Don't you just love it when complete strangers tell you how you should or shouldn't be bringing up your kids? What is it about some people that makes them think they have the right to pass judgment on a situation they know nothing about?
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It beggars belief, and the latest story of mom-shaming really has our blood boiling.
Annie Ferguson Muscato, a mom from Gainesville, Florida, was buying baby formula for her 2-month-old daughter, Ellie Jo, in Target when she was approached by a woman who informed her, "Breast is best."
Muscato was so taken aback by the reproach that she posted an emotional Facebook post that has been shared over 36,000 times.
In the post, Muscato says she knows breast is best but that breastfeeding Ellie Jo was a huge struggle. The baby would be "inconsolable" and "writhing in pain" after she had eaten, on one occasion screaming for eight hours straight. It wasn't until Muscato tried the hypoallergenic, dairy- and protein-free baby formula she was buying in Target that day that the screaming lessened and that her daughter started smiling, interacting and sleeping.
Woman shamed for bottle feeding 1a
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It's one thing to be told breast is best when you've made a decision to formula feed instead of breastfeed — and whatever your reason for that choice, it's nobody else's business — but for this particular mom, it wasn't her choice. She desperately wanted to breastfeed her child and give her all the benefits of her mother's milk, which made it even more difficult to take the stranger's criticism.
It's so sad that in 2016 women still face this kind of ignorance and rudeness. The health benefits of breast milk cannot be disputed, but that's not the point. The point is that breast milk isn't best for some babies (and moms), and above all, it's nobody else's business what another mom feeds her baby, as long as the baby is happy and healthy.
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Whatever your opinion on breastfeeding, the only time it matters is when it comes to your own baby. When it comes to everyone else, keep your thoughts to yourself.
Before you go, check out our slideshow below:
