A Mother's Milk

[Ree]

Back on topic...I agree that breastfeeding is simply providing nutrition to a baby, but I do understand the objection to it in public view.

Because of the circumstances of my daughter's birth, I was not able to breastfeed, even if I had wanted to.
If I had, though, I would have just covered up with a blanket if I was in public.

It's so sad that the breast has become sexualized and taboo in society, but that's the way things are, and there are always going to be people offended by the sight of a woman whipping out her breast to feed her baby.

It's just courtesy to cover up with a blanket.

I really don't understand why it's so difficult.

Urinating and defecating are also normal bodily functions, but we don't 'pop a squat' in public and let loose. It may be apples and oranges, as those functions are distasteful, while nourishing a baby isn't so much, but it's about courtesy, I think.

[Gravekeeper]

I'm drawing a mental distinction between debate and argument is the thing. I think you can have some of one ( Though perhaps more of an Off Topic board item ) but be forced to curtail the other.

Other then that, I see we have reached agreement on many things.

The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace.

[Gravekeeper]

Back on topic <cough>

It's so sad that the breast has become sexualized and taboo in society

I think its basically always been that way for a lot of cultures. Western and European especially. We're a prudish lot.

I don't care if someone wishes to breastfeed in public. By all means. Just don't whip out your infant fuel uplink valves in such a fashion that its going to make others uncomfortable or offended.

[Tria]

I think its basically always been that way for a lot of cultures. Western and European especially. We're a prudish lot.

Define "Western" and "European". I know the Celts would not have had ANY issue with it. Oh wait.... Bad things happened to them. Ireland will probably never recover.

[Gravekeeper]

Define "Western" and "European". I know the Celts would not have had ANY issue with it. Oh wait.... Bad things happened to them. Ireland will probably never recover.

Well they're Celts. They don't count. Wayback in Celtic Ireland you could drop your pants, whip it out, slap your father in law in the thigh with the wet end and all he'd say is "Good mornin' to you too".

[Lace Neil Singer]

Urinating and defecating are also normal bodily functions, but we don't 'pop a squat' in public and let loose. It may be apples and oranges, as those functions are distasteful, while nourishing a baby isn't so much, but it's about courtesy, I think.

*snerks at "pop a squat"* XD I agree with this. It's surely not hard to have respect for other people and cover yourself up. No-one's saying a breastfeeding woman should feel ashamed or hide in the toilet, but then, not everyone wants to see her breasts flung out without descretion. Just like we'd prefer it if a man went behind a tree if caught short away from a toilet, rather than whipping out his you know what with abandon. O_o

[Tria]

Well they're Celts. They don't count. Wayback in Celtic Ireland you could drop your pants, whip it out, slap your father in law in the thigh with the wet end and all he'd say is "Good mornin' to you too".

Don't count? *Twitch* I'll just chalk that one out to sarcasm. At least the Celts treated the women well.

[Gravekeeper]

Don't count? *Twitch* I'll just chalk that one out to sarcasm. At least the Celts treated the women well.

They don't count when talking about being prudish. ;9

My family would murder me if I said we didn't count.

[blas]

I have 2 questions....

1) What did Ree mean by the recent issues with Facebook and deleted groups and images?

2) My bf's mother is a nurse. We were watching a commercial about baby formula and on the bottom of the screen it says "Breastmilk is best. Ask your doctor." and my bf said that his mother had told him that babies that were not breast fed don't end up as smart as breast fed babies. Is that true? I wasn't breastfed....that could explain a lot.....

[Gravekeeper]

I have 2 questions....

1) What did Ree mean by the recent issues with Facebook and deleted groups and images?

I'm going to crack a guess that Facebook was deleting pictures of woman who had whipped it out on film in the name of breastfeeding in their Facebook galleries?

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Blas, according to what I have read, kids who are not breastfed do not end up any dumber than kids who are. I was not breastfed and I have an extremely high IQ. (Not bragging, just saying. It's hereditary.)

What I have read is that there is some evidence that kids who are breastfed tend to be a little healthier, i.e., they are less likely to have allergies and stuff like that. But it is not a huge difference. The un-breastfed are just as likely to become criminals, or PHD's, as the breastfed.

[Tria]

They don't count when talking about being prudish. ;9

My family would murder me if I said we didn't count.

Oh no. No prude in my blood.... Although at sometime the family went Southern Baptist. :P I'll stick with accepting nature.

[blas]

That makes me feel better, PhoneGoddess. As much as people love to accuse me of being an idiot, I don't think I'm stupid at all. I don't attribute my liver or kidney problems to not being breastfed.

You still cannot convince my mother that the reason her breasts sagged were because she refused to wear a bra from the late 70s in school until she had me in 87. (when she was in high school, it was a HUGE trend for girls to go bra-less). She blames it on having kids. Sure, I'm sure your breasts change after childbirth, but not wearing a bra for several years isn't going to keep extremely large breasts from sagging!

[Ree]

1) What did Ree mean by the recent issues with Facebook and deleted groups and images?

2) <snip>his mother had told him that babies that were not breast fed don't end up as smart as breast fed babies. Is that true?

For the Facebook story, see these links.
http://www.breastfeeding123.com/face...eeding-photos/
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/n...729893&k=36166
http://www.propeller.com/viewstory/2...236&frame=true
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ne...a-c19048580b27

As for the comment about bottlefed babies vs breastfed and intelligence, well, neither I nor any of my siblings were breastfed, and we are all pretty darn smart, so I think genetics plays more of a role there. (Seriously, not to toot my own horn, but, in school, all of us tested very high on IQ level.)

I recently attended prenatal classes with my daughter, and they had the same type of 'scare tactics' there with regard to breastfeeding, almost 'guilting' the moms into not using the bottle.

I will agree that my daughter did have more ear infections than some children, but so does her Dad, so, again, maybe it's genetics moreso than the fact that she was bottlefed.

I think breastfeeding is the best way to go, as it's natural and healthy, and that really is the purpose of the breasts, after all, but I really drew the line at some of the claims against bottlefeeding that made a Mom feel as if she was a failure for not trying, or for trying and having to give it up.

[blas]

That's kind of alarming, Ree, considering other kinds of photos on Facebook. Pictures of college aged kids drunk or on drugs, scandalous poses, girls wearing almost no clothes, etc. And they think motherhood is obscene? You can't even see a woman's nipple when she is breastfeeding. If that's the case, why do Wal-Greens and Wal-Mart still develop photographs of women breastfeeding, if it's so obscene and all?

I hope your daughter didn't get too worried at her classes.