For our first-ever post highlighting a bit of ridiculous guilt-mongering rhetoric aimed at mothers, I will be examining a section from the Dr. Sears website. I use this website (and the printed reference The Baby Book) as a guide for the more practical aspects of parenting (medication dosage, when to worry about a rash, etc.). But this otherwise level-headed resource also dispenses a bit of ridiculous rhetoric when it comes to breastfeeding, providing a mom who is having trouble with nursing a New and Exciting way to feel even guiltier. In summary: it's your fault if your baby's poo stinks. That's right:
Unlike the stinky stools of a formula-fed baby, the stools of a breastfed infant have a less offensive buttermilk-like odor. Changing the diaper of a breastfed infant is not an unpleasant task--which is fortunate, because most breastfed babies have several bowel movements a day. When the baby looks at the face of the diaper-changing caregiver and sees happiness rather than disgust, he picks up a good message about himself - perhaps a perk for building self-esteem.
Quote from: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t020400.asp
That's right -- if you cause your baby's poo to stink because of your own selfish decision to feed him or her formula, your own disgust at the smell of this poo could affect the healthy development of your child's self-esteem.
Feeling guilty yet? Let's continue...
"Changing the diaper of a breastfed infant is not an unpleasant task--which is fortunate."
In other words, if you are the kind of good mother who breastfeeds, that beneficence will extend to a natural enjoyment of all motherly tasks, including but not limited to cleaning feces off of your baby's private parts.
I'm ready to call BS; how about you?
Send me your ridiculous Mom-Guilt rhetoric to theguiltedage@gmail.com
Cheers and guilt-free parenting,
--Lisa
LOL! I am sooo following this blog! Seriously Lisa, you're ruining your baby's self-esteem if you make a face while changing her diaper!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely following this blog, and adding it as a link on my own. The passive-aggressive guilt is everywhere. I'm sure I'll be submitting some items to you soon!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I wonder what kind of irreparable damage I'm doing by singing my "stinky bum" song as I change my baby's diaper? Clearly, I'm unfit for this job.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :) And thanks for reading. I'm pretty sure we're all unfit ;D But we have to give the kids something to talk about with their therapists, right? Better it should be a stinky bum song than something worse :D
ReplyDeletePlease Dr. Sears forgive my ill-attempt at nursing. It looks as if my preemie daughter has another reason to be disadvantaged in life since I was not able to produce enough milk to sustain her fragile two-pound body.
ReplyDeleteGood Doctor, please overlook me having severe pre-eclampsia, magnesium sulfate, betamethasone and an emergency c-section that saved my 30 week daughter's life and my own. And the fenugreek and reglan I took to stimulate milk production, the powerpumping for hours on end as I sat next to an isolette in the NICU and at home in the middle of the night next to a picture of my baby for over 2/mo while she lay fighting for her life in a hospital bed or the parade of lactation consultants that squeezed my breasts like "tacos" before asking my name, in an attempt to teach my baby how to latch on.
I say thank you to the scientist and researchers that developed Enfacare, the 22 cal liquid gold that nourished my daughter during her first year of life. My daughter had some of the stinkiest diapers known to womankind and there were times that I would have loved to have don a gas mask before opening her noxious package of goods.
See Dr. Sears, even though I don't deserve to be mother of the year in your eyes because my daughter took her nourishment from a silicone nipple. My daughter, the one with the cringwworthy stinky booty, is a miracle of science, she is a brilliant, beautiful, talented, thriving 5 year old princess.