My heart broke a little as I listened to another mum tell me about the judgement and criticism she received from not one but two complete strangers!
I mean my hackles were up and I’m still stunned that another mother could approach someone with a baby that is clearly a new born and instead of offering words of encouragement and support JUDGED her in a really hurtful way.
I don’t surround myself with narrow minded women. I welcome into my classes and my life women that lift each other. This was a reminder to me that there is still so much of this CRAP about!
Niccolo Machiavelli in the early 1500s wrote a manual on power, how to gain it, wield it and keep it. It basically said divide the masses and you can conquer them, separate them and you can rule them.
This happens in so many ways in society, too many ways. We are kept divided by being put into categories, we even categorise ourselves. By doing so we become the judgers, in some cases the “bitches” we have been labelled by society. I hate that women lower themselves to be like this. Does this make up powerful? No, it makes us as women misguided and lost.
In motherhood the first division can often be how we feed our babies.
So I ask, are we to let our babies starve if for whatever reason(s), or, even dare we say it, if a woman chooses to bottle feed instead of breast feed? What if it’s a better choice for a mother to bottle feed her baby? What if that choice was taken away?
We know the benefits of breast feeding, it is incredible and it’s important to share this knowledge, we know how amazing we are and what we can produce. I mean we can create and grow a human being! We don’t need guilt or pressure put upon us for the way we feed our babies.
More needs to be done to support women to breast feed and funding should be increased again to facilitate this, however I now see another camp forming. A camp of mothers that bottle feed having to defend themselves to strangers or friends and family that do NOT KNOW. I hear of mothers being asked “ So you’re not feeding your baby then?” I mean what the actual F! “No I’m not feeding my baby can’t you see they’re starving….” as an empty bottle of formula sits beside them! What’s a mum to respond to that? Why should anyone have to justify themselves?
This has got to stop!! ALL MOTHERS DESERVE SUPPORT FOR THEIR CHOICES.
How can we support and unite as mothers and women in this world if we take part in the judgement of other mothers! This is archaic, we have learnt to accept and take part in a society that breaks up community and keeps us apart. We are letting the power go to those that divide and conquer. Because lets face it what would happen if women supported each other in communities like we did many moons ago? Less emotional, mental and physical health problems for mothers as a start I would think. We are the losers here.
It deeply upsets me to think my children are entering a world of divide and conquer in order for people to gain or keep power, make money from us and ultimately stop us realising how much more powerful we can be together when we lift each other and respect our choices, even if we don’t agree. We’ve not walked in that persons shoes – we have NO IDEA what they’ve gone through.
If I see a mother being made to feel uncomfortable whether she’s breast feeding or bottle feeding I would jump to defend her. I would like more women to do this for each other regardless of if you agree or disagree. Mothers have enough to contend with let alone feeling fearful of judgement and then potentially isolating themselves as a result of the treatment they’ve received.
#MothersSupportingMothers #WomenSupportingWomen
ALL DAY – EVERY DAMN DAY
This will change the world. It’s up to us.
With a little anger but above all the love 💚👭🙏✨
Clare xx