Get Over It!

Blame Redzilla...again.

I have never been a breastfeeding fanatic. I firmly believe that what's best for mom is best for baby; if breastfeeding doesn't work for you, so be it. I turned out just fine on Enfamil from day one. I had a great bond with my mom and managed to grow up tall, healthy, and smart.

But breastmilk is especially designed by Nature to meet each baby's unique needs. It doesn't get any better than that, if you're a healthy mother who can nurse an infant and wants to. It should be a right - and there shouldn't be any unreasonable restrictions as to when and where you can feed your child when he or she is hungry. If you wouldn't ban a bottle-fed child from eating at a particular place and time, then you shouldn't ban a breastfed one, either. Period.

You think God wouldn't want a woman baring her breasts in public? Then why didn't He, in His infinite wisdom, put the nipples on her fingertips? Hmm? Would the conservatives dare argue that God should have designed women better? Or was it some nefarious cosmic plot designed to prove that women shouldn't be allowed to leave the house, to work, to travel? I don't think so.

If the sight of a nursing breast offends you, don't look. How hard is that? I've long suspected that the only reason for requiring Muslim women to cover themselves head to toe is because men think men cannot control their animal lusts, and would somehow like to place the blame for that on us. Well, I know plenty of men who can exercise control over their lust - so I find this notion grossly insulting to real men. I know there are some men who can't, and they should probably be locked away somewhere. Women shouldn't be made to suffer because a man is weak-willed and undisciplined.

Back in November 2006, a woman was kicked off a Delta Airlines flight for discreetly breastfeeding her child. Here's an article on it: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15720339/?from=ET

That's just nuts. Sorry, but I recall a flight when my son was a year old - if I hadn't been "allowed" to breastfeed, I'm fairly sure they'd have thrown the screaming terror out the rear exit at 35,000 ft. Or stuffed him into an overhead compartment in the back, with an oxygen mask over his face to muffle the yelling. If I hadn't been his mother - and loved him dearly - I'd have been tempted. The only thing I could do to calm him was to nurse him. I'm surprised the other passengers didn't keep an eye on me to make sure I didn't stop. Believe me, I didn't plan on nursing my child until he was almost four years old. Comments from people who think that's "gross" or somehow inappropriate have no clue - let's face it, would you rather see moms doling out Valium to their tots? I didn't think so. Besides, breast milk is just so much more effective, anyway.

Ban a nursing mother from the plane? You've got to be kidding me. With all the complaints people make about crying babies on airplanes, you'd think they'd make mothers sign an agreement promising to nurse them on demand.

But oddly enough, it's usually other women who complain. I would be willing to bet this nursing mother didn't simply rip off her top or flop out a boob and go for it. I'd almost be willing to bet the other passengers couldn't see a darned thing that wouldn't be revealed in a low-cut top or bikini, if that. Why the sight of a mother breastfeeding her child in public bothers anyone is beyond me. I have never seen one who flopped out a boob and was anything but discreet.

I can't say that for all breastfed babies, of course. I do remember breastfeeding my son in the waiting room at NTB, once, while they kindly fixed yet-another-nail-hole in one of my tires (I lived in a construction zone, so I was a monthly customer for a while). He began to make what I liked to call "my compliments to the chef" noises. My son was anything but discreet in his vocal appreciation of fine mother's milk. Not my fault - no, I had on a nursing top, he was tucked completely into a sling, and I'd thrown a receiving blanket over us for good measure. Finally, the man sitting next to me couldn't take it anymore. He broke into a silly grin and said, "That must be a fine lunch. He really likes that."

I was a little taken aback at provoking comments from a stranger, but I looked the guy over and laughed. "You have kids, don't you?" I asked.

"Three of them, all grown now." He smiled, and went back to reading his magazine, a nostalgic grin on his face.

*SIGN THE PETITION TO SUPPORT BREASTFEEDING: http://www.momsrising.org/breastfeeding-petition
Join me in telling Delta Airlines to get a clue and be supportive of breastfeeding mothers; and also in telling Congress it's time to pass the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding mothers. Clearly this law is needed now!

If you doubt the power of action, see the update: http://www.momsrising.org/node/430?comments_per_page=50&page=38

And, I hope you'll also join me and tens of thousands of others in one of the most exciting grassroots movement on the Internet: MomsRising.org.

SIGN ON WITH MOMSRISING AT: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/signUp.jsp?key=1682&t=longsignup.dwt

MomsRising.org (http://www.momsrising.org) is working to build a massive grassroots movement big enough to impact the outcome of the 2008 elections and beyond. The time has come to break the logjam that's been holding back family-friendly legislation for decades. It's going to take all of us--and then some--working together to get there.

Thank you!

Comments

[Red Pen]

[this is good] Great info. Thanks. I'll gladly sign the petition.

[RedScylla]

[this is good] Good stuff. I hadn't heard about the woman kicked off the plane for doing what any caring mother would do.  That's vicious.  Plus, I'll bet nursing is an excellent combatant against ear pressurization.

[electric firefly]

[this is good] Great post.  I just signed the petition - thanks for the link to that and the info on MomsRising.  I can't believe that it was only a couple of months ago that a woman was kicked off a plane for breastfeeding!  I had thought we were becoming more enlightened.  The people behind the airplane ejection must be the same idiots who thought of the "Indigenous nudity" warning for documentaries appearing on public television.  I cannot believe we have to separate out indigenous nudity from Western nudity.  I want to have a program where I (or someone more comfortable appearing nude) sit there totally naked and call it "Indignant Nudity."

[Holly]

The folks who thought up the "Indigenous Nudity" warning (haven't seen those, but what a hoot) are the same ones who got off on reading National Geographic as kids. No doubt, some dimwit thought just handing them a Playboy would be too "confusing." As a result, we now have well-educated dimwits.

And while I do prefer to shield my kids from watching anything that features "kinky" sex, I'm with those who cannot help but wonder why we'd prefer kids to see violence in movies than nudity or anything that even hints of sex?

Then again, we deprive kids of all appropriate outlets for their violent tendencies ("toy guns are bad!") and then expect them to be calm and well-adjusted? Sounds good, until you have children - particularly boys - of your own to raise.

[Something Else]

[ﻩﺫﺍ ﻩﻭ ﺎﻠﺤﻜﻣ] We were talking about this 26 years ago when I was a real radical for breastfeeding my kids (till well beyond their first birthdays!).  You'd think things would move on.  Or maybe people talked to my first ob/gyn who was trying to convince me to wean my son by telling me that baby boys have erections while they're nursing!  (You'd think he would've known they have them ALL THEIR LIVES !!!)  I'm signing.

[Lokii]

[this is good] fr33 t3h b00b13z!

Kind of sad that mothers (our most precious natural resource) are being discriminated against in this day and age.

Here in Oz public breastfeeding is perfectly acceptable, although you may get some stares and snickering from teenagers in the 14-17 bracket. I would say people who oppose breast-feeding just can't move with the times... but I'm pretty sure women 10,000 years ago breast-fed their cvhildren in public.

[Holly]

[this is good]

I'm pretty sure that 10,000 years ago, the only reason they wore clothes was to keep warm or shield themselves from insects or maybe even protect against sunburn. IF they wore clothes. You look at primitive tribes today; many still don't. We're just really up-tight. Which is not to say that I'm not a product of my era and my culture - I scream if a saleslady peeks through the slats of the dressing room door at a store to ask if I need anything. But there's a good reason for breastfeeding a child, and it should be totally acceptable anywhere it's okay for people and their children to eat.

It's funny - I actually got very few looks, snickers, or comments from teens when I was nursing my son. Most of it came from older women - women of the "Enfamil is best" generation (like my mom). My grandmothers were all for it - my dad's mom was truly an advocate for breastfeeding and never missed a chance to say how "proud" she was of me for choosing to feed my children that way.

[devonrex]

he's talking about boobies!!  heeheeheee...

[devonrex]

oh, oops...

she's talking about boobies!  heeheehee...

Ok, the moment is lost, that's not funny at all.

[Holly]

Did you think I needed a translation?? :/

[devonrex]

I can't stop myself from guilding the lily:)

[Bee]

[this is good] Kinda sad how some people even suggest taking my son to the restroom to
breastfeed -- as if they would want someone to serve their dinner on a
toilet?!?  I think not!  I breastfed my son -- in public or
private -- as long as he would breastfeed, and then (when he started to
boycott the breast) I expressed my milk to keep him off formula long
enough to make it to cow's milk...  With the cost of formula, I
don't know why more people don't breastfeed based solely on cost, let
alone the bonding time, the convenience for travel/midnight feedings,
and the nutritional benefits...  Everyone has a choice, but it was
a no-brainer for me...

[RPM]

[this is good] you know...(sorry for weighing in so late)...my mom retired from delta a few years back...and I am appalled. I am not against breastfeeding, not sure I'd do it - but it is so innocent, and it's a basic essential act. To prohibit it, further castrates our society and takes us away from our humanity. We'll shun a mother breastfeeding her infant, and watch another woman bend over to pick up her luggage and expose the crack of her ass.

People need to seriously buy a clue.

[ashley]

[this is good] just a big hell yeah.  i wish i'd had the ovaries to nurse my girls in public, but i was nervous of the backlash, so i'd just find a fitting room if we were at the mall, or have a bottle of ebm at hand.  now when i see moms nursing in public, i want to go give them a big high five or a pat on the back at least...

[Holly]

Thanks! It's really sad that we worry SO much about what others think that a few disapproving frowns or snide remarks can make us feel bad about feeding our children in public - giving them what doctors say is BEST for them. (And yet, do something that's not BEST for them, and those same people are quick to condemn us for that, as well - you can't win with these people, why try so hard?)

Then again, some folks are just that clueless. When my son was born, I fed him that night and he immediately dropped off to sleep. (Nursing mothers know that the real milk doesn't come in for about three days - and that's okay - babies get a little colostrum, nothing more, and it's enough to last them until the milk comes.) I sent him back to the nursery so I could sleep, and enjoy my painkillers, without worrying that someone might abduct him while I slept. Fifteen minutes later, they called me. "Can we give your son some formula?"

"Why?"

"He's hungry."

"He's breastfed, and I just fed him. He was sound asleep fifteen minutes ago."

"Well, now he's inconsolable." I kid you not; the nurse used the word inconsolable. "Can we just give him a little sugar water? Please?"

"No! What is wrong with you people? Just bring him back to me!"

So they did. I put him to the breast, and he promptly fell asleep. He had NO interest in eating or drinking - and he was exhausted, not inconsolable. I put him into the bassinet. I could not get back to sleep, and he wouldn't wake up and play, so I walked to the nursery. It was just across the hall; I figured if anyone tried to abduct my son, I'd see or hear them and could do a flying tackle. Call me "hyped on hormones," but I was ready for 'em. And I saw the problem. Babies, when they're born, are given eye drops (or ointment) to prevent infection. They have sensitive little eyes - they've spent nine months in dark, wet, warmth and suddenly they're assaulted by dry air, chemicals, and LIGHT. And the insensitive boobs in the nursery didn't even bother to dim the lights at night, or to shield the little ones' eyes in any way.

Later, when I fed him again and sent him back to the nursery, I suggested that they throw a lightweight receiving blanket across the head of the bassinet, to block the light. That worked like a charm. The nursery staff expressed their amazement. How clever! I just rolled my eyes. My son and I could not get home fast enough - as soon as that 24 hours was up, we were OUTTA there. You could see the tension draining from him as we crossed the threshhold into "home."

If he'd been my first child, I might have bought into that whole "inconsolable" bit. I might've given up breastfeeding altogether - surely I was inadequate to feed my child, and formula would fill him up and make him sleep soundly. And he would no longer be inconsolable. I shudder to think what we'd have missed.

[ashley]

Don't get me started on hospital staff.  My 2nd was preemie by about 6 weeks and I didn't even get to nurse her for the first 24 hours.  I still think that's why she has so many problems with allergies and eczema.  They gave her formula and calorie boosters so she could gain weight when I was perfectly willing and able to nurse her.