I feel like there's a thread about once a week where I get to post this: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/04/the-case-against-breast-feeding/307311/
― kate78, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 22:33 (8 months ago) Permalink
WHY IS ADRIAN STILL BREASTFED?
― buzza, Thursday, 13 September 2012 01:17 (8 months ago) Permalink
"Your breasts is one of your personal spots, you can’t just pull that out or show that anywhere. That’s for you and you only, you and your companion. If a guy sees a breast, his hormones will react to what he sees. I think that breastfeeding out in the public will cause you to get raped or something." (21-y-old father of two children; Jensen 1998: 157)
Guh. My mom received a beating from her first husband for breast-feeding my sister in front of a male friend. My baby album has her breast-feeding me on the first page.
apologies if this was linked on erstwhile breast-feeding threads:http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/19/090119fa_fact_lepore?currentPage=1
― emilys., Thursday, 13 September 2012 04:14 (8 months ago) Permalink
No, my mom still thinks it is a gross thing to do.
― *tera, Thursday, 13 September 2012 04:44 (8 months ago) Permalink
I agree with Dr. Pine (in the counterpunch article), but gosh, what a passive-aggressive tone. xxxxxpost
― emilys., Thursday, 13 September 2012 05:08 (8 months ago) Permalink
"The breasts (are) more or less like a sexual component. It’s there to turn on the male sex. And for the baby to be attracted to that part of the body, is in my mind, it’s like a turn off, do you need this loving? Like, in your mind, you want this baby to love you, and it’s not that I think people are sick that do it (breastfeed), but what are they searching for, really, within themselves?" (27-y-old pregnant woman; Jensen 1998: 158)
this is a super upsetting quote
― v for viennetta (c sharp major), Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:03 (8 months ago) Permalink
It's ignorant.
― *tera, Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:14 (8 months ago) Permalink
Her kid's a teen now.
― Instagrams of Lily on My Facebook Wall (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:17 (8 months ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 00:01 (8 months ago) Permalink
not as a child, no― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, September 12, 2012 9:58 PM (1 week ago)
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, September 12, 2012 9:58 PM (1 week ago)
this was meant as a sly joke btw but apparently my humor is too subtle/unfunny for that to have gotten across.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 15:47 (8 months ago) Permalink
tbh I just assumed you were showing your imperial tendencies
― wtf where's my chapbook (DJP), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 15:48 (8 months ago) Permalink
I got the joke, if that helps.
― gesange der yuengling (crüt), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 18:46 (8 months ago) Permalink
nope. my mother was far too interested in smoking her fags and walking the fucking dog to sort out the needs of her newborn.
i mean i was often was told that those were the days that babies were put at the bottom of the garden so the screams could be ignored.
― mark e, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 18:50 (8 months ago) Permalink
dang
― gesange der yuengling (crüt), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 18:50 (8 months ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Thursday, 20 September 2012 00:01 (8 months ago) Permalink
Jessica Valenti, very interesting on the social pressures around breastfeeding here:
Haha, I have felt smug over so many things and then felt silly about it – so no need to apologize. I actually was pretty sanctimonious about breastfeeding until I became a parent. I remember a girlfriend of mine was pregnant and I asked her about breastfeeding (in retrospect: WHY was this any of my business?) and she said she just didn’t want to do it. Didn’t want to try, wasn’t interested. I was horrified and shittily smug.When I had Layla, reality smacked me dead in the face. It was like, guess what traumatized lady – no fucking way are your breasts going to pump anything CLOSE to what your baby needs! I didn’t know that though, because Layla couldn’t digest food for the first few weeks and was fed intravenously. So until her digestive tract developed I pumped constantly. I thought I was a total pro until she was able to take the milk and went through my supply in no time. The day she had her first bit of formula, I was the most devastated I had been since having her. I felt like I was a total failure and now my baby had to have poison. It was ridiculous. So I went to pumping over 5 hours a day. When I expressed concern to someone that I wasn’t going to be able to work and pump that much they said, “What’s more important – your job or feeding your baby?” So yeah, total mind fuck. The day I stopped breastfeeding for nutrition and just let her do her thing for funsies and to fall asleep was the first good day I had parenting. It’s what eventually allowed me to bond with her.I think we’re so obsessed with ensuring that women prove that they do everything for their children, no matter how much it hurts or is causing mental distress. And then if you complain about these things, it’s just – oh, you’re not doing it right TRY HARDER.
When I had Layla, reality smacked me dead in the face. It was like, guess what traumatized lady – no fucking way are your breasts going to pump anything CLOSE to what your baby needs! I didn’t know that though, because Layla couldn’t digest food for the first few weeks and was fed intravenously. So until her digestive tract developed I pumped constantly. I thought I was a total pro until she was able to take the milk and went through my supply in no time. The day she had her first bit of formula, I was the most devastated I had been since having her. I felt like I was a total failure and now my baby had to have poison. It was ridiculous. So I went to pumping over 5 hours a day. When I expressed concern to someone that I wasn’t going to be able to work and pump that much they said, “What’s more important – your job or feeding your baby?” So yeah, total mind fuck. The day I stopped breastfeeding for nutrition and just let her do her thing for funsies and to fall asleep was the first good day I had parenting. It’s what eventually allowed me to bond with her.
I think we’re so obsessed with ensuring that women prove that they do everything for their children, no matter how much it hurts or is causing mental distress. And then if you complain about these things, it’s just – oh, you’re not doing it right TRY HARDER.
― chasm jar pro (c sharp major), Thursday, 20 September 2012 15:44 (8 months ago) Permalink
People very often blur the lines between what is good to do and what is moral. There is no fucking way anyone could do everything that would be "good to do". This is not a moral failure.
― Aimless, Thursday, 20 September 2012 18:21 (8 months ago) Permalink
There's a lot of other smart shit in that interview, too, like about homeschooling and mommy-as-identity.
― kate78, Thursday, 20 September 2012 18:25 (8 months ago) Permalink
That interview is amazing.
― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Thursday, 20 September 2012 20:25 (8 months ago) Permalink
No, I wasn't. So I actually didn't grow up thinking it was "normal" or "natural" or that it was a "rule". I breastfed my two kids. It felt weird: "WTF this milk I produced fed my kids for months on end!" In a way I was happy that my mom didn't push me (as opposed to a colleague.) For a short time I was a little arrogant about it but I quickly changed my opinion. I hate how nurses (and others) really give you a guilt trip if you choose to bottle feed. Becoming a mother (or father) is a freaking whirlwind. A lot of positive things happen but on the other hand the whole process can be VERY stressful. It is an earthquake of the highest magnitude. And honestly dumping that emotional guilt trip on a mother (who chooses not to BF for whatEVER reason) is ridiculous.
― Nathalie (stevienixed), Friday, 21 September 2012 10:29 (8 months ago) Permalink