Breast vs. Bottle: The answer? Either.

In a recent issue of the Star Phoenix, a study claims that Canadian women aren't breastfeeding as long as they should, with barely 14% exclusively breastfeeding by the time the babe is 6 months old. One Dr. Beverly Chalmers says this lack of breastfeeding is a "recipe for disaster".

Disaster.

Really?

Nearly all of my friends breastfed, or at least tried to. Some stopped earlier, others later, all for their own reasons, reasons that I may or may not be aware of, reasons that are exactly none of my business. Through those who chose to share their reasoning with me, I learned that breastfeeding can be a breeze - or not. It can be wonderful, or pretty tough. It can not hurt at all or really hurt, even if you're doing it "right". It can take days, weeks, months to actually develop a strong breastfeeding relationship - or it might never happen. It means you are tied to your child at virtually all times, for good and for bad.  I am passing judgment on none of these things. They are simply realities. However, for many, these things make their lives extraordinarily difficult, and for some, they make the choice (whether easy or agonizing) to pursue other feeding alternatives for their child. Alternatives not manufactured by mama's body, alternatives that don't contain human antibodies and all the other magic that breastmilk contains - but alternatives that provide full nutrition to a growing baby.  And they wouldn't be the first ones to do so.

When baby formula first hit widespread use in North America (which seems to have been in the 1950s), generations thereafter were raised with formula as the *first* choice, not second. And the formulas used by our mothers and grandmothers were certainly not the super duper vitamin laced concoctions they are today (watered down condensed milk, anyone?) My own Mother had planned to breastfeed me back in 1970, but the second I was out the hospital fed me a bottle and taped her up without even a second glance. Put those boobs back in your bra or take them out at Woodstock where they belong, but rest assured they're not needed here.

And so we ate and we grew, with our formula and our no seat belts and no bike helmets. And here we are today, 40 years later, more or less fine. Fine.

And yet, according to Dr. Beverly Chalmers, we should be living a "disaster". 

Well, if my generation is a particular disaster, (and there are plenty who would argue that point) it's not being blamed on our lack of nipple time.  Frankly, I'd like to see how she defines disaster.  Because to me?  Disaster is a tsunami in the Indian ocean.  Disaster is Hurricane Katrina devastating the Gulf Shore.

Disaster is not, however, choosing to give your baby a bottle if that's what works best for your family.

So perhaps we've all gone a little crazy with our breast vs. bottle arguments. Perhaps that although we all know that "breast is best", perhaps good enough is simply... good enough. Perhaps the point should be that you're feeding and loving and nurturing your baby, instead of stressing about whether or not you're doing what's "best".

Perhaps we all need to lay off the fearmongering a little bit and recognize that for the most part, we're simply doing the best we can.

This is an original post to Canada Moms Blog. Shannon blogs about drivel at ThreeSeven and saves the world at ecochick.ca. Her nipples are cringing in fear at the approach of the Barracuda due in June.