L.N.
well i was raised abroad. breastfeeding is not really a huge thing. not a huge number of mothers breastfeed. women who live in villages do more so than city-women, and that is only because of cost of formula. also, solids start really early, and i mean not jar-solids, but real food. also, judging a mother about anything is not prevalent, actually, it rarely happens. women are interested in helping out, not putting someone down. then, everyone (neighbors, friends, and family) are interested in raising a child. yes, it takes a village approach. i love that. i am raising my kids in america, and i find it hard, being all alone without support. it is just different. that is why posts who judge or put someone down over something silly tick me off. i am not used to it nor do i appreciate it nor do i allow it.
For Sandy L: I am from Eastern Europe. I also want to echo what you just said about Guatemala, kids are held a lot. Tummy time and all that is fine but babies are carried a lot. Co-sleeping is common too. Starting from day one, kids get kissed, and told they're loved. Saying I love you is like saying good morning. Once the kids come into world the dynamics change completely. Kids come first, second, third, and fourth. There is no 'about parents' anymore. I take the same approach. My husband is American-born, raised and all, but it took him a year to get on board with me. He is text-book father that I imagined I would marry. My kids are very loving, and express love the way I taught them. They know I am here for them 24/7. So is dad. At times I wish I had that village. We take overseas trips once a year for an extended visit. My kids don't experience culture-shock because they find there what they have at home except that it is multiplied by a 100 (attention from everybody). Someone here said breastfeeding is mainly done in Europe and formula is for necessity only. Not true. And I say this having spent time in many European countries.
Moms work, there are more working moms than stay at home moms but only because kids do not get to be put in daycares and aftercares. There is grandma, and if not grandma, there is aunt, and if not aunt, there is the neighbor, and if not the neighbor, there is dad. So kids are taken care of by someone close to the family, that is why moms get to work too and keep their individuality. If I were to change anything in the US it would be 1 year paid maternity leave for working moms, and more involvement from the community. I would also change the judging. There is no room to judge anyone over anything. Breastfeeding or formula-feeding that is solely mom's decision. And she should be embraced for whatever decision she makes. Not made feel like she is a failure. Moms, most moms, walk around, carrying the biggest guilt, whether founded or unfounded. We always find something to criticize ourselves. I do. There are rare nights when I don't go to sleep thinking I should have done more, I could have done this instead of this. Do you think, on top of that, I need someone else to tell me I am a bad mother for choosing breastmilk over formula or vice versa?? The answer is no.