"Babies are born to be breastfed"

[deutsey]

(sorry if this is a duplicate)

Mothers stage a "Nurse In" in front of ABC studios after Barbara Walters made an on-air comment that she was "uncomfortable" after seeing a woman publicly breast-feeding her child. About 200 lactating women lined the sidewalk on Columbus Ave at 67th street and breast-fed their children in front of the studios for the ABC show, "The View."








http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/151933/index.php

[Zenlitened]

1. Look at that baby brazenly grabbing that woman's breast!

That kid should be punished, and classified as a sex offender for life! It's obviously all about sex!



:crazy:

[Occulus]

27. Looks like the kid doesn't want any right then

I never asked my sister if she breastfed any of her kids. Personally, mothers should be allowed to do this anywhere, at any time.

It's what breasts are there for.

[Ilsa]

59. Looks to me like the baby is taking a little break to look around.

Some of them are real snackers.

[MemphisTiger]

2. Now that's alot of babies

I don't see anything wrong with the women in the picture. It always kind of looks like the babies are being suffocated when I see it in public.

[Deja Q]

22. And a lot more breasts!! Boy, if I was hetero...

(I can't take this seriously because, while it's a natural function, so is peeing. And to even pee behind a tree can land a person in prison. Sheesh, God made the Earth and us... so let's have both or neither, be equal in the fascism.)

And if it is legal, people then have a right to gawk and gape at those doing it.

[geniph]

31. Excretion of waste products is not analogous

to taking in nutrition.

[Zenlitened]

35. Sad that you have to point out the distinction, isn't it?

*sigh*

[redqueen]

45. Even sadder, that the analogy between EATING and urinating/defacating

is made by SOMEONE in EVERY SINGLE THREAD about this issue! You can set your frickin WATCH by it... people zero in on the THREE natural processes which are illegal in public and act as if they're somehow all the same.

No wait, it's not sad... it's stupid. And sick.

[gkhouston]

69. yeah -- every time I see this, it makes me think they

really don't understand what happens when the "let-down" reflex is stimulated... what? are we secretly peeing our pants every time we nurse? Maybe they should be packaging Depends together with nursing shields? :crazy:

[tenshi816]

156. So many people don't understand the "let-down" reflex

do they? Whenever it happened to me, it meant I had to breastfeed, or pump, right then or within a very few minutes, or else my entire shirt would be soaked. Nipple shield were useless to me.

I can control my bladder, but I couldn't control my body's response to my baby crying to be fed.

[CatWoman]

62. why do you keep making that ridiculous, obnoxious,

totally INAPPROPRIATE comparison?

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bloom]

83. If we're going to take that extreme -> No Eating in Public for ANYONE

What the Hell?

The difference is Eating as opposed to Relieving and Defecating.


How difficult it that to process???

[gkhouston]

84. perhaps the poster is secretly campaigning for the right

to excrete and drink his/her urine in public? :rofl:

[bloom]

93. Some people

must be having a difficult time finding a bathroom - 'coz they are full of shit! :hurts:

[Name removed]

98. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[redqueen]

105. So it's not about the bodily function... it's about exposure.

Do you also get up in arms about women in see-through tops on the runway?

[bloom]

112. It may have something to do with genitalia.

Is that the discussion you were looking for?

Breasts are not actually in that definition. Though some people might get confused since they are covered up most of the time. And of course - you could go shirtless and it would be nothing.


While exposing yourself to relieve yourself for whatever reason would be obscene in this country. You may wish to go live in Japan - I hear they more lax about that.

And this isn't the Libertarian Underground - in case you were confused.

[Lars39]

114. Breast feeding is keeping another human being alive.

Can't say the same about some guy peeing/wanking off in public.

[gollygee]

117. Babies have to eat when they get hungry

men do not have to have erections at any particular time. Babies can't just wait till they get home. Men with erections can.

And I'm offended by the comparison of breastfeeding to something sexual.

[Zenlitened]

166. What a riot! LOL!

:rofl:

Is this the sort of muddled reasoning that your "libertarianism" has led you to embrace? Unreal. But funny! :D

[redqueen]

101. And how about sex? It's a natural function, too...

The illogic of this sad, tired excuse for an "argument" simply astounds me.

[Name removed]

108. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maru Kitteh]

142. I wonder if you are being deliberately obtuse

in order to avoid acknowledging the fact providing nourishment to a dependent child is VASTLY different than jacking off or urination.

It really doesn't matter what you support because your comparisons are mired in the ignorance and phobias of modern American culture. Providing natural nourishment for an infant is NOT comparable to any act a man can perform with his body, period.

[Name removed]

149. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Zenlitened]

167. Man, for some who claims to disdain value judgements in favor of...

...some sort of blind absolutism, you sure are projecting a lot of your own issues into the discussion. Pretty transparent stuff, really.



(edit spelling)

[Maru Kitteh]

177. I know that being wrong sucks, but you'll have to get used to it

It's rudimentary biology. The human female body is designed to birth and nurture early human life. The male human body is not capable of birthing or nurturing early human life.

What else 'd'ya got?

[lostnfound]

178. Breastfeeding doesn't leave an after-odor. nt

[funflower]

88. Breasts don't exist to excite people. They exist to feed babies.

The comparison with public urination or defecation isn't worth a response.

And, yes, people can gawk all they want. Breastfeeding moms don't give a damn. They're far too busy caring for their babies.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. I had dinner in a beer garden restaurant last night.

A few tables away from us was a family with a baby maybe two months old. The baby got fussy and the mother began breastfeeding. No one batted an eyelash. It made me very happy.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Nice

Good to hear. :) Aren't some of those babies a lil too old for that though? :shrug:

[meatloaf]

12. Depends on where you're from, in some cultures children are breast fed

until the age of 5.

[gollygee]

14. Most health organizations recommend breastfeeding until *at least* 2

Most moms don't breastfeed that long, but it's still very good for babies and little kids to be breastfed. My daughter was just over 2 when she stopped.

[Arugula Latte]

19. Mine too.

Both my son and daughter were breastfed for a little more than two years. In most countries, that's completely normal.

Besides being healthy and comforting for them, it's more convenient and portable than bottlefeeding.

[gkhouston]

34. actually not. WHO recommendation is nursing until age 2

at a minimum. I think the American Association of Pediatricians (or some similarly named organization) only recommend a minimum of 1 year, after which you can switch to cow's milk.

[redqueen]

46. Are you sure? I thought WHO said 2.5, or the baby is at risk for illness.

AAP says *AT LEAST* 2 years... which clearly indicates that going BEYOND 2 years would be even better.

[gkhouston]

53. my info may be out of date

as my daughter is 4 1/2 now. Those were the recommendations back when I was pregnant and looking into such things. My pediatrician was surprised (but pleased) that I continued to nurse after my daughter teethed, which tells you something about how long most women breastfeed.

[Ilsa]

63. I think the average age for weaning is over 4, worldwide.

My kids nursed until ages 3 and 4. It wasn't a contest or anything. We did fine nursing. They were very healthy boys who rarely picked up any bugs going around. My almsot six year old has had one year infection his whole life,and it wasn't a bad one.

[all.of.me]

77. no. i nursed my girls til one was 3, the other 4

they are incredibly healthy, too, because of it. doctor? what is that?

i hope there were some older kids there nursing, the age that just lifts up your shirt and bra and starts to nurse, while they are talking! what a mindblower that would be for this crowd!

[Debbi801]

151. Yay, good for you!!!! Another extended nurser over here...

:hi:

My son turned 3 in February and we're still nursing, too.

:-)

Have a great day!
Debbi

[all.of.me]

158. hey, good for you, too!

when my little one was three to four, she mostly nursed just at night. she'd put it in her mouth and fall asleep. i don't even know if she nursed! then to wean her, we gave her a cup of yogurt, laid her on the couch in front of the tv, and i disappeared for 30 minutes! it took a while, but it worked.

when she went to first grade (we homeschooled for k), i was filling out the forms. it asked for her doctor, and you know what? she had never been! i didn't realize it until that moment! i attribute that to breastfeeding.

[CatWoman]

4. you know, Deuts

during my Mom's childbearing years, breastfeeding was the only way to go.

During my childbearing years, most women tended to stray away from it -- me included.

I'm glad to see that it has come back as the number one way to feed infants.

I recently educated myself on the merits/advantages, and it far outweighs the "freedom and inconvenience" that was touted as reasons not to breastfeed.

I watched this Dick Gregory interview and he said that cow's milk is made for baby cows, not baby humans. He was convinced that drinking animal milk was a large contributor to the increase in crib deaths in the U.S.

[stanwyck]

6. I don't know of the validity

of cow's milk and crib death, but I think the American Dairy Association has done a real number on our thinking about the health benefits of cow's milk.

[Ilsa]

66. I think eventually that medical science will be able to state definitively

that exclusive breastfeeding initiates a series of complex metabolic functions that benefit humans throughout the lifespan.

A few years ago, they discovered that adults who were breastfed as children and lower rates of LDL cholesterol, etc.

I think it probably kicks off better functioning of the immune system, liver, allows the intestines to finish maturing so they absorb nutrients better, etc.

It wouldn't surprise me if there was something in breastmilk that helps regulate the function of the brainstem to help prevent SIDS. I also think it is possible that the co-sleeping makes a huge impact on reducing SIDS because of the stimulation.

[deutsey]

9. My mom told me the doc zonked her out when I was born

That's the way they did it back then...put the mom under. Also, no dads allowed in delivery.

I actually helped my wife give birth to our first child and, because she had to have a C-section during her second pregnancy, I sat beside her in the OR when our twins were delivered.

I would have gone NUTS if I had been told I'd have to sit out in the waiting room.

[newscott]

135. There were moments I wished I was in the waiting room.

Two C-sections. The second one didn't go any better for me than the first. :puke:

[deutsey]

157. Matter of perspective, I guess

I saw a lot of things (a LOT of things) that other guys have told me they were not able to stomach (I'll spare you the details :evilgrin: ).

It honestly didn't bother me. I just wanted to be with my wife and to help in whatever way I could. I literally helped the nurse and midwife during the birth of my first child (way beyond holding my wife's hand and saying "breathe"). It was one of the highpoints of my life.

My wife had been through such a horrible ordeal during her second pregnancy (her life was endangered and so were the twins), and she was so frightened going into have her C-section, I knew that my place was to be beside her during the procedure. I saw the twins coming out (even my wife can't understand why I looked). I wouldn't exchange that memory for anything.

[MemphisTiger]

10. I'm not sure about the milk thing but

the powder formula is supposed to have all the vitamins that cow milk lacks. We used this powder, which is not cheap by the way, and he seems okay. Bottom line is that I don't think either method is wrong.

[shanti]

15. your're right

neither method is WRONG, but nursing is BETTER, and that's a fact.

[northzax]

51. sorry, no.

it may be better in the majority of cases, but not all. Breatfeeding would have killed me, as I am allergic to human (and cow) milk.

and you know what? I agree with Barbara Walters on this one, it makes me uncomfortable. Not that people can't do it, and yes, it's completely natural, but it's still a little unsettling to me when someone whips out a nipple for a feeding. I don't way anything, and I don't stare, but still.

then again, there are a lot of things with the potential to make me uncomfortable.

[redqueen]

55. Your case is an exception, not the rule.

The rule still stands... barring infants allergic to human milk, breastmilk is better. Period.

Are you uncomfortable when you see runway models in see-through tops which allow the whole breast to be clearly seen?

[northzax]

57. on TV? no. sitting next to me on the Metro?

yes.

[redqueen]

60. And the difference is...

:shrug:

What about shirts which allow the nipple to be clearly distinguishable through the material... does that also make you uncomfortable?

[northzax]

70. depends on the setting, doesn't it?

at a club, fine. on the beach? perfect. at a conference on nanotechnology? not appropriate. I wouldn't expect to see either a male or a female nipple under those circumstances.

Maybe you haven't noticed, but there is a slight difference between TV and reality. when I'm sitting on my couch watching the idiot box, it's not real, I can watch the the Law and Order people discover corpses soaked in blood, I can disinterestedly watch a pedestrian get hit by a car, but seeing it in real life, as I did on Monday night, is worse. (and on the good side, sex scenes on TV don't do anything for me, but a beautiful woman sitting astride me naked, in real life? better.)

[redqueen]

73. So what's the 'appropriate' place for babies to eat?

:shrug:

[Maru Kitteh]

82. the human female breast IS NOT A SEX TOY

So you know what? You are the one with the problem. If you have issues with women feeding their children the way nature has intended due to your own personal hang-ups, then you need to work on your hang-ups.

[northzax]

160. I admit, I have hang ups

I don't want to see bare chest, male or female, on the subway. I believe there are certain things our bodies were designed to do, that make me uncomfortable to watch. sorry about that.

and if you think the female breast isn't a sex toy, then you are the one in denial. If you have ever bought a bra because it makes your breast more attractive, then you are a hypocrite. If you allow your partner to touch your breasts/nipples during sexual activity, then you are a hypocrite. If you have ever worn a shirt with a low neckline, you are a hypocrite. if you have ever worn a dangling necklace, you area hypocrite.

See? all those things are designed to enhance the breast's image as a sex object. You can't have it both ways, say 'look look look, titilate titilate titilate, no wait, stop, don't look, don't be titilated."

[Maru Kitteh]

175. I'm sure that all of those things would make you feel better.......

and I understand your emotional need to return to your comfort zone. I really do. But unfortunately for the purposes of your thin argument one must assume that all cultures are as backwards, prudish or hypocritical as the American culture.

You see the female breast as a sex toy because you were conditioned to do so. I cannot help that you are apparently incapable of adapting an enlightened attitude concerning something so simple as a mother feeding her child. Only YOU can make that change.

What about you do you hope your intended sex partners might find attractive? Tell us all, because it may lend your little "argument" some shred of credibility. Let us all go from there. Or perhaps you are asexual?

[northzax]

182. ok, you are right

the human female is not sexual, she is simply a vessel for the implantation of semen follewed by a lactation machine. Is that what you want to hear? it seems so.

Find me a culture or country in which full body clothing is the norm (no fair citing the Maori) that does not use the female breast as an item of sexual attraction.

Canada? no.
England? no.
France? no.
Italy? no.
Spain? no.
Mexico? no.
Japan? no.
China? no.
Taiwan? no.
Chile? no.
Brazil? no.
Russia? no.
Poland? no.
Romania? no.
Switzerland? no.
Germany? no.
Bulgaria? no.
Azerbaijan? no.
Egypt? no.

damn, I'm so backward and prudish that I came up with 18 countries, on five of the six inhabited continents, in which the female breast is a sexual object. I'll tell you what. Fidn me one nation, in which clothing is the standard, in which women are legally allowed to bare their breasts, at any time, anywhere. Please, show me how out of touch and prudish I am compared to the rest of the big white world, expand my horizons.

[Telly Savalas]

116. So in other words it's appropriate to bf a baby in places...

where it's appropriate to have a baby, and not appropriate to breastfeed in places where it's not appropriate to take a baby.

[northzax]

161. it's appropriate to breast feed a baby, discreetly

There are things people will do, ways they act, speak and otherwise interact with people, in the company of friends that are different than in public. But yes, as long as it's done tastefully, I'm fine with it. It still makes me uncomfortable, but that's my problem.

[Kber]

165. Well put.

[gollygee]

121. It is appropriate to breastfeed anywhere it's ok to feed a baby a bottle

It is a method of feeding, nothing more.

[Lucille]

106. You can't be allergic to human milk

according to the pediatric gastroenterologist I brought my daughter to at around four months. She had constant infections. She failed to gain weight. Her intestines were bleeding and she vomited bile. She was solely breastfed. Her pediatrician suggested I put her on soy formula. I did, unfortunately. She became even sicker. I brought her as an emergency to Columbia-Presbyterian in NYC. She was assigned to one of the a top specialist in the country who told me that human milk allergy is unknown. Lactose intolerance, on the other hand, while very rare in infants, was a possibility, so they did a biopsy of her intestine and tons of blood tests. Lactose intolerance is NOT an allergy, it is the inability to produce lactase. In the meantime I was advised to continue nursing her after she had been given sugar water through a drip. However, I had to remove all allergy-causing foods from my diet--dairy, grains, soy, etc. The doctor explained that large proteins cross into breast milk--and even the placenta before birth-- and stimulate an auto-immune reaction, ie allergies, in some infants. However, if the baby/fetus were allergic to human protein, it would never survive to be born.

Because I eliminated allergens from my own diet, my daughter began to to thrive, even before we got all the test results. I nursed her until the age of three; until that age she was allergic to most foods, so breast milk was her major source of nutrition for a long time. I often found it exhausting because I was often ill myself. But I was glad to do it because while she was in the hospital we contemplated various metabolic disorders like celiac and cystic fibrosis. Today she is a healthy, 18-year-old PITA.

Breast feeding can be a wonderful, tender time. The oxytocin release is supposed to make you more mellow and bond w/your baby--I believe that it does. I must say, though, I sympathize with those who for one reason or another choose not to nurse. It's not for everybody, especially if you are ill or stressed or in a work situation that makes nursing difficult. Not everybody produces copious amounts of milk. Not everybody "lets down" easily. Not every family is supportive. And if you are a person who is made to feel uncomfortable or is uncomfortable, you pass that stress on to your baby just from the way you hold him/her. Breast may be best, but you can't deny the importance of finding the method of feeding that works for you and your kid--and being supported in your decision.

[bloom]

126. "And if you are a person who is made to feel uncomfortable..."

Of course that is exactly why people are upset about Barbara Walters and all the of the other people who go out of their way to make women uncomfortable about breastfeeding.

I think it's beyond rude. :grr:


If a few women feel bad because they didn't or won't breastfeed - because of other people who want women to feel comfortable about it - I think that is the price that has to be paid to be able to have this discussion.

[Lucille]

131. Absolutely

I HAD to nurse my daughter because of her allergies and digestive disorder. People who suggested expressing milk and using bottles don't know what they're talking about--breast milk is more easily contaminated, and not every baby can adjust to the difference in nipples. Tell me about infantile aggression, Dr. Freud! You've never seen infant fury like a hungry baby --who doesn't know how to use a bottle--being given one by a mother who smells like milk. Not only that, a crying baby can make your milk let down! So there you are, with your shirt all wet, struggling to give a screaming baby a bottle. Also, if you have a medical problem you may not have enough milk to both express and nurse.

I can remember people snorting in derision when I nursed in the "lounge" area of a department store--just off the stinking ladies room. I can remember the rolled eyes and murmured snotty comments--"Do you believe this..."--when I nursed almost two decades ago on a plane. Bwabwa deserves the flack she is getting and then some.

Most nursing mothers will have trouble letting down their milk if they are stressed. Bawbwa, intentionally or not, added to the stress w/her comment

[RayOfHope]

183. Actually, it's very hard to contaminate breast milk

(I'm assuming you are speaking of germs here) because of its immunological properties. Researchers have tried to grow bacteria in breast milk and have actually found that the amount of bacteria lessens because the good cells in breas tmilk attack the bacteria. You can also leave breast milk unrefrigerated longer than formula because of this.

[expatriate]

143. Yes, this has been proven now, but

way back when (late 1950's, 1960's and some of the 1970's), babies were regularly diagnosed as being allergic to human milk. I was one of them. I was born in 1959, and at that time, doctors believed that substances ingested by the mother did not get into breast milk or cross "the placental barrier" - one of the reasons we had wonderful things like Thalidomide and DES. Mothers were told it was fine to smoke, drink, eat anything while pregnant or breastfeeding because it wouldn't pass to the baby.

Lots of babies back then reacted badly to their mother's milk - either because the mother was ingesting allergens or because the mother was ingesting nicotine and alcohol. My mother was a heavy smoker and had martinis at cocktail hour (a very 50's thing). And when I drank her breast milk, I promptly barfed everything up in a very projectile manner. No wonder - I was ingesting what are, essentially, poisons.

But the diagnosis was that I was allergic to breast milk. Was put on cow's milk and threw that up too (I was probably still toxic from the crap in the breast milk). Goat's milk - ditto. Finally, in about the time it would have taken for me to get over the crud in my mother's milk, they gave me some kind of horrible soy bean formula called Mul-Soy. I kept that down, and the myth that I am allergic to milk was born, and I drank Mul-Soy until I was weaned at the age of eight months, as was done in those days.

I'm not allergic to milk, nor am I lactose intolerant. Milk, cow's and goat's, are part of my daily diet now that I'm 45. But for years I was never allowed milk, because of that original faulty diagnosis when, as a newborn, I was given breast milk laced with nicotine, tars and booze.

This happened to lots of babies back then, and was the reason so many kids were raised to believe that they were allergic to milk of any kind.

The usual medical routine of functioning under the fallacy of cause and effect.

[northzax]

163. as a baby, breast milk caused

an anaphylactic reaction. I would swell up like a beach ball, break out in hives and have difficulty breathing. This is documented on ten occasions, including twice in a hospital, who also didn't believe it. As soon as I was switched to soy milk, I have never had a repeat reaction. I am not, as far as I know, allergic to anything else.

[mcar]

186. My son was allergic to any kind of milk/soy protein

so I couldn't breast feed and we had to give him a specific, very expensive brand of formula that didn't have any milk/soy protein in it.

When he was 3 months old, I was able to switch him back to regular formula as he had grown past the allergy.

I regret that I was not able to breast feed him, but such allergies are real and do occasionally happen.

[shanti]

140. wow, i've NEVER heard of

anyone being allergic to breast milk....but that doesn't mean it's not true. of course, i should have said "in the vast majority of cases". if you can't, you just can't, but i usually side with mother nature.

peace!

[MemphisTiger]

150. WOW, do you have any documentation to back up your claim?

I've been told by doctors that the new powdered formulas are actually more healty for the baby because it doesn't contain as much fat and you know exactly how much your baby is getting to determine his/her daily intake. Also, sometimes the mother can produce the milk but the there aren't enough nutrients in it for the baby.

[Debbi801]

152. First of all, babies need fat in order to thrive...

Second of all, look at any formula maker's web site. Even they say know that breast is best. For example, on the Enfamil website, they say: "In fact, no formula is closer to breast milk. Is it any wonder pediatricians recommend Enfamil LIPIL?" They also say this about their formula: http://www.enfamil.com/about_enfamil/t_1_2.html
<snip>
APPROACHING THE GOLD STANDARD: BREAST MILK
In the 1980s and '90s, more advances brought Enfamil even closer to breast milk:
In 1981, the protein content was modified to be less like cow's milk and more like breast milk, offering a whey-to-casein ratio of 60:40. Just like breast milk.

In 1992, the fat blend was reformulated again, getting even closer to breast milk.

In 1996, free nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA and RNA) were added at the level found in breast milk.

In 2002, Enfamil became available with LIPIL, a unique blend of DHA and ARA, the important nutrients found in breast milk that support brain and eye development.
<snip>

When even the formula companies admit that breast milk is better, it is pretty obvious.

As far as thriving goes, you do not need to know how much the baby is getting. When the baby is hungry, you nurse him. When he is no longer hungry, he stops nursing. As long as he is having the correct amount of wet/dirty diapers, as long as he is growing, you don't need to worry. The worst thing to do for a baby is put him on a feeding schedule, that can be what starts the failure to thrive ball rolling.

Debbi

[MemphisTiger]

164. I'm just telling you what my son's pediatrician said

Also, my wife's milk never came in so it was not even an option, but a feeding schedule is good. I've seen friends with babies that snack and are feeding from mom every hour. Also, what are your thoughts on pumping milk to be served from a bottle later?

[Kber]

168. Interesting breast feeding fact I recently learned

the composition of breast milk changes as the baby nurses from high carb to high protein to high fat. Expressing milk mixes it all up. My pediatrician recommended I wait 6 weeks to express any milk.

I do like having my husband feed our daughter a bottle once a day after he gets home from work though - good father daughter bonding activity.

[MemphisTiger]

170. It's fair. I took the 2AM and 6AM shifts before going to work

It's easy when they are babies. If they cry they are either hungry, dirty, or sleepy. Now, the two year old stage is compeltely different.

[RayOfHope]

185. Feeding on demand is much better for baby

Babies have very small tummies and need to eat often. Breast milk is easily digested and leaves the belly in about 90 minutes.

There is also some evidence that putting baby on a schedule (especially breastfed) can lead to failure to thrive, and also mess up baby's internal signals for hunger.

Who knows better if baby is hungry--baby or parents? This is an argument I've never understoond--"nope, you can't be hungry, it's not 3:00 yet".

[gollygee]

159. What doctors told you that?

I'd be questioning their competence.

Mother's milk has exactly the right amount of fat and the right amount and right nutrients for babies. Milk is species specific. It was made for baby people and is the only perfect food.

[gkhouston]

173. do your doctors have any documentation to back up their

claim? Babies need fat for brain growth and other types of growth. More importantly, they need certain types of fats -- the types that Mommy makes without even thinking about it. Some doctors are concerned that breast milk might not contain enough iron although others believe that breast milk contains lower levels which are more readily absorbed -- i.e., the baby is getting what he/she needs. You can always give a baby an oral vitamin supplement in addition to breast milk.

The new formulas are better than the old formulas but they are not "more healthy" than breast milk. The manufacturers are trying to imitate breast milk. Which would you serve, if you've got the choice -- the real thing or the imitation? And let's not forget that the real thing comes with antibodies to fight diseases and there's nothing more miserable than having a tiny baby that's sick. Not much you can give 'em in the way of over-the-counter medicines, but if you're nursing, you can give 'em your antibodies and help them get well faster.

[MemphisTiger]

174. That's a good point, we gave our son the liquid vitamins in

his formula

[RayOfHope]

184. Not true by any stretch

There are certain amino acids in breast milk (taurine being one) that are not in the amino acid block added to formula. Also, the amino acids in breastmilk are much more bioavailable and also exist in such proportion to increase their efficacy.

While formulas have come a long way, they most certainly are not better than what the human breast produces.

I can also show you a long term study that shows that while a woman's milk production may dip slightly due to malnourishment, it is still very high is all the nutrients the baby needs.

Lastly, breast milk composition changes from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month, based on the baby's needs.

Fat, especially the kind in breast milk, is essential to brain and nerve development. The fat in breast milk isn't the same kind in cow's milk.

You doctor was wrong and or very misinformed.

[davsand]

17. The health benefits are SO strong it is impossible NOT to support it!

I nursed Material Girl for a full year and have never ONCE regretted that decision. It was not easy, and every day I made a point to read an article about a benefit of breast feeding. Yes, there were 365 different reasons to Breast Feed!

Some were immediately evident like the immune boost it gives babies. It was pretty much a given that not dragging a bottle around was a plus, and never having to warm up a cold bottle is great.

Other reasons are not as tangible, but still are very strong. I really was amazed at the lower rate of specific cancers in BF babies. I was also amazed at the lower incidence of heart disease in later life for children who were BF. The same goes for Diabetes and a few other chronic illnesses. Oh--and did I mention the higher reported IQs for BF babies?

I'll grant you, not all those findings have been studied as much as they need to be, but it sure does make you go, "hmmmm. Maybe Breast IS best."


Laura

[HockeyMom]

20. My daughter is Lactose Intolerant

We didn't find that out until she after weaned and we gave her dairy products. Thank goodness, I breastfeed her. Even today at 21 years old, she is still lactose intolerant. She literally drools watching people eat ice cream. lol Those pills help a little, but not to the point where she can have dairy more than two days in a row.

[Eric J in MN]

110. How about soymilk? nt

nt

[Lucille]

125. Your daughter was having lactose while you nursed

Lactose is milk sugar. Lactose is lactose; if it's from a human, cow, goat, or cat it's the same.

Maybe your daughter avoided dairy because of allergy to cows milk protein--lots of people are. If this was the case, over time, her body would cease producing lactase, the enzyme necessary to break down lactose. People from cultures that don't rely on dairy--Asians, many Africans, Native Americans--are lactose intolerant for this reason.

[Maru Kitteh]

148. Tell her to get an Ice Cream machine and follow this recipe

1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk (rice or almond milk may be used also)
1 8.5 oz can of cream of coconut, sweetened (most of it is anyway)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder

follow your machines basic recipe


IT"S SO YUMMY !!!!!!!!!!! :loveya:

The best ever and no dairy at all & cholesterol free.

[redqueen]

48. My doctor said not to give the baby cow's milk, unless it was organic.

He said goat's mlik was good also, if I couldn't afford organic.

[recoveringrepublican]

162. I never understood the "convenience" or really the freedom argument

I can understand it for working mothers The few times I tried to express milk were failures, maybe 2 oz, and my daughter (my second child) wouldn't take a bottle anyway. She didn't want solids until she was nine months, and that's when she started getting a hold of her brothers sippy cups and would drink from it. I had a little more freedom to go places then.

I started formula with my first child at 6 months. Nursing was a hell of a lot easier. No bottles to wash, no need to sterilize my nipples, no worrying about if the formula was too hot or too cold. No running out and shelling out tons of money for powered drink. No worries about tampering. Also not many trips to the doctor, my kids where/are rarely sick. You would think corporate America would work the propaganda to embrace breastfeeding, their workers would most likely take less days off to care for a sick child.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. Love it!

Now that is an awesome protest. Warms my maternal instincts right up.

[UdoKier]

8. I'm a huge believer in breastfeeding, public or not, but...

Walters' comments don't seem like anything to get so worked up about. Besides, she's a product of her generation.

[deutsey]

13. I suppose you can see her comments as part of a larger pattern

in our society, though.

I'm not saying there was anything sinister or conspiratorial about her remarks, but taken in the context of the larger attempt to roll back women's rights in America, I can see where moms would want to respond as they did.

[Arugula Latte]

21. She needs to realize

that the health of the next generation trumps her little "comfort zone" issue. She should educate herself -- she's a journalist (supposedly :eyes: ) right?

[UdoKier]

30. Maybe, but she's entitled to feel however she wants.

I don't see how anyone was hurt by her comments.

I'm uncomfortable with people preaching the gospel on street corners, but they are entitled to do it.

[SmokingJacket]

50. But you wouldn't come on TV and tell the world about how

uncomfortable it makes you.

She's totally entitled to her opinion. I breastfed both my kids, and I'm still a little startled when I see another woman whip out her teat!

Nevertheless -- it's irresponsible to use her public position to make other women feel uncomfortable about breastfeeding. It's a public health issue.

[northzax]

56. well, you would if it was your job

to share what makes you uncomfortable, right? she has a talk show, on talk shows, people talk.

What if she talked about how hard it is to quit smoking? (I have no idea if she smokes or ever did) and that every single moment, she wants a cigarette. That's a public health issue and she might have dissuaded someone from quitting by teling the truth about how hard it is to quit. Problem?

maybe she did good, by helping other people, like you, realize that others are uncomfortable around breast-feeding, that they aren't out of the mainstream. did she say breatfeeding should be stopped in public? not that I can tell, seems like she said it's a good thing, but it still makes her uncomfortable. what's wrong with that? I don't like watching obese people exercise, this morning on a train an obese man got on and sat next to me, it's hot and he was sweating he said "sorry, took the stairs" that's good, right? people should take the stairs instead of the escalator, good for him. but I was still uncomfortable sitting next to him.

[SmokingJacket]

128. Again, you wouldn't go on TV -- even if it was your job -- and say

that fat people make you really fucking uncomfortable.

I **know** people are uncomfortable with breastfeeding. I spent a year feeding my first, almost two with the second, and every time I went to a family member's house I lived in one of the back rooms so as not to make anyone uncomfortable. I sat in toilet stalls, in cars and parking lots just so no one would be put off. But apparently even the *thought* of me breastfeeding was too much for some people, and I had to deal with constant questions about how long was I going to do that crazy semi-erotic thing with my poor sons. I just smiled.

But ya know what? Fuck that. I was a wimp. It is SO MUCH easier to avert your eyes for a moment or two than to juggle baby, bra, nursing pads, flannel blanket, etc. I'm sick of people putting their "comfort" before baby's health and well being.

Whatever, she had a right to express her discomfort, but luckily women also have a right to sit outside her office with their boobs hanging out and tell her to fuck off.

[redqueen]

52. Yes, she is. And they're entitled to rub her face in her ignorance.

Breastfeeding babies is nowhere near streetpreaching. What are the benefits of street preaching?

I'd have to write you a report to tell you all the benefits breastfeeding gives infants.

Not only that, her comments seem to support a societal view in this country that breasts are fine if you're watching them through transparent fashions on a runway... they're fine if you see them bulging out around the too-small tops of a bikini... but GOD FORBID they be seen fulfilling their natural function. That's somehow rude and disgusting.

[Donailin]

97. Seriously, how wacked out is our culture? Puritanical or hedonistic

Only in America is breast feeding seen as abnormal, but it's completely acceptable to drug your kid with the leaglized version of amphetimine known as ritalin.

[redqueen]

107. It's really disturbing...

You'd think it'd not be controversial on a liberal messageboard... but that just goes to show the nature of the left in America, I suppose.

[Ilsa]

78. Excellent comment!

[htuttle]

11. The other reason wingnuts get uptight about breast feeding...

...other than the breasts, that is:

It's because they are jealous. Reptiles don't breastfeed. Only mammals do. After wingnut eggs hatch, they just hand them off to the hired help to raise.

[Richard D]

24. LOL!

[tnlefty]

29. *snickering*

Reptiles don't breastfeed - thanks for the laugh!

[Lars39]

37. That's a keeper!

:rofl:

[Coexist]

47. Reptile jealousy - so funny!

I was a LLLI leader for about a year and the woman on Countdown was right, it is NOT easy to do, so negative comments about doing it in public really do HURT nursing moms.

Maybe the comment was a little lighter than I thought it would have been with all this fuss. But without stretching PC to the limit, on a woman's show, with all those women watching, it is to some of them, like giving them permission to cast dirty looks at a woman who is nursing in public. You have to be on the other side of the breast to understand.

[Mass]

16. It should be a question of free-choice and nothing else

If women want to breastfeed, they should be accomodated (including drawing milk so that this does not block their career if they want to work).

If they dont want to, they should not be forced (morally or otherwise). I dont see the point of this protest (?). A lot of people are pressuring morally mothers so that they breastfeed, saying (or implying) that they are bad mothers if they dont. All the arguments for breastfeeding are good in third world countries where you cannot guarantee the quality and the sanity of milk or formula milk (and where Nestle is dumping his milk).

In our countries, let that be what it should be: a woman's choice and nothing else.

As for the fact that women breastfeed in public, I have no problem with that.

[deutsey]

26. My wife had to bottle feed our twins

She chose to bottle feed our first born.

Her best friend, however, breastfed all three of her children.

It is a personal choice; however, when you've got people like Barbara Walters using the public airwaves to express her uncomfortableness about breastfeeding at a time when our society in general is undermining the gains made by women over the 20th century, I can see the point of their protest.

[Mass]

33. Me too, but the opposite is true as well

I have seen mothers being morally harassed into breastfeeding their kids and said they were bad mothers if they did not, with the implication they should stay home and abandon their career in order to do so, so I can see your point about gains made by women, but I have seen some promoters of breastfeeding doing so in order to undermine gains made by women as well.

As I said, this is a private choice and should stay so.

[gkhouston]

38. well, as a former "working cow" :-)

you can breastfeed without giving up your job or getting arrested for being a bad mom. Felt pretty weird, though, the first time I went on a business trip and didn't have to take the pump with me.

[Mass]

40. But that was your choice to do so.

I would imagine, and not society pressure.

I just dont like pressure of all sorts.

[redqueen]

58. Pressure is part of your job when you're in healthcare.

Doctors pressure patients to lose weight.

Physical therapists pressure patients to endure more pain so they can regain their mobility.

Lactation consultants pressure new moms to do what's best for their babies.

[Ilsa]

81. I think sometimes the "pressure" gets confused with what is good

information. As a nurse, I 'll leave it up to the mom to decide what is best for her and her family in terms of formula versus breastfeeding. But I'm not going to lie or condone an inferior health practice. I'll provide the best information I have so she can make your her decision about it. But she shouldn't act surprised if her baby has more health problems in fancy, and even longer. I don't get judgmental with a mom over her decision. It's hers and her child's to live with.

If someone has tried and they cannot breastfeed (and this is happening more as some women with fertility problems finally give birth without their breasts fully maturing during pregnancy), it isn't my job to make them feel bad, but to encourage them to continue being a good mother in other ways and be supportive of her. None of us knows the precise reasons someone has had to give up breastfeeding earlier than they planned.

[funflower]

67. I was a working "cow," too. I highly recommend it!

A friend of mine who is a lactation specialist told me (this was a few years back) that the average U.S. mom breastfeeds for TWO WEEKS, and breastfeeding is far less common in the south than in any other part of the country (surprising to me, since I have the impression that women in the south are more likely to stay home than women elsewhere, at least in the north and west).

I'm always a bit distressed when I see very young women purchasing formula with their public assistance cards, as formula is so extremely expensive.

That being said, I don't think "pressure" is a very effective way to encourage breastfeeding. Better to just show people that they can breastfeed successfully and that it will make life easier and better for them as well as for the baby.

[gkhouston]

71. it's my understanding that working women are more likely

to breastfeed than stay-at-home moms! But they don't always stay with it, because it can be difficult, especially if you don't have a good pump or a supportive work environment or some way to nurse your child during the day.

For me, the health benefits (to me as well as my child) were the selling point. The fact that formula smells nasty didn't hurt, either. :-)

[Debbi801]

154. Another working cow here!

I had to laugh at your breast pump comment. When I stopped pumping, I felt like I kept forgetting something. As cumbersome as my pump was, I got so used to toting it with me every place. :-)

Debbi

[deutsey]

39. Only Sith deal in absolutes

:evilgrin:

I agree that it's a private choice and those like Walters who are "uncomfortable" by it should just look the other way and those mammary nazis you talk about should mind their own damn business.

:hi:

[Jo March]

172. I was made to feel like that - like a bad mother

My milk dried up when my daughter was about 3 weeks old. I kept feeding her and feeding her but she always cried. Mr. Arnheim was working 12 hour shifts and my family was out of state. So, it was me and this screaming baby, all alone.

I became frantic. A nurse came by to check on us and my baby had lost almost a pound and was starting to turn yellow! I was doing all that I could but wasn't producing milk.

I started to bottle feed her and she regained the weight. She is healthy, happy and very smart. She rarely gets sick.

Most of the women I worked with, however, gave me the biggest guilt trip about it. I felt so bad about "failing" at breast feeding that I didn't even try it when my son came along.

[stanwyck]

72. I bottlefed my twins

I tried breastfeeding them both but it just became too much of an ordeal. I continued to express my milk and give them my milk in bottles. I didn't have any more children. If I had, I believe I would have enjoyed the breastfeeding experience. I'm a little jealous of my friends who were able to breastfeed for months...even years.

[gkhouston]

76. pumping and them feeding them the bottled milk is a lot of work

my hat's off to you! I did a lot of pumping, both because I worked and to boost my supply. I can't imagine keeping twins fed, though. Wow!

[Occulus]

32. It should be allowed specifically by law

and any merchant who tries to kick a woman out for breastfeeding should be shut down. For good.

I'm sorry, but I have ZERO tolerance on this issue. I have personally resolved to loudy and vulgarly confront ANY businessman who tries to tell a breastfeeding woman in my presense that she has to leave.

I'll simply not tolerate it, and I'll ruin EVERYONE'S day around me if I see it happen. Sorry, but babies can't say "I'm hungry."

LET a restaurant manager try it. I'll start screaming at him, right there, in front of the other customers. I'll TRY to drive his business away. I'll loudy, vocally proclaim that everyone should get up and walk out without paying. I am THAT angry about the treatment of women regarding this issue.

NO tolerance. Zero, zip, zilch. Breastfeeding women, so far as I'm concerned, ALWAYS get a pass.

[Mass]

36. Private choice of the mother. I mean

A mother who wants to breastfeed should be allow to do so in public, but I am tired by the moralizing talks of some of the pro breastfeeding groups as well (I reacted to the slogan that has other implications as to mothers who do not breastfeed, sorry).

You are not a bad mother if you dont breastfeed.

[lolly]

41. So, Don't Say Anything Nice About It?

Note:

Pointing out the benefits of breastfeeding is not the same as telling mothers they are immoral or bad mothers if they don't breastfeed.

We all make choices and balance alternatives when dealing with our children. Sometimes mothers can't breastfeed, sometimes other considerations outweigh the benefits of breastfeeding, but the fact is that breastmilk is better for infants. If saying that offends people, what are we supposed to do?

[Occulus]

100. no, you're NOT a bad mom if you don't

My mom didn't. Granted, she was a bad mom for other reasons, but not because she didn't breastfeed. For one, I was adopted; her body wasn't biologically 'prepared' for it, but STILL....

I'll get VERY vocal if I see anyone trying to prevent it. There's NO excuse. NONE.

[CitrusLib]

42. Thank you! This is one of those things I see as a no-brainer

and I'm constantly amazed at the extremes of opinion and emotion the debate envokes. It's a woman's choice. Period.

The pictures in the OP didn't disturb or disgust me. In fact, I'm pretty jealous of that one woman's knockers. God skipped me in the stacked department.

[redqueen]

54. No, actually the arguments are still the same.

Breastmilk is so much more beneficial to the growing infant... it has nothing to do with third-world countries or the quality of milk/formula.

[AzDar]

18. Really? My two were born 'cause I wanted to have two children! It's

a personal choice, keep it personal!!!

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

23. totally off topic but

your sig picture ROCKS!!!

:yourock:

[deutsey]

44. It cracks me up every time I see it

Especially Bush the Joker and Rummy the Riddler.

:evilgrin:

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

64. I did a double take when i first saw it

its one of the best photoshop jobs ever. I swear Adam West is about to trap them with his bat-a-rang

:rofl:

[Sparkle]

25. do you have time to fix your typo?

[deutsey]

28. I think I fixed it

I fixed one typo in the subject, anyway.

[DemExpat]

43. I love this too!

I chose to breastfeed both of mine for several years.....

One little pluspoint was that in that period I made quite a few trans-Atlantic flights of 10 hours plus with them both, and with zero problems with fussy, crying babies and toddlers. O8)

It was fantastically convenient and easy for us all.

These pictures really make my day!

DemEx

[Mandate My Ass]

49. My own mother was squeamish when I breastfed my son

She used to make the most horrified faces when I whipped it out. :)

Luckily I broke her in for when my niece and nephew were born. She stopped even batting an eye when my S-I-L breastfed her kids anywhere and everywhere.

[gkhouston]

61. TELL me about it.

"Hi, Mom. You made my body. You've been in dressing rooms with me, trying on swimsuits. NOW you're squeamish?" :eyes:

I swear, my husband's support made it possible. Between teaching a preemie to suck and dealing with postpartum thyroiditis and working... I just couldn't have done it if he hadn't been pro-breastfeeding. It was brutally hard and you gotta have somebody in your corner and most people just don't understand the benefits.

[Mandate My Ass]

68. You know exactly where I'm coming from...

I have few nice words to say about my ex, as a husband or a father, but he did back me up 100% on the breastfeeding issue. His mother and sister used to tell him to sneak bottles to my son so he wouldn't be hungry and then my milk would dry up. The thing that bothered them so much is that he didn't nurse on an exact three hour schedule like their kids. Serious ignorance. :eyes:

[earth mom]

65. Can't these women find something more important to protest

about-say the BFEE?

I'm a mom and I think they're wasting time and energy that could be spent on REAL problems. :eyes:

[redqueen]

75. You're free to protest whatever you want, as they are.

Apparently they place more importance on this issue than you do.

Why does that bother you?

[earth mom]

80. It bothers me because there are SO many more important

issues that get zero press or attention and this is getting more attention then it deserves or needs. It's a Non Issue.

Edited to add: Apparently, this brohaha stemmed from a discussion on "The View". The next day, Rosie O'Donnell was on "The View" and stated several important facts about how we are being LIED to by * & Co-where's the immediate and furious protest against * & Co? What's happening to this country and ALL it's people is far more important and crucial than breast feeding activism. :eyes:

[Ilsa]

89. Do you know how much money our govt would save in health care

dollars if the breastfeeding rates went up by a quartile? The estimate is $4 billion a year as of about four years ago. And that doesn't even begin to consider the long term benefits as a baby grows into an adult. This is an economic issue. Otherwise, the states wouldn't give a rat's ass about it and in promoting it.

[Donailin]

90. If Bush and his other hateful co-horts were breast fed

we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now.

Read "Bush on the Couch."

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

[Donailin]

87. you didn't breast feed your kid, did you? n/t

[LeftyMom]

141. our anti-child culture is a real issue. nt

[lostnfound]

179. They probably do both. I bet many are very active politically.

This is educating, and it is important.

[minerva50]

74. My mother breast-fed me, 55 years ago.

In those days it was quite unusual, bottles were the "modern" way to go. She had to strongly demand to hospital nurses, that they bring the babies to her for their feedings. Our pediatrician was a very progressive woman who insisted that babies should be breast-fed. I've always felt very grateful, as I learned of the many benefits I gained from it.

[Desertrose]

111. Mine, too...56 years ago it was definitely not the "thing to do"...

when just a generation or two before it was the ONLY thing to do...and the only method available.

...and they called formulas & bottles PROGRESS????

[Donailin]

122. I wasn't breast fed

it wasn't appropriate so my mother says.

I would add that 43 years later we still don't connect. Same with my brothers. And the same for my mom and her mother.

Coincidence? I don't think so.

[Donailin]

85. I breast fed all three of mine

not one kid is on ritalin or suffers deppression or has psychological issues. All three are outgoing and have many freinds. All three are in the top five percent of their classes. All three have discovered their talents and plan on capitalizing on them as adults. All three are the peacemakers of their peers. Not one of them has ever had disciplinary troubles at school or home.

I am 100 percent convinced it is because I forced them to watch every episode of Seinfeld at least three times between the ages of 6-12. If not thenit was definitely the constant playing of death metal when they were sleeping.

:evilgrin:

[Kosmos Mariner]

86. Enough With The Breastfeeding Threads!!

Good god, you nipple Nazis are some of the most obsessed people EVER. You're as bad as Bushbot freepers. There are so many things going on in this world that are just wee bit more important than how your baby gets its sustenance. Instead of spending every last second of your time screaming about feeding preference, why don't you make a REAL difference in the world. Mentor a poor kid, clean up your community, help get the GOP out of office, etc.. Put things into perspective people! There are much bigger issues out there to fight for. Every mom has different circumstances, and has to make the decision that is best for HER. If she she decides not to, big deal, breast feeding is not a panacea that produces a superkid. If you really want healthy, wealthy, and wise children, spend more time working to get the GOP out of power.

</rant>


:dem:

[Lars39]

91. Poor baby! Musta missed your nap.

[Kosmos Mariner]

95. I must be on FreeRepublic

Juvenile responses when someone questions the group...bullying, insults, fear mongering.... sound familiar?


:dem:

[Lars39]

103. Called it like I saw it.

[Batgirl]

104. "Juvenile responses"

hmmmm...could it be..."Nipple Nazis?"

[redqueen]

113. Yes. Yes it could.

:thumbsup:

[Telly Savalas]

130. You call people "nipple nazis".

If you don't want juvenile responses, perhaps you shouldn't make juvenile posts.

[Kosmos Mariner]

134. Way to ignore the content of my post!

:eyes:


:dem:

[Telly Savalas]

138. Oooh. You gave me the rolling eyes.

How sexy!

[Telly Savalas]

145. As far as the content of your fucking post....

Good god, you nipple Nazis are some of the most obsessed people EVER.

Get back to me with this bullshit when there are as many breastfeeding threads as there were Pope threads or Schiavo threads. And by the way, if you don't like to read these threads, nobody is forcing you to. In fact there's this wonderful feature at DU which allows you to hide threads. Instead of whining, maybe you should use it.

You're as bad as Bushbot freepers.

Thank you for pointing this out. I now feel shame.

There are so many things going on in this world that are just wee bit more important than how your baby gets its sustenance.

The occupation of Iraq is a wee bit more important than the recycling program in my city, so should I stop giving a fuck about recycling?

Instead of spending every last second of your time screaming about feeding preference, why don't you make a REAL difference in the world.

Making a post on an internet discussion forum isn't "spending every last second of your time".

If public breastfeeding isn't acceptable, then either a baby is obliged to receive less than optimal food or the mother is forced to not to leave home for months. Just because your little worldview doesn't accept this as a REAL issue doesn't mean it's not.


Mentor a poor kid, clean up your community, help get the GOP out of office, etc..

It is possible to both do these things and advocate the acceptance of public breastfeeding.

Put things into perspective people! There are much bigger issues out there to fight for.

And there are smaller ones too, but that doesn't mean it's not important.

Every mom has different circumstances, and has to make the decision that is best for HER.

Nobody is disputing this. The point is that among these decisions should be the choice to breastfeed in public without some fucking moron like Star Jones trying to make her feel like her behavior is inappropriate. That's what these women were protesting.

If she she decides not to, big deal, breast feeding is not a panacea that produces a superkid.

Nobody is claiming this. People are merely pointing out the well-known fact that breastmilk is the healthiest choice for an infant which makes it all the more fucked up when some asshole tries to pressure a woman into not feeding her kid in public.

If you really want healthy, wealthy, and wise children, spend more time working to get the GOP out of power.

So one cannot both make a stand against dumbfucks like Barbara Walters and Bill Frist at the same time? Here's some fuckin' rolling eyes for you:

:eyes: :eyes:

[Maru Kitteh]

146. Neener neener - you first!

What kind of moral high ground do you think you have when you march into a thread, call people "nipple nazis" and then complain about

1. anyone looking like a freeper
2. juvenile name-calling

Then, we will address the supposed "content" of your post.

[Zenlitened]

169. Yeah, it sounds familiar. From your hysterical little tantrum about...

... "nipple nazis."

What's next? "Feminazis"?

Fuck off, asshole.

[Ilsa]

92. YOu couldn't be more wrong. This is a huge economic issue

and health care issue. On the one hand we have corporations trying to undermine women's breastfeeding success at every turn because they want breastfeeding failure as it lines their pockets.

Our government could save billions of dollars a year if more children were breastfed because of the health effects. Children who are nursed or fed human milk spend less time in doctors' offices and hospitals. Preemies given breastmilk are discharged significantly fster than formula fed counterparts.

We have only begun scratching the surface on longitudinal health benefits. We already know that adults who were breastfed have lowere LDL cholesterol and better heart health. Breastfed Children have lower rates of obesity and childhood leukemia.

If doctors and mothers really took this seriously, we could have a major impact on our nation's budget.

[Donailin]

118. Not only that, but the emotional and psychological benefits

cannot even be measured. It's an intimacy between mother and child that cannot be replaced. Breast feeding cannot be done while driving a car or shopping in a store. The mother HAS to be at least somewhat relaxed and in complete touch with the child. Hormones are released in the mother that actually enable a bonding to take place because the mother and child are "one". Milk isn't let down unless the mother is at ease. And an at-ease mom means an at-ease baby. It's a stress reliever for both.

[Donailin]

94. Looks like someone hit a nerve!

This is an important issue to some people. If you have a problem with that, well then, it's YOUR problem, isn't it?

[Batgirl]

99. Ha -- just for that I'm bumping

If only you had been breastfed you would be so much more even-tempered...

I nursed my kids for a year apiece, which still didn't make up for my deficient parenting techniques, as they all went batty as hell anyway. But I still think it was absolutely the best choice for me, easy and convenient. I've heard so many young moms who wanted to breastfeed but were swayed by this powerful, underlying cultural attitude that it's a somewhat unsavory activity.

[Kosmos Mariner]

119. Actually, I'm very mellow

... I just hate to see people constantly screaming that they know best, and it should be a criminal offense not to breast feed.

A) Much bigger issues in the world to scream about

B) Not a super panacea

C) Be an advocate for women, their right to choose(NOT JUST ABORTION), Lactation Police and Pro Lifers are coming from the same dark place. You don't know what is best for every person.


:dem:

[Batgirl]

123. I need to get out more

I was completely unaware of the "constant screaming".

Almost as regrettable a waste of time as all the heroic good works you could surely be achieving instead of playing thread manager...

[Donailin]

124. Excuse me but one can be pro-life and a progressive.

Pro-life doesn't imply anti-choice. It means that we work towards abortion being rare and safe. It means we condone education about sexuality, birth control, and self control.

Now who's being either/or?

[Ilsa]

137. Actually, alot of us are advocates for women and their choices.

And yes, I call myself an LC. It's been strange, though, that I've had mothers call me and tell me that if only they had known more about the benefits, they would have kept it up longer. It's knowing the benefits that help moms get past the rough spots.

There will always be "bigger issues" for someone to scream about. Your issues may not be my issues, which include breastfeeding and autism, but are not limited to those.

I'm not sure what you mean by "not a super panacea". I'm not sure if anything is. But it makes a great deal of difference in the lives of children and even the health of their mothers (lower uterine, breast, and ovarian cancer rates, less osteoporosis). And I don't think you are giving enough credit to that.

The real crime is that the stupid doctors of the 1940-60's convinced mothers that their milk wasn't good enough, and undermined their maternal instincts and power. I have been very empowered by nursing my children.

If formula is so good, they wouldn't have to keep changing it all of the time.

[Maru Kitteh]

147. Deliberately exaggerating does not help your credibility at all

I think you must have some serious guilt about choosing not to breast feed but that's just my opinion - obviously I have no way of really knowing that but let's move on for a second.

1. Nobody said it should be a criminal offense not to breast feed. EXAGGERATION
2. Nobody said touted breastfeeding as a "super panacea", only the proven benefits. EXAGGERATION
3. Breastfeeding advocates are not trying to take anyones choice away, unlike anti-choice advocates. EXAGGERATION
4. Nobody has claimed to know what is best for every person, only what has already been proven best for a child. EXAGGERATION


If you are worried about the amount of time people are spending on this issue perhaps you should begin with yourself and exit this thread.

[Telly Savalas]

127. You evil freeper nipple nazi

How dare you have the audacity to think that childrearing is important!

:spank:

[Lars39]

109. We "nipple nazis" can multi-task.

[deutsey]

129. LOL. Me? A nipple nazi!

:rofl:

Well, I do like nipples a lot, but I'd hardly categorize myself as fanatical about it.

I posted this because I thought it was a cool demonstration and something of a social/political statement against the neo-Victorianism emerging in this country.

I've done most of what you list in your rant and a helluva lot more. I also feel I don't have to answer to you about what I post. I'll post whatever I damn well please here so long as it does not violate DU rules.

[bloom]

133. BUMP!!!

[Kber]

171. Um - so don't read the threads that don't interest you - sheesh!

[bloom]

96. What a fun protest!

More power to 'em. :yourock:

[Desertrose]

115. I agree...they are definitely having fun..I miss those days.....

....my baby will be 23.

[mitchum]

102. I was more than uncomfortable after seeing that lisping hag...

in tight leather pants four years ago.

[thereismore]

120. cow's milk is for calves, breastmilk is for babies

unless you absolutely cannot nurse, breastfeeding makes perfect sense. Think about it: if humans evolved over 5 million years, wouldn't breastmilk be perfect for a baby? Or does Nestlee know a "better way"?
It's a sad commentary that a bunch of breastfeeding mothers even makes news.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

132. Great! I breastfed both of my kids and it was one of the best

things I could have done for them. I nursed them in public if I had to, and you know what? Not one person ever said boo.

[Maine-ah]

136. Hey, I'm all for the breast feeding

plan to do so when I have kids. But, I have one comment on the second pic, I think that a couple of those kids look a little old to be breast feeding. JMHO, I've never breast fed (obviously I have no kids :) ) but everyone else I know that has, stopped BF the kids when teeth started coming in.

So, now my question is: How old is too old? I know someone who was BF until they were 2/3 y.o. They have vague memories of this as well. That's kind of "icky" to me.

[gollygee]

139. You need to do some more research

All major health organizations recommend breastfeeding until *at least* age 2.

Here's a good place to start to learn about why it's healthy and good to nurse a toddler. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html

[LeftyMom]

144. The average global weaning age is four

The WHO reccomends children nurse until at least two years of age, the APA reccomends exclusive breastfeeding (no added solids) for the first six months and nursing as the primary source of nutrition for the first year, continuing as long as mother and child mutually desire after that.

Breast milk continues to be nutritious and nursing continues to be comforting long after the first year of life. Children will taper off and wean themselves, usually between the ages of two and five, without any parental pressure (that sounds late, but most kids only nurse once or twice a day after two or three) although some kids take longer for whatever reason.

I think people's discomfort with extended or public breastfeeding is the percetion that breasts are sexy. It's sad, because the primary and most important function of breasts is to feed children. Thier sexiness is an added bonus, and shouldn't interfere with thier day job. :)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

155. My sons decided when they wanted to stop nursing. My oldest at

22 months, and my youngest on the eve of his first birthday.

[Betty]

153. Where's john ashcroft when you need him?

he'd make take care of this.

[Must_B_Free]

176. breastfeeding is pedophilia

sick disgusting women indoctrinating tiny babies into public displays of sexual activity, they all ought to be shot!

now read my disclaimer before you pitch a fit.

[Warren DeMontague]

180. Good for them. Right On.

Oh, and in California, the right to breastfeed is protected by law.

[Stockholm]

181. Moms rules! n/t