Hero Mom Adele to Breastfeeding Pushers: F*ck Off
Adele-all-around incredible person and stunning songstress-has never been one to shy away from the issues. So when celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, a man, launched a campaign to encourage more women to breastfeed, Adele, mom of a 3-year-old, wasn't having it.
It all went down at a recent concert in London. I'll call it an "epic rant" because her words have become an anthem for moms everywhere and will surely withstand the test of time.
"Do you know what?" she asked. "The pressure on us is fucking ridiculous and all those people who put pressure on us can go f*ck yourselves. Right."
But she didn't stop there, going on to discuss her personal struggle to breastfeed her son, Angelo.
"Because it's hard. Some of us can't do it. I managed about nine weeks with my boobs. Breastfeed if you can, but don't worry, [formula brand] Aptamil's just as good. I mean, I loved it, all I wanted to do was breastfeed and then I couldn't and then I felt like, 'If I was in the jungle now back in the day, my kid would be dead because my milk's gone.'"
Look, we all know breastfeeding is awesome. It's natural, healthy for the mother and baby, and super cheap. But this is 2016. Formula has been perfected a million times over, and in many cases is considered to be just as healthy as breast milk. So why the constant judgement of moms who decide not to breastfeed? Or worse, those who want to breastfeed but cannot?
As someone who has experienced the latter with my son, I can assure you, breastfeeding pressure is real. When my son didn't latch, I became overridden with sadness and guilt, and it wasn't long until full-blown postpartum depression set in. When we learned he was tongue-tied-a condition that makes it painful often impossible for infants to latch-I latched myself onto a hospital-grade pump for the next six months in a desperate attempt to supplement him with breast milk. Unfortunately, my boobs weren't into being hooked up to a machine every two hours, and I produced less than five ounces of milk a day. Not surprisingly, he preferred his man-made formula to my five ounces of mom-made stress-milk.
After having two more children (and reflecting on that terribly sad experience), I now realize that the best way to raise a happy, healthy child is to be a happy, healthy mom. Without or without breast milk.
Adele may still consider herself a "new mum," but she's definitely got this whole breastfeeding thing figured out. Now excuse me while I watch this incredible moment on repeat for the rest of the day.
[H/T Scary Mommy]
