Everyone has something that they are passionate about. Everyone has a cause that owns a special corner of their heart. Whether its saving the rain forests, freeing Tibet, going "green", equal rights for women, pro abortion, anti abortion, pro capital punishment, anti capital punishment, etc , ........Everyone has at least one thing that they are willing to stand up for, that they will jump into the fray with both (metaphorical) fists swinging, debating their passion till the wee hours of the morning.

You are right. You know you're right. And you will defend your cause/choice/moral obligation regardless of how many oppose you, or how loudly they bellow, because you have the passion that drives you to do so.

Now obviously some causes are considered more worthy than others to the average person on the street. Some causes are such social absolutes, that no one in their right mind would ever take the opposing chair against it in a debate. No one is going to disagree that someone in a wheelchair should have access to the public library. Or refute that all children deserve a roof over the heads, food on the table, access to education and medical care. These are definitely safe causes to champion: easy, non confrontational and completely acceptable.

But what if your passion is for a something that isn't so non confrontational? What if that passion that fills that special corner of your heart is one side of a heated debate, waiting to erupt into a boiling frenzy just by openly declaring it to others? What then? Will you enter into the grand melee carrying your colours aloft and brandishing your cause with sharpened words, leaving a field of the fallen in your wake, regardless of their cries for mercy (or at least for a moment to explain)? Or are you the enlightened one that sits with infinite patience, willing to speak the words of reason with an aura of calm that might quiet even the most boisterous of opposers?

The two sides of this coin can be likened to Vinegar and honey: One of them will catch the flies.

Passion burns brightest in the middle of a heated debate. And it can be beautiful in its eloquence, or scarred and ugly in its words of condemnation and accusation. Is the message getting lost because the flame is blinding? Is the message getting lost because the fire it possesses is burning everyone it comes in contact with?

I am an advocate for Breastfeeding and Natural Childbirth Education. And let me tell you, nothing lights the fires of debate like both of these topics. Breastfeeding Advocates are very passionate in their endeavors to normalize Breastfeeding and to build support systems. Education is the key to changing the world around us. But when does education become condemnation? When does Activism become Detractivism?

I speak about Breastfeeding often and especially try to focus on educating expecting parents. Setting the way clear with information and support is the best way to help a family make the best, most educated decisions when it comes time to welcoming their new arrival. By making sure that parents are aware of the health benefits of breastfeeding ( to mother and to baby) and making the dangers of formula feeding and supplementing very clear, new parents have a strong base on which make an informed choice on infant feeding. By setting up support systems for new parents to ensure that they will have all the help they need, we create a positive environment that will aid in establishing a long lasting breastfeeding relationship, free of misinformation and the guilt of failure.

These are the most important steps to insure that babies are breastfed. However the path to back to normalcy is crowded with obstacles and false short cuts that lead to misery, guilt, and finally bottles of prepared infant formula. Guilt is a terrible thing for a mother to live with. They tried to breastfeed. They were told “breast is best “ and looked to health professionals to guide them and teach them..... only to be failed by the very system they looked to for support. So they give up on their dreams of nursing their new babies, and spiral into misery thinking that their bodies failed them, that they are somehow less of a "Woman". The reality is that society and the medical machine has failed them, and has nothing to offer but empty platitudes: "You tried your best", "Formula is just as good"..... which in turn leads to justification... and finally defensiveness. "I DID my best!" "I didn't make any milk, what was I suppose to do? Let my baby starve?" "The doctors told me I HAD to stop Breastfeeding".......and a million other reasons and justifications for not breastfeeding. I've heard them all and each time I listen to a new mother trying to explain why they just could NOT breastfeed and HAD to use formula, a small piece of my heart breaks.