Quote:
Originally Posted by Nenya
I guess I see feeding as different because the baby CAN be fed on other things like bottled milk whereas in the womb it can only get nutrients from the mother.
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Suitable formula milk is available, certainly, but in itself requires quite a bit of effort to produce (sterilising equipment, mixing the formula etc.) which in itself consumes resources for the benefit of the newborn only. The newborn could not feed itself independent of the mother (or another suitable carer) and in that respect is no more self-sufficient - and, to some extent, no less parasitic - than a foetus. Substituting breastfeeding for another food source does not alter the nature of the relationship and the relative benefit and detriment therein.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nenya
Also, during breast feeding the mother doesn't use the milk she produces for herself whereas when the baby is in the womb it's sharing nutrients which the mother's body can use for itself but it doesn't because it has to share.
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No, but the production of such milk does consume a fairly significant amount of energy (in the region of 500kcals according to Google), resources which the mother could otherwise utilise in alternative ways.
Ergo, it is depriving the mother of nutrients and
ergo is a parasite by your definition, if only temporarily. Hence why I feel the application of the term is perhaps technically correct in some ways but ill-advised in others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigmole
No it's fine don't worry about it. I actually agree with all you are saying, I just tend to get emotional over this issue. I'm usually a very logical person but with this topic I tend to lose that a little. I think you may have a benefit being a guy when it comes to this topic because I think guys have less of an emotional stake.
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I understand, don't worry.
Being passionate about a subject is not a problem, and with something like abortion it's bound to trigger emotions in one area or another. Funnily enough, I did get into some heated arguments about it when I was younger - I think it may have been having to debate some pretty grim subjects in a dispassionate manner for my degree which probably changed that. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing really.
That aside, I think you do have a point to some extent - it is not a procedure I would ever be on the receiving end of so my perspective will be different. I do empathise with the difficulty of it though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guile
*chirp chirp chirp*
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You stay out of this.