Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-01
Stop Killing
Yourself
By Dr.. Peter J. steinerohn

some time and it has cleared
up many things for me. How
ever, l find for the first time
that l don't agree with some
thing you seem to favor
breast feeding.
The mother who has no de-
sire to breast-feed is con-
stantly beittled by some doc
tors linen, l might add, who
know precious little about it,
and by SNUG, self-righteous
women who wouldn't think
Of giving a bottle"
My four bottle-fed children,
all under 2 are healthy and
apparently have no allergies.
They gain well and are quite
happy. In comparing notes
with friends who do breast
feed l have not found any
thing to sway me to their way
of thinking. / don't sheer at
them so l see no reason why
they or anyone else should
sheer at bottle feeding.
/ am able to sit in mixed
company while feeding my
baby, whereas these S am e
friends slip off to the bedroom
to sit for a half hour or more
while the company coOls its
heels. No one can tell me that
the nursing mother doesn't
feel resentful at times like
these.
Just because a woman pre-
fers the simple, neat bottle
way, certainly doesn't mean
she loves her child any the
less. Nor have l noticed any
unusual motherly love from
the nursing mother.
When l look down into my
baby's face as he lies In my
arms taking his bottle, all the
love any mother could feel
goes out to him. When I lay
on the couch and watch my
z, 5, or even 3-year-old holding
his bottle with their proud lit
tie faces shining, l know this
is right. But most of all when
I see my husband holding
him, giving him the bottle
with that look only a father
has for his offspring, l know
these are moments to be cher
iShed. AS you can see, our
bottle feeding is a family af-
fair. Does a breasted baby
get this kind of love and at
tentiOn?
So please, doctor, don't be-
little us. You and the nursing
mothers. Please stop trying
to make the rest of US feel
guilty. We don't-and there's
nothing wrong with us men,
tally or physically. Our ba-
bieS are healthy and happy,
and that's what counts.
Doesn't it? Breast feeding
doesn't produce a happy baby
neither does bottle feeding
only a happy, contented
mother does Right?-Mrs. C.
RIGHT AS RAIN, snow or
sunshine! If I have seemed
to be trying to make mothers
who bottle-feed guilty, l plead
innocent. ALI l have been do
ing is presenting the beliefs
of mothers who are sold on
breast feeding. And not until
the column which seems to
have riled so many mothers,
who do not believe In breast
feeding, has the true picture
come into focus.
Previously, readers who
sent letters on this contro-
versy, were at least 8 to / in
favor Of breast feeding. Since
the avalanche of negatives"
it's a tossup at this point who
is going to win. AS of now
the pros and cons just about
cancel each other out. How
ever, as the letters come in,
it seems inevitable that the
bottle-feeders will triumph.
This is not unlikely, when you
consider that the bottle-feed-
ers actually outnumber the
breasted babies.
AS Mrs. C. so aptly put it:
"Only a happy, contented
mother produces a healthy,
happy baby" It's the end
and not the means that is i'm
portant.
(Bell-McCIurs syndieate)
DR.. Steincrohn's leutlet,
"HoD to Stop Killing Your
self" wiH be mailed on
receipt of a stamped, self
addressed envelope and rs
cents in coin for handling.
Address DR.. Steincrotn in
care of The Star.
Tomorrow: Restlessness.