Monday, January 25, 2010

Breastfeeding - It's normal, get over it facebook


As a male heterosexual I like breasts. One could wax eloquently about these wonderful creations. However as a health expert I am very aware of there created function in providing babies with miracle food.

It is ironic that the country that gives us Britney Spears, (or Madonna for us 80's fans) and R16 movies with amble breast in love making scenes can't cope with a babies face pressed against a breast. I don't think I have seen any pictures of breast feeding mums that are even vaguely pornographic. This comes from the guy who once was a member of International Lactation Consultants and went to national and international conferences about breast feeding. (as an aside my male work colleges enjoyed hassling me about all the pictures of breasts at these conferences - except that watching photographs of breast inflammation/mastitis/swelling/post operation breast was about as exciting as reading about how prostrates are operated on)

Furthermore mum's who breast feed in public are normally very discrete. They use a soft cuddle draped around baby, between that and babies head there is virtually no cleveage shown, let alone any breast tissue. Walking downtown on any street in NZ on a Friday or Saturday night there would lots more breast shown in a far more sexy way.


Any way as you would have notices I support public examples of breast feeding. Facebook and Myspace stop making a big fuss over it.

For those who want to know the top picture is Victoria (now 9), then Trinity (now 7) and Yasmin (now 5). The last photo is Yasmin minutes after she was born. Naturally after the previous two were C-sections.

5 comments:

  1. Glad you are a supporter.
    The only thing I disagree with is the use of the word "discreet" it implies there is something forbidden or risky happening.
    That word has no place in breastfeeding lingo.

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  2. Thanks for your feedback. I was using the word in terms of - not a song and dance or attention seeking. eg mum doesn't stand up and shout to the world I am breast feeding now !!

    Maybe a better word might be "non obvious". eg a normal part of life, just as normal as drinking a cappuccino at a cafe.

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  3. "non obvious"

    I like that!

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  4. Important blog post. Thanks very much for including it.

    As someone who has rarely used a soft cuddle or anything else beyond what I was already wearing (maybe a muslin on the rare occasion in sunny circumstances to prevent sunburn), I also am quite wary of the implication that women ought to have the concerns of others, or the feeling that what they are doing is unwelcome, uppermost in their minds when breastfeeding.

    Breastfeeding establishment and maintenance suffers due to the intense sexualisation of the breast, and the sight of breastfeeding can only help to normalise what is the particular purpose of women's breasts in the minds of those fortunate enough to see it happening without shame or fear.

    Never one to song and dance in public (about anything), I have nevertheless always been well pleased with my own ability to nurture my young - as base as it is it's regularly something many women have overcome either cultural or physical barriers to achieve. Nothing wrong with a bit of pride in that.

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  5. Jo

    Great stuff, you should indeed be well pleased and have a bit of pride with your ability to nurture your young though breast feeding.

    "intense sexualisation of the breast" that is a great quote. Never seen it in this light before. It makes a lot of sense.... and explains the rather bizarre news item a few years back about breast feeding in Victoria's Secret lingerie shop. How weird is that - on the shop walls are breasts (I assume this as we don't have V.S. here in NZ) yet a lady likely showing less breast was asked not to breast feed?! OMG.

    Perceiving breasts as a sex object explains why some of the radio commentators we saying why the didn't like breast feeding in public. I grew up as part of a large family so breast feeding in or out of public was the norm, then worked in the lactation field (cows then a small amount with mums) so to me breasts are sexy but have a purpose. Guess it is like any other part of the body, eyes can be sexy - yet they have a primary purpose of seeing, legs can be sexy - yet their primary purpose is walking, breasts can be sexy - yet their primary purpose is feeding.

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