Scrutinized More Than Supermodels

Mothers are scrutinized more than supermodels. Every decision we make may come under fire. I have received unsolicited comments and advice from people I love dearly, complete strangers and everyone in between. I have been judged for how I feed, sleep, nurture and play with my children. These are the top comments that left me speechless.Well, not really speechless, that's pretty hard to do.

6. "You are still breastfeeding?" Yes, I am still providing healthy, nutritious, germ-fighting food to my child despite him being alive for more than 365 days. While giving milk that came from a cow's udder may be enticing, I am going to stick with what my human body provides. Silly, I know.

5. "We just fed our babies sweetened condensed milk." I guess this was a recommended source of nutrition in the 1950s. I scoured the internet but could not find any research to support opening a can a sweet-milk for my infant son.

4. "Breast-fed babies are too skinny." Tell that to my 18-pound five-month-old. Apparently, he did not get the memo.

3. "You people do that a lot around here, I can't say anything, but it's not recommended." "You people" are us Birkenstock wearing liberals in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. What we "do" is bed-share with our babies. Believe it or not, we are educated and know that there is research that supports safe bed-sharing. I tend to shy away from getting drunk, lighting up a cigarette and plopping onto a waterbed with my infant.

2. "Don't wiggle your fingers so close to his face, he will go cross-eyed." I'll let this one speak for itself.

1. "Good grief, can that baby breathe in there?" This is by far my favorite and a response to a picture of my infant son snuggled in a wrap that my husband had posted on Facebook. No, I did not spend 9 months--big, swollen, sore, and cranky, shunning caffeine and alcohol--to turn around and suffocate my infant in a wrap.  But, thank you for bringing that horrific image to mind.