Courtney Jung has written an excellent article that concisely explains many of the points I am making here about breastfeeding. You should read it.
Her argument is as follows:
1. The benefits of breastfeeding are dramatically oversold for the sake of supporting breastfeeding;
2. Women as a result feel compelled to breastfeed, whether or not they want to;
3. This conveniently restricts women's bodily autonomy and economic freedom;
4. It also conveniently allows society to continue defining good parenting to mean whatever society's elites prefer to do.
I'm just enjoying not being the only person saying it. It is very telling to me that women's preferences are rarely given even a perfunctory mention in discussions on breastfeeding, even though we know that women whose infant feeding choices aren't respected are at higher risk of postpartum depression.
Her argument is as follows:
1. The benefits of breastfeeding are dramatically oversold for the sake of supporting breastfeeding;
2. Women as a result feel compelled to breastfeed, whether or not they want to;
3. This conveniently restricts women's bodily autonomy and economic freedom;
4. It also conveniently allows society to continue defining good parenting to mean whatever society's elites prefer to do.
I'm just enjoying not being the only person saying it. It is very telling to me that women's preferences are rarely given even a perfunctory mention in discussions on breastfeeding, even though we know that women whose infant feeding choices aren't respected are at higher risk of postpartum depression.
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