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Yesterday my mother and I were creating a homemade batch of pureed nectarines for Lyla. Included in our batch we added some of "mommy's milk" (a cuter way of referring to breast milk). When the batch was completed my mother prompted me to "taste it." I gave her a nauseating look. "It came from you...so why the disgusted look?" she asked. Good question. Why can breast milk be so taboo?
Most, if not all, health professionals are huge advocates of breast feeding due to the many nutrients and antibodies that a mother's milk carries. It is even recommended that babies are exclusively breast fed for at least the first 6 months of life (according to the American Academy of Pediatrics). So how is it that something so natural and pure be outright disgusting to the average adult? Maybe this question seems childish, but hear me out. Americans consume billions of gallons of cow's milk each year...without every really thinking about where it comes from. Just like humans, cows produce milk to nurture their young. So why is it that if you were to put a cup of my own breast milk in front of me and a cup of cow's milk...I would choose to drink the cow's milk?
So I gave it a quick stir and opened my mouth (approaching the situation much like when I feed my own daughter) and tasted the pureed nectarines. Yes, I actually swallowed it. It tasted pretty good.
