Enjoying the warm weather and a few days of reprieve from a hard winter, I was soaking up the sun and reading the morning paper.
I came across an article about hospitals using breast milk from donors other than the child’s mother for premature infants. They have discovered that premature babies do better in critical ways on mother’s milk. I’m glad that they have something that simple that makes a real difference.
But now, a whole industry is growing around the sale of this form of “liquid gold”! The article went on to talk about an evolving industry around mother’s milk, which it turns out is very expensive! Is mother’s milk really essential for full term babies? I am not questioning the benefit of mother’s milk for new-borns when it is available. But is it really the only healthy option?
When our sons were born, admittedly awhile ago, the going attitude was that our babies could thrive either on breast milk or formula. And they did. In fact, I was a more relaxed mother with our son who was on formula and he reflected that calm. I do recognize the value of mother’s milk. But, if a mother can’t or couldn’t nurse, or chooses or chose not to nurse for whatever reason, or if a Dad has to feed a baby, it is not the end of the world. There is no reason to make one’s self crazy. Trust in love. That’s solid gold.
Not everything that is best is essential. Sometimes, all right is enough, even fine.