The Myth of the “Informed, Loving Mother”: How Moralism Harms Women and Distorts the Science of Infant Feeding

When breastfeeding advocacy crosses into judgment, it stops being advocacy and becomes coercion.

A statement circulated recently that read: “No informed, loving mother would voluntarily expose her child to the excess risks of formula.” At first glance, it may look like strong breastfeeding advocacy. It is not. It is maternal shaming dressed in moral certainty. It is the kind of absolutist language that pushes women into silence, erodes trust in cli…