Jophiel, don’t you agree, its really too special a moment to share with just anyone?
Oh, cripes, boys and girls, it isn’t a frigging trip to Lourdes or Medajorge, it’s feeding your kid. I can watch six puppies at a time do it.
Hey, I find religion pretty offensive, but that doesn’t seem to stop anybody.
Six puppies at a time can feed your kid? Dear lord, man, what sort of child do you have?
Kelli: Are you asking me if I think there shouldn’t be breastfeeding in public because I don’t want other people looking at her?
“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
Well I changed my last name to “Dennison” from “Moreau” . . .
thats what I mean, if you do something that makes people uncomfortable, its rude!!religion-shoving-down -throats is , well, rude
and Jophiel, I just mean that why would you want to share the sight of your woman feeding your baby with the crass cretins of the world?why expose mom & babe to the negativity, when they can have a peaceful feeding in private, or discretelyin a quiet public place…when a woman whips out a tittie and pops it in juniors mouth, it diminishes woman kind and makes us into the whelping bitch(female dog) with puppies.
ps, any woman who nurses…you are giving your baby the best possible start, and GOOD FOR YOU!!!its not always easy, or convenient, so pat yourself on the back.
xo kellibelli
“if nobody’s sick, and nobody’s dyin’, nothing else matters.”…my Mom
kellibelli:
>> why expose mom & babe to the negativity, when they can have a peaceful feeding in private, or discretelyin a quiet public place… <<
Well, there isn’t always a private place around when the kid needs to eat, unfortunately. If by “discreetly”, you mean covered with a blanket or something, I agree.
Frankly, the nursing women I’ve seen DO cover up to nurse and DON’T telegraph the fact that they are doing so. I’ve never seen a women “whip out a tittie and pop it in junior’s mouth.” Anybody who gets offended by a women nursing a baby modestly (you know, with the blankie shielding the action in the near-universal fashion) is just being too damn picky. As for: “…nursing my babies was one of the most beautiful, spiritual-even, experiences of my life, and I cherished every second, it was too special and personal to share with strangers even if they weren’t bothered by it…” Well, I dunno. I DID enjoy nursing my son, and was sorry that I wasn’t able to nurse my daughter, but I still think it is a pragmatic rather than spiritual thing. I was FEEDING the kid not worshipping him. Also, if he didn’t get it when he wanted it he sounded like an air-raid siren. Believe me, discreet public nursing when necessary was VASTLY preferrable to letting him go hungry! And, I certainly didn’t feel that nursing in public was “sharing” the experience with the populace. Now, if I had said, “Sir, would you like a suck?..”
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
Thanks gals for the “pat on the back” about my decision to breastfeed. It’s been a difficult 2 weeks, and I assumed it would come so easily! No one told me “latching on” could be as difficult as getting the damned space shuttle to dock with Mir!
I was considering going to the museum today to see this Egypt exhibit but might not since I may have to nurse while there. No comfy chairs to sit in. 
While shopping the other day, I noticed that dressing rooms seem ideal for nursing, especially at the nicer department stores. Privacy and the comfy chair. 
It can be done discreetly. I don’t consider it spiritual- I was allergic to cow’s milk formulas and soy formulas. My twin nieces suffer the same and are on a horribly expensive and nasty formula. I want what’s best for my little boy…that’s all.
PR
If you’re not part of the solution you’re just scumming up the bottom of the beaker.
damn straingt, and they shoulndt be staring at your bosom either.
I was always discrete…my aunt however, well, she whipped those puppies out at the least whimper from baby, and almost as if she wanted to bother people…that is who I was referring too, prarie rose, it does get easier…watch spicy foods, or those high in acid they might upset little Christopher (is that his name?)and if you call the museum, they just might have a nursing room, even the mall here in nowheretown has one, comfy chair n’all
oh, and one more piece of unsolicited advice, do what feels right…never mind the damn books,if you are tired and want to nurse jr. in bed, do it, follow your heart, it will make you both happier.(rub his little head for me will ya? I love babies!- oh wait, he was a good size, cancel the 'little’part. :))
the whole spiritual thing…well, maybe it is just with certain babies, I didnt feel the earth move when I nursed my first son, and I loved them equally, but I found nursing #2 the big bonding experience…dunno why.
I breastfed for 7 months. I wanted to go longer (more for finiancial reasons and health reasons than anything else) but the emerging of teeth and his desire to teeth on me ended it PDQ. I didn’t find Breastfeeding spiritual. I didn’t find it a pain either, well, after I got past the first three weeks of sore and painful nipples. BF forces a Mother to sit down for 15-30 minutes and relax. i loved it because I would read while feeding. I must have read a book a day during those 7 months. I am a tremendous proponent of relaxing.
What I found amazing was that BF was what breasts are for. No one tells you that when your breasts are full of milk and your child is nursing that you cannot feel it leave your body ( like when you pee and feel the rush of urine.) You (well I did) had to touch my breast to see if it still felt hard)
For those who are turned on by breastfeeding mama’s, all I have to say is take a taste of it and you will change your mind. After the first one or two pulls, the sweetness is gone and it is pretty narly stuff. (This is from a couple of dads who talked about it with my hubby. He confirmed it.) I pumped solely once to see what this conconction tasted like and well, ptoooey! If my son likes my breastmilk, then’ll he’ll think my cooking is Julia Child!
As for breastfeeding in public, I did it everywhere. Cars, restrooms, restaurants, parks, stores, airplanes. I didn’t use a blanket because nothing draws (IMHO) more attention to a BF Mom that a blanket draped across. Might as well wear hunter orange and put a neon sign around your head. I would BF in a bar with hubby’s friends around and they never knew I was feeding. I didn’t bare my boob for all to see, I would wear a sports bra (more support and no stupid latches to manuver with one hand) life up my shirt just enough and put the baby on. Most of the time no one even noticed. They thought my son was asleep on my lap. You learn to eat with one hand, though.
Good luck Prarie. Take your time and enjoy your son !
People change not because they see the light but because they feel the heat.
My wife breast fed our first two for about a year, and plans on breast feading our Chris for about the same. I’ll confirm most of what is said here - most mothers who breast feed in public try to find an out-of-the-way place, or cover up. No problem with me.
What I do have a problem with are the radicals. When Chris was in his bassenett in the hospital, there was a little card on it, with his name, birth date, statistics, etc. It also had a drawing of a woman whipping her tit out, and the largest letters on the card said “I’m a BREASTFED BABY”. Do we need to advertise that much?
Then, while in the hospital, we received literature from the LaLeche League (sp?). I aggree that breast milk is the best thing a baby can have, and you should breast feed them as long as possible, but they suggest 4 years. I’m sorry, but when that kid is old enough to come running up to momma, lift up her shirt and start sucking, that is too damned old for breast feeding.
And while I’m venting, I hate seeing 3-year-olds and older with pacifiers. Mom, take that damned thing away and learn to tell your child “NO!”
“The large print givith, and the small print taketh away.”
Tom Waites, “Step Right Up”
I was breastfed until I was two. The only reason my mother stopped was because some woman had walked past her and muttered, “that child is too old to be breastfed!”
I’m not anywhere close to being a mother but I certainly hope I would be stronger than my mother and ignore disapproving comments from strangers and posts. Why should anyone care if a child has a pacifier at age 3? Is it any of your business or does it affect you to any degree, PTV? There needs to be a MYOB thread!
Anyway, the benefits of breastfeeding are so great that I think society in general should be THRILLED at the sight of a nursing mother.
Speak for yourself. With me, that’s about as much of a turn-on as watching My Three Sons.
The previous post will make more sense to those who know that Drain Bead is a woman…
Your Quadell
Also, it’ll help to know she’s a huge My Three Sons fan 
“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
Back from a computer crash, responding to comments made several days ago, some originating in the “Shut Up” thread where this all started.
Maitlandish:
Yes, they are peeing, shitting and bathing the way nature intended. And our society (most human societies, in fact) have basically agreed that these things should be done privately because we find them offensive.
However, EATING is not offensive (usually). And all breastfeeding is is a child EATING. It’s normal, it’s healthy, it’s beautiful, it’s good. Because some people are too stupid and lame not to stare, it doesn’t make it the mother’s problem.
Why should we perpetuate the unreasonable and pathetic hangups of unenlightened people by bowing to them? We shouldn’t. You can only create change by doing, you can’t wait for everyone to be in agreement.
See the above. Eating is eating. It is normal for human infants to eat the food that nature intended, straight from its source. And I’m not going to suggest that they or their mother should in any way be uncomfortable or ashamed by asking them to remove themselves.
Stoidela
Boycott shampoo! Demand REAL poo!
PTVroman, congrats on your new son and your wonderful choice of name for him (my son’s name is Chris also). The only note about BF on my son’s hospital bassinet was “BF, no glucose or pacifiers”. Since he roomed in with us the whole time the tag wasn’t necessary for the nurses.
I agree that La leche league can be a bit militant. I go to the group and find much of the information helpful, but you have to let some of it go in one ear and out the other. It seems there’s always one woman in the group nursing a 3 year old, and it never fails to make me queasy. It’s none of my damn business how she raises her kid, but I can’t help but feel uneasy when the kid runs up to her and unbuttons her shirt!
I guess my issue with really late breastfeeding is that the moms I’ve seen doing it seem to use it in place of other ways of meeting the child’s comforting or snacking needs. Maybe I’m mean, but if your three year old is asking for breastmilk maybe a glass of juice or some cuddling is in order, not opening your blouse.
Off to go feed again…I feel like a cow somedays. Mooooooo…
PR
If you’re not part of the solution you’re just scumming up the bottom of the beaker.
On the AOL board someone called the La Leche League the “milk nazis.” Not far off, IMO. I had a really easy time nursing my son – I enjoyed it and had no difficulties at all. Therefore, I had nothing to do with the League after their one visit to me in the hospital. I would have nursed Nick for at least a year, but I got pregnant with my daughter when he was 5 months old. I kept on nursing until he was 8 months, when my OB-GYN made me stop – I wasn’t gaining weight because all the calories I took on board were going to either the baby or my milk. Anyway, I planned on nursing the new one, too. Unfortunately, she was nearly 3 months premature. So, I started in pumping milk to be stored until she could be fed (using a pump donated by the La Leache League). I should mention that Dori was born while we were on vacation at my in-laws house. After 2 weeks, my husband had to go back to work so I (and Nick, who was not yet 1 year old)stayed with my in-laws, both of whom were still working. Thank goodness it was summer and my teen age sister-in-law was very helpful about babysitting Nick. Dori was VERY sick with all the standard preemie stuff, I was recovering from a classic c-sction, my husband was 1000 miles away… it was gruesome. I was spending every morning at the hospital, the afternoons with Nick and most evenings (after Nick was asleep) back at the hospital. Anyway, after a few weeks my milk started failing. I had been pumping every three hours. La Leche recommended that I switch to every hour. Impossible. I couldn’t take the pump into the NICU with Dori and spending 15 minutes out of every hour on the pump at home meant I couldn’t care for Nick… Finally, I gave it up. When I took the pump back to la Leche (expecting sympathy) they were RUTHLESS. They actually said, “Your daughter is going to have plenty of health problems – you don’t want your selfishness to cause her extra problems, do you?” This is a direct quote, BTW, one I’m not likely EVER to forget! Well, being exhausted and worried (not to mention ANGRY!), I abandoned my usual lady-like demeanor and told them to jam their breast pump up their unhelpful asses. My experience with the group is that it is a support group only as long as nothing goes wrong. Then the milk storm troopers emerge!
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
I hated breastfeeding; I found it painful, degrading, and horribly inconvenient. I feel intensely guilty because of this attitude, but there it is. On the other hand, I’m not at all offended by other people breastfeeding.
I was too shy to even consider doing it in public, so I basically stayed in the house for several months- breastfed babies need to eat all the time and it takes forever. If you can’t breastfeed in public, how can you go anywhere, unless you enjoy sitting on a filthy toilet in a squalid restroom for a half hour at a time? The woman has to shoulder the entire burden; when you bottle feed you can coerce dad into helping you now and again.
If people are mildly offended by the sight of a mother modestly feeding her baby, their discomfort is considerably less than hers would be if she bowed to society’s wishes and stayed home until the kid was weaned.
Besides, a baby that is breastfeeding is a baby that is not screeching.
I will agree that they are helpful unless something is wrong. While I was in the hospital, delirious from meds and struggling, I couldn’t get in touch with my LLL leader. Seems she was off on a two week vacation and didn’t leave her answering machine on. And this was a person who promised me she’d be there to help after I delivered. At least she could’ve left another leader’s # on the freaking machine…
If you’re not part of the solution you’re just scumming up the bottom of the beaker.
Re: People breast-feeding their kids to the age of two, three or beyond
I’m sorry, but I was at a friends house who had a three year old. The kid knows how to speak at this point a little bit, and watching this kid go up to his mommy, grab hold of a hooter and saying more clearly than one would expect a child this age to say anything, “Mommy, let me eat you now” was totally unnerving.
This ain’t queasiness about seeing breast-feeding. I could care less about that. But I think the minute your kid is ASKING to be fed, it’s time to switch over to Gerber’s!
Brian O’Neill
CMC International Records
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