Wow who would have thought that my little ole blog would have been able to create all this commotion. I was unaware that me having my own opinion was such a wrong thing. I must say though that the comments have got a little out of hand. So let me verify here a little because as it appears....most of you did not read what I actually said.
I do support breastfeeding. I do support breastfeeding in public (with a cover, or somewhat covered) I do not however think that creating such a protest, or rather the Nurse-In is necessary. I personally think it is tacky. I do not think that it gets the point across that these women were trying to accomplish. I feel that it is taking a child and using it to make a point. I would never do that to my child. But hey if that is what someone feels is the right thing to do....so be it. That is your right to be able to express yourself. My amazing husband fights for your freedom to be able to do so. I never think that doing something LIKE the Nurse-In is ever the answer to really get your point across.
Now I wanted to reply to a few people that made some statements.......
I am not bitter that my son has eating problems and therefore could never latch. Am I sad because I could not actually breastfeed him? Of Course. Do I wish that I could do that instead of pumping all the time? Of course!!! Am I jealous of other mothers who can? No not at all. I am able to feed my son with the same healthy milk. And because I pump....I am able to produce 54 oz a day. That is a lot more than most people can produce. And because of this.....I have been able to feed a sweet little baby boy in Utah who was born at 26 weeks and lived. He has had a lot of roadblocks over the last year, but he is doing great!! And I love that I can help him.
So let's all recap here.....Breastfeeding.......good!! Breastfeeding in public.....fine!!!
Using your child to get your point and beliefs across....I do not believe in. So that about sums it up....
Oh wait......and for the Granola Girls comment......that is my off sense of humor that my mother and I would joke about when I was younger if we had let our legs go a few days without a good mowing...we would be granola girls. That also stems from seeing women on T.V. growing up who were the hippie type yelling about something, burning something in protest, and had hair coming out of their armpits that was longer than the hair on their head. That is a granola girl. Not the women nursing in Target. I had stated in my blog that when I first started reading it.....I had WONDERED if they were granola girls. And that is about it. I did not say they are. So ya...that's all folks.
If you would like to comment on this....that is fine. But I ask that you keep the language clean.....That you not attack me or anyone else on here......and that you be kind. It is possible for a person to voice an opinion and not be a jerk, or vicious. If you post something that is hurtful to others or rude......it will not be published. If you disagree with me, that is fine.....I am open to discussion and your views.
XoXo-Mama Bear
I didn't comment before, because I guess I didn't think that you needed another comment, but I guess I will post one here.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I was a little surprised by your view; or I don't know.....not surprised really, but it didn't occur to me that it would be an issue for you.
I nursed both of my kids, but never really thought of myself as a crazy la leche league advocate (my mom got a la leche league book for me that seemed very extreme in its views, so I guess what I mean is that I didn't fully agree with it.) But I am a woman's advocate, women in any way for that matter, if you want to be a mom, awesome, if not - awesome. If you want to nurse, awesome, if not - awesome. BUT above all, I am a women's advocate because we have a society that treats us poorly for issues that are purely based on our gender.
I never covered up while nursing, never. I wasn't walking around topless; but I wouldn't want to lay with a blanket over my head, and I very much doubted my children did either - there is nothing, nothing at all offensive about a breast - society sucks and has over-sexualized a part of my body that was meant for feeding a child, so you know what? screw you society. If you are offended look away, you have the same right to do that that I have to not look at shirts that say "F" you. I am not going to go away, I am not going to hide just because I have a child and am no longer using a non-genital body part for something other than being sexy - it's not my job to be sexy for anyone (including my husband)
My family is from Africa, where breasts are common sights, and not the end of the world, so maybe that influences me, but I am proud to have nursed wherever I needed to, and I don't care who saw me do it, I wasn't "whipping" my boob out at the drop of a hat, but I was as discrete as possible, and if you saw something, it was what it was. I never viewed nursing as sacred or special, (I am not personally a big fan of milk so that might be why) simply something I did for the betterment of my child's health, and something that didn't need to be secreted away to the dark corners of the world.
I always think it's funny when people try to use the "I don't want to see a penis" argument as an equivalent to a breast - a breast is not a genital body part, if a girl had her genitals out in public I would be unhappy too.
I am a feminist (I realize this word has gotten unpopular, but to me it simply means "being treated as a human being") and as such I believe that in order to achieve the rights we deserve, women need to band together. If it weren't for people refusing to get off of buses, or out of "whites only" seats where would the human rights movement be? Our country has a long and proud history of civil protests, and they HAVE changed the world. The woman who was treated rudely was being abused by a society that has over-sexualized her, she was being denied the right to be in public simply for feeding her child in public - something that only a woman can have happen to her. I am proud that her sister's came to her side and stood out in public to stand up for her rights, if I had been there and a nursing mother I hope I would have done the same) I hope that by the time my daughter has to decided whether or not she will have/and nurse kids, that the world will have changed in such a way that she is not shamed by people for not living up to THEIR personal standards of what is right for her body, but her own standards. I don't agree that those women "used" their children, they allowed their children to participate in important civil rights movements, which in my mind is quite and example and gift to those children.
I too have a husband that fights for our freedoms, and he was never offended by my nursing choices, or anyone else's for that matter.
Real mature to equate feeding babies to no class. Grow up. You think breasts are for your husbands arousal, normal people think they are food. Don't like it? Hey, don't look. Some people don't like pointed shoes, it's your dumb right to wear them!!!!!!!! FEED THOSE BABIES MAMAS! Burning brain cells and letting a baby cry is not classy, it's horrific!
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