, cloth diaper with sustainably grown, organic fabric, of course, washed in all-natural biodegradable detergent. Bonus point if you use Soap Nuts!, do not let them watch tv, buy a huge SUV sized stroller (the fact that buying a huge, non-organic stroller contradicts the other treehugger beliefs doesn't matter, it is all about The Best for the Babbeh!), etc.

NO, NO, NO.  No GOOD mother would EVER use a stroller.  You have to fasten your babies to you at all times, either in an organic hemp Ergo or an organic cotton Moby.  You're not a good mother unless you're a 24/7 babywearer.

(this from someone who has an infant strapped to her most days for several hours at a time, but REALLY appreciates strollers and independent play as well)

[Jan74]

Wow, a lot of great snappy answers here! I'm glad to know I didn't cross the etiquette line with my responses to either Nosy Nellie.

Incidentally, both my brother and I were breastfed...as a kid I had the WORST ear, nose, and throat problems. And he had lots of weird allergies, including a skin problem that made it impossible to wear shoes. So breastfeeding is hardly a cure-all.

I agree that breastfeeding is being pushed big-time, something I actually agree with. However, some people do not seem to realize that just because it's *best* doesn't make it *possible* for everyone. It makes me especially crazy to hear upper-class women go on and on about how they just don't understand why poorer women would choose formula. Well, um, maybe because they couldn't afford a lactation consultant? They can't afford to stay home with the baby? They don't have a job that allows them to pump multiple times a day? It's like breastfeeding is this upper-class obsession now.

It is the Mommy Olympics. You're not Mommier-than-thou unless you breastfeed until the child has teeth, only feed them organic foods, cloth diaper with sustainably grown, organic fabric, of course, washed in all-natural biodegradable detergent. Bonus point if you use Soap Nuts!, do not let them watch tv, buy a huge SUV sized stroller (the fact that buying a huge, non-organic stroller contradicts the other treehugger beliefs doesn't matter, it is all about The Best for the Babbeh!), etc.

NO, NO, NO.  No GOOD mother would EVER use a stroller.  You have to fasten your babies to you at all times, either in an organic hemp Ergo or an organic cotton Moby.  You're not a good mother unless you're a 24/7 babywearer.

(this from someone who has an infant strapped to her most days for several hours at a time, but REALLY appreciates strollers and independent play as well)

I forgot. And it must be the kind of sling you tie yourself. If you use a Baby Bjorn or backpack of any kind, you've clearly failed as a mother. You need to tie that thing every single time you need it.

Every time I go to the crafts fair here, I'm overrun by both subsets of Mommier-than-thou: 100% granola, with baby in the sling, feeding the baby coconut water carefully poured into a glass bottle, cause Plastic is Evil, and the I Used to be an Executive, But Now I'm a Competitive SAHM, with baby in the massive stroller with 20 attachments to it, feeding the baby bites of the cupcake she got at the trendy sidewalk café. 

I've been campaigning with my husband to go at lunch time instead, when the mommies have left, but he says the childless hipsters who just rolled out of bed and are there to eat organic empanadas are more offensive than the Mommy Brigade. It's a tough call.

[MrsJWine]

Hahah!  I actually hate the Baby Bjorn, but that's less about my kids' well-being and more about my own wretched back.