This phrase brings to my mind a ridiculous, humourous image of a mother
bent over a crib, her breast hanging down as she is so greatly burdened by
trying to breastfeed her baby way down there in the crib.

But seriously, why not just state the truth:  Being a mother ties you
down! What makes people think that bottlefeeding will prevent the mother
from the awesome and weighty responsibility of caring for a demanding and
vulnerable little person 24 hours a day?!? And anyway, if you don't want
to be tied down, why have kids at all?

I am reminded of a conversation with my own mother about being tied down.
When she had her first child, she chose to bottle feed, because her
"freedom" was important to her.  "But what I soon learned," she said, "was
that I was going to be tied to baby anyway, because your father certainly
wasn't the one doing the work!" I imagine that phenomenom is not unique to
her.

Pam Chaplin-Loebell

* breastfeeding advocate and volunteer counselor in Philadelphia, PA

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