Mother's Day Moment
by Kate Kahn - 13th May 2007
Much to my chagrin/amusement, I often find myself repeating the same tired responses my mother (and every mother!) used on me for common childhood complaints. You know, that "lots of kids don't have the toys they have" when my kids complain they have nothing fun to play with. Or "I think I'll just give your toys to some little child who doesn't have any," when they demand my attention 24/7 despite being surrounded by years of gifts. A couple of years ago, on Mother's Day, I wanted to go to a restaurant I liked for lunch. My son started complaining that he didn't like that place. I told him it was Mother's Day and so I got to choose the restaurant. My son asked, "When is kids day?" to which I responded as generations have before me: "Everyday is kids' day!"
I was reminded of that story when I came across this Mother's Day column in the NY Times
The writer hit home with this real-life situation: "I agree that breast-feeding is ideal, but I have to wonder if Mayor Bloomberg’s former wife had any difficulty with it when she delivered her two children. I would guess not. If she had, he might rethink his support of the free formula ban in city hospitals.
My own recent experience pits me squarely against the city’s decision to stop giving formula samples to new moms. In my case, 20 hours of labor resulted in a complicated, emergency Caesarean section. I fully expected to breast-feed my baby, but, as I soon discovered, Caesarean deliveries often delay milk production. By Day 4 in the hospital, I was a wreck from the pain of the C-section and from trying to nurse with cracked, bleeding nipples that weren’t producing milk. The nurses were encouraging and patient with my attempts to breast-feed, but I ultimately decided to bottle-feed my daughter.
The formula samples were a godsend. As a first-time mom who was intending to breast-feed, I had not thought to have formula waiting at home. The perfectly measured samples got us through the first sleepless days until we could get our acts together to buy formula."
Her experience is something Mayor Bloomberg and every other well-intentioned policy maker should consider the next time they're told they ought to "ban the bag." Everyday can't be Mother's Day but treating us like children isn't the answer either.
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