Sunday, January 1, 2012

Another Year Another War On Breastfeeding

So why is it that it is almost exclusively between the months of January and March that the world seems to converge to all hate breastfeeding all at once. Last January and February I wrote a few posts on then current breastfeeding bashers. Here, here, here, and here. This year again it has already begun. A new year approaches and the bfing war begins a new. The three main offenders this time are Target, NASCAR Racecar Driver Kasey Kahne, and commenters on the website Chow.com. Let's begin with the least offensive.
Recently on Chow.com a question was asked what the table manners precedents for bfing were. The Author of the blog answered honestly in that she felt it was completely ok to even uncovered bf in a restaurant. Commenters disagreed! I think honestly though I could not write as wonderful a response to this as one blogger already did. So here is her post on this topic.
Next is the next least offensive, Target. Recently a Target store harassed and humiliated a young breastfeeding mother for bfing in their store and told her she needed to do it in a dressing room. She was so upset that she posted about it on her FB wall and decided to start a nurse in at Target Stores nationwide. The events page got thousands of bfing mothers who were willing to attend the nurse in. I honestly wish I was still nursing so i could join them. Our nearest Target is 1.5 hrs away but I would still go there if I was bfing just to participate and show my support.
The last and most offensive was NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne tweeting about how disgusting he thinks bfing in public is. When a person disagreed with him he called her "a dumb bitch".  He has since appologized but not before outraging bfing mothers everywhere.
So I have said it before.. I will say it again. Anyone who thinks breastfeeding in public is wrong is a hypocrite. We are surrounded by breasts as sexualized images everyday. How are those right but using your breasts for their biological purpose is wrong. We are mammals. Mammals are called mammals because they feed their young with their mammary glands. Breastfeeding a human baby is no different then a pup drinking from a mother dog, a calf drinking from a mother cow, or any other mammal drinking from it's mother. Breastfeeding is so delicate a process too, one of the arguments against bfing in public is that the only reason why you can't feed from a bottle while out is choice. That is bull. 1. pumps suck.. they never work right and they can slow your supply. 2. your breasts hurt bad if engorged and either eating or pumping is the only way to stop that.. so which of the following scenarios would you like to see while eating: my child discreetly feeding, a machine pulling and elongating my nipples through clear plastic suction cups while making a gross sucking noise, or my breast just finally exploding and milk pouring through my shirt and down on the table (and yes that happens). I think the first choice is the best one.. don't you? Why should a mother have to refrigerate and then heat up cold pumped breast milk when her supply is always body temperature and always fresh? It saddens me to no end that people are still so sickened by one of the most natural things in the world. So I leave you today with a clip from a 1977 episode of Sesame Street. Enjoy.

2 comments:

  1. Regarding the Target nurse-in, there is actually even a little more to the outrageous story. As quoted from the official nurse-in group page, and repeated in nearly every article about the incident: "When she was asked to move to a private location, she refused, and was harassed and humiliated by three separate employees. She then called Target's corporate customer service number and was told by a representative, and then her supervisor that they were aware of the laws, but that just because something is lawful doesn't mean its acceptable in their store." Now that last bit is the most outrageous part to me. I wish I had been able to attend the nurse-in. But, like you, the nearest Target store is 1.5 hours away and I didn't have the means to travel that far with two young children.

    And talking about Kasey Kahne... he was so offensive that his sponsors not only forced his apology but they issued one of their own stating that the views of their driver [Kahne] are NOT the views of their company and that they fully apologize for his remarks.

    I could go on all day long about the ignorance of anti-breastfeeders, but it is quite honestly not worth my time. Actions speak louder than words, and I will continue to (extended) breast feed my daughter, without a cover, discreetly in public whenever she needs it.

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  2. Oh wow. Thank you for that. I didn't know that. It is amazing how a large chain store like that can disregard a law and not even care how many mothers they are denying the rights of.

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