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Well, here we go again. As if there isn't already more than enough fuel on the fire to ignite all sorts of mommy wars between women -- new research saying that shy moms are less likely to breastfeed should turn up the heat another notch.
According to the results of the study, which was published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, mothers involved in the research who were introverts or had anxious tendencies were more likely to formula feed or breastfeed for a shorter period of time. Moms who described themselves as being extroverts and "emotionally stable," on the other hand, continued breastfeeding for a longer duration.
Huh. Well isn't that interesting. So basically, if you aren't breastfeeding or don't do it for very long, you're probably shy, anxious, and depressed -- as opposed to being happy, outgoing, and confident about the whole parenting gig like the moms who are offering the boob.
Yeah. That makes sense. Whether or not you decide to breastfeed probably has a lot to do with your personality. (Eye roll.)
Oh, please. I mean, I guess the part about moms who are anxious choosing to formula feed is understandable. If you're exhausted and overwhelmed from having a baby attached to your body almost 24 hours a day, you do have a tendency to wind up feeling a bit anxious.
But how in the heck does being an introvert or extrovert have anything to do with it? I haven't been shy about the fact that I only breastfed for a couple of weeks. I consider myself to be pretty darn outgoing and extroverted -- and I'm confident that most of my friends and family would put me in that category as well.
But if I'm an extrovert, then theoretically I should've been all gung-ho about breastfeeding instead of feeling tired, stressed, and frustrated with the fact that it really wasn't working for me or my baby.
Also based on this research, once I switched over to the bottle, I should've felt the urge to cut myself off from the rest of the world and wallow in my own misery -- which definitely wasn't the case at all. Actually, once I got my son's feeding issues resolved and he was getting enough to eat and we were both finally getting some sleep, my usual perky demeanor returned and I felt so much more like myself.
Bottom line -- you can still be a happy, extroverted, content, and "emotionally stable" mom even if you aren't breastfeeding. Trust me. I know. And on the flip side of the coin, I'm sure there are plenty of introverted women who commit to breastfeeding who are very pleased and satisfied with their decision and aren't sitting at home crying about it.
I don't care if there seems to be a correlation or not -- I just can't buy into the idea of whether or not a mom breastfeeds being determined by her personality. There are way too many factors that go into that choice than how someone acts around other people.
Are you an introvert or extrovert, and do you breastfeed or not?
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