Mixed Bag Of Rant

I hang out in the web forums for a lot of reasons. To share what has worked for me with my baby, to share in the ups and downs of my pregnancy, to find answers from others on what has worked for them, but I would NEVER NEVER NEVER tell someone what to do and say that it is fact. I almost always preface with “check with your pediatrician”. There is a woman in one of my mama groups that is always pushing her natural childbirth/mothering shit on everyone else. Guess what. We don’t all do it this way and don’t appreciate being told that our way is WRONG! It is hard enough being a FIRST TIME mom without someone continually saying that you’re doing it wrong or that their way is better. Well take this: my FORMULA FED son is PERFECT. He is mild-mannered, happy, well-adjusted, in great health, he’s not HUGE like so many other babies out there and he is thriving developmentally. We treated his ear infection with antibiotics and he was better in ONE day. That’s right. ONE DAY. Here’s the deal. I do what my pediatrician tells me to do. I trust her and she has not steered me wrong yet. Perhaps your baby’s ear ruptured because you PUT SOME STUPID DROPS IN HIS EAR. My pedi said to never put ANYTHING in baby’s ear. Not drops (unless prescribed- usually a sort of steroid. I know this because I have had chronic ear pain issues as an adult), not oils, NOTHING. Don’t even try to clean them unless there is something clearly on the surface as they will naturally clean themselves out. Honestly. That is FINE if you think that raising your kid as nature intended is the way to raise your child then go ahead! But don’t go around preaching to me and to others that it is the only way to do it. I am absolutely fed up with people telling me not to treat my child with antibiotics or not to vaccinate. I am annoyed that anyone would dare make me feel guilty for not breastfeeding. Or when I was pregnant I was annoyed that anyone would make me feel bad for getting an epidural (it just happened to be the best decision for ME. That’s right. For ME. I don’t give jack shit what was right for you.). I say all this not only because there are a couple people out on the net who are shoving this garbage down my throat, but also I get it from my MIL as well. She is trained in Healing Touch and thinks that it is the only way. As you know she had millions of opinions regarding my pregnancy, birth, feeding and now the raising of my son (never mind that when she was over today, we were practicing with Jack on sitting up and she completely let go of him and he went crashing down and jacked his head on the floor. And she WONDERS why we won’t let her babysit for some extended period of time like 2 hours? I can’t even imagine what we’d come home to… concussion… bleeding from the head…). Anyway. My point in all this. You do it your way, I’ll do it mine. I’m just sharing what worked for me. That’s it. How anyone else chooses to do it should be their decision too.

God I’m irritated right now!! LOL!