Lactation Lyrics #2

A follow-up from yesterday’s post, with some more offerings from the gang, plus one of mine.

People might make light of it, like this poem does, I think women who’ve been bullied and harangued over infant feeding and other mothering choices never really get over it.

I have a nipple as red as rose, 
and after breastfeeding the redder it goes.
I want to be an eco goddess 
but scabby, oozing nipples are sure to depress.
So I've bought some new bottles and now I'm all smiles, 
and now my nipples don't resemble piles.

The idea that breast milk cures all ills, at an individual health level and now at a planetary level, has caused a few eye rolls over the last couple of years for me – expressed nicely here:

Global temps are rising
The world has gone to shit
Our one last hope is all on you
To pour some breast milk on it

And not to mention this is another thing that women have to do to save the world – it’s all up to me. That pressure is full-on and damaging.

Here’s my offering. Dare me to enter it into the competition?

Lactation Lament 

You tell me
To save the world
with me breasts.
It's all up to me,
All of it,
There's to be no rest.

Don't feed him that poison
wrapped in plastic.
Natural breast milk - 
the benefits are fantastic.
Formula will make him thick,
and fat, and sick. 

You should try harder - 
it's what nature intended, you know.
He's getting enough,
it just doesn't snow.
I loved every minute,
it was easy for me though.

Maybe I was just better at it than you?
And what about the planet?
All those poor cows?

Well, what about me? 
Pumping all night,
Stuffing in the calories,
all those oats and almonds.
And the electricity.
Is that all carbon-free?

Failure to thrive, 
that's what they used to call it, 
when babies died.
We need less humans,
maybe this is the answer.
Survival of the fittest.

 Is that what you meant? No?
Maybe think before you speak.
You're the one
Who needs to try harder
To respect mothers' choices
And babies' rights to eat. 

I will be angry about this forever, I think. But I’ll write about something else tomorrow.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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