Do you or does anyone you know think breastfeeding is abhorrent?

[m0mmaBuck]

I don't think it's "icky" but I never enjoyed it or felt some special bond while doing it. With DS, I went back to work after 6 wks and spent countless hours hooked up to the milking machine feeling like a dairy cow for an entire year (because after I went back to work he obviously got bottles from DH and refused to bother with the breast). I was home with DD so I actually nursed her from the breast and I found it to be a time-consuming annoyance rather than some fantastic bonding experience. Why did I do what I did for both of them? Because I honestly believe that breastmilk is a far superior substance than formula.

[ktgrok]

I know lots of women that think it is icky, or gross, or weird. They usually "try" anyway, but give up quickly and are glad to be done with it. They really do have weirdness about it and think it is disgusting.

 

As for Sesame Street teaching it, they are not going to teach it. They have been requested to show it sometimes, instead of ALWAYS showing babies as being bottlefed. If all kids see is babies being bottlefed they grow up thinking that is the norm. The idea is to show both, the way the show used to do decades ago.

[ktgrok]

I guess we live in different worlds. Most parents I know do indeed care deeply about what their children encounter on the television.

I find it slightly disturbing that anyone would suggest it's a good idea to discreetly "slip in" a social agenda on a children's show; no matter how "good a cause".

 

With that said, we are conservative and we love Sesame Street. We grew up on it ourselves :D.

 

I'm not sure how showing a baby breastfeeding is a social agenda but showing a baby bottlefeeding isn't?

[ktgrok]

Yes. I have had a few of those too.

 

I also heard to wean them when they get teeth. Some of mine had teeth at 3 months old!

 

LOL, mine was born with 2 teeth! Guess that advice wouldn't work.

 

Oh, and my boss, a vet, told me to wean them when they were a certain age because that is what dogs do with puppies. ugh.

[GingerPoppy]

I've known many grown women that felt this way. Part of it might be sexual I suppose, but mostly the entire concept of being that physically and constantly attached to anyone is viewed as gross, icky, or weird by them. They are just as loving towards their kids and have great relationships with their kids, but that constant closeness for much of any non emergency reason seems weird to them.

 

Especially to a parent that doesn't stay home full time, breast feeding IS a pita. If I had to mess with pumping and bottles, I might as well just give formula.

 

I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding. I've been doing it nearly non stop for almost my entire adult life! But it does have perceived draw backs. I have to have my baby with me 24/7 for many months. Or pump, which has never been easy for me. I finally decided I'd never pump again barring medical need and preface formula on hand for emergencies. For ME It also means more feedings, softer diapers, less sleep and not sleeping alone with my dh. It means being in public and having your boobs leak in front of strangers or rushing home to be there in time for the next feeding.

 

For US, we view all those things as just life as we know it and just a natural part of having kids. We don't resent it or get frustrated by it or find it unusual or overwhelmingly difficult.

 

But for most people, especially those outside of home schooling or SAHparents circles? That sounds mostly like hell for several months or years to do that while holding down a job, meeting social commitments, taxing other kids about for school or social whatever.

 

I've only read about the first 5 pages. I do agree that might sound annoying in the context described above, but hellish to ME is waking in the night and having to stumble out of bed to heat up a bottle and then hold it upright for the baby, instead of just grabbing the baby and getting to stay horizontal! Also, the thought of all that cleaning and disinfecting of bottles and nipples (by hand--no dishwasher!)... not my thing.

[ktgrok]

:blush:

 

Sesame Street is very big on showing kids how to do things themselves, how to help out, how to be 'big kids.' I'm sure that's why they've shown babies being bottle fed as well as spoon fed. I agree that showing that it can be done differently it a good reason to show bfing, but it's not something that applies to most Sesame Street viewers in a personal way (they can't bf).

 

:lol: I was wondering what cloak and dagger group we weren't joining :lol: (regarding initiation)

 

But they show people working at jobs, etc a lot, and going to college, and those are things the target age kids can't do yet. The idea is to put it in their head that they will some day.

[edelweiss]

I have to admit that breastfeeding is icky to me. :blush: It has absolutely nothing to do with it being "sexual". That doesn't cross my mind at all. I'm just pretty skeeved out by bodily fluids. I really, really hated when my breasts were producing milk. I felt absolutely disgusting. I completely understand that it is natural and that our bodies are meant to do that, yadda, yadda, yadda, but it didn't feel natural to me.

 

A good friend of mine breastfed her son. When I would occasionally watch him for her, she would send over a bottle of expressed breast milk. I, of course, never told her that I was grossed out, but I admit that the yuck factor was high for me.

 

However, I know that breastfeeding is best, and I completely support everyone's breastfeeding efforts. :001_smile:

[lionfamily1999]

But they show people working at jobs, etc a lot, and going to college, and those are things the target age kids can't do yet. The idea is to put it in their head that they will some day.

Sure, but the original question was why they show babies drinking bottles and whether or not bf babies should be equal in number, or if the difference between how often they're shown somehow means SS prefers bottles over b00ks.

 

My point was that they'll show what kids CAN do more often.

[stripe]

My grandma was aghast when shewas informed some people nurse babies with teeth. I don't think she'd ever considered that.

[ma23peas]

Breastfeeding babies, no...and certainly not abhorrent...but breastfeeding walking/talking/whining toddlers...yes, that does rattle my cage.

[Lovedtodeath]

• The immunities in mother’s milk continue as long as nursing continues, and some of the immunities increase in concentration as baby moves toward weaning. Children who are breastfed have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness.
  

 

 

• "Human milk expressed by mothers who have been lactating for >1 year has significantly increased fat and energy contents, compared with milk expressed by women who have been lactating for shorter periods. During prolonged lactation, the fat energy contribution of breast milk to the infant diet might be significant."
  -- Mandel 2005
  

 

• "Breast milk continues to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients well beyond the first year of life, especially protein, fat, and most vitamins."
  -- Dewey 2001
  

 

• Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986).
  

[Guest Smithtavin]

I think it is amazing that people find what is completely natural and human do be "icky". Did you ever see how they keep cows. It is a bodily fluid from a cow. Let me repeat....It is a bodily fluid from a cow. I could not nurse my first child but I did nurse my second. I have no problem if people choose not to nurse but I think it is so ignorant to see it as anything but a natural process of feeding a HUMAN baby, child or toddler. I have not had a calf come up to me lately for milk so it seem the less intelligent species of the world have more understanding of what is natural for the young of there kind. I hate to be preachy, but I have turned into a lactivist;). I did have people tell me it was gross and I had to bite my tongue several times.

[Sandra in FL]

Breast feeding was my favorite part of early childhood. Just created an extra-special bond between my kids and me. Did 14 months with each of the first 2 and 20 months with the last (had to stop because I got pneumonia - antibiotics). Would have continued until he was 3 or even beyond because he was allergic (dairy, eggs, soy, gluten, nuts, seeds) and could only tolerated my milk. However, I had to eliminate all his allergens from my diet. Boy, was that a tough 20 months - didn't go to many places as eating was a problem.

[momto3boys]

I have BF all three of my sons until age one, my family was generally supportive until that point even though I'm the only one in the family to BF. I do feel weird giving other people my breast milk to feed baby when I am away (which is very rarely)...I don't know why. I do think its funny that people are turned off by BFing but have no problem with drinking the breastmilk of a cow!

 

That being said I have been told that I was "vain" for BFing...apparently this person thought women that BF just do it to lose weight.