Confucious says....
by Kate Kahn - 29th April 2008
The great Chinese philosopher, Confucious, said "He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger." So, all you men out there who work with someone who's pregnant, or have a friend who's pregnant, this blog is for you. Consider it a learning tool, something to keep you out of danger. Because nothing is more dangerous than a pregnant woman, whose hormones are raging who feels she's being maligned. Let me explain.
You all know, of course, never to ask a woman her age. And, you all know that when a woman asks you how she looks, it's really a trick question (say "beautiful" just for the hec of it. It'll give you better odds). But in this day and age of political correctness, where breastfeeding is hip and healthy, I'm warning you now, do not ask a pregnant woman if she's going to breastfeed her baby. That, my Y chromosone friends, is a big faux pas. Because, you see, while you may think it's an innocent question, it can unleash a whole host of emotions for the woman in question. There are lots of reasons women decide not to breastfeed. Some choose not to. For others, the choice is made for them because of medical and/or psychological reasons. For a woman who is not going to breasfeed, your question, by default, intimates that she is making a bad decision. Trust me, a hormonal woman who's made to feel she's doing something wrong for her child, will not take that lightly. I read a hysterical article the other day in the Huffington Post that highlights this perfectly.
So I tell you this with good intentions. Guilt is a terrible thing. How a new mother-to-be is going to feed her child is her private choice. She does not want, nor need, to be made to feel guilty about her decision. Your harmless question might not be as harmless as you think.
Confucious was a wise man!
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