SKL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 You know, my mom is the one who told me men could breastfeed. I'm not sure how she knew it. I don't think it's a well-known fact, but I don't think that's a major trajedy either. If you want your kids to know, tell them. What is the big deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Men do not need female hormones to produce milk. I do know a family where the mom's milk dried up at 9 months for each of her babies and they just fed the baby goats milk until the baby was a year. This is an absolutely fascinating discussion. DH always wanted to be able to breastfeed. He was actually jealous, let alone how helpful it would have been when I was gone. He loved holding his children and cuddling them. I can't wait to share this conversation with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Your ignorance is WHY I insist on my son being exposed to this so that it is normal. Au contraire! I think Peter and Stewie have done more to promote the cause of dads breast feeding than anyone else in Amercia. What exactly am I ignorant about, BTW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 How do you know that you don't know any breastfeeding men?!? I bet you haven't even bothered to ask them! I'm sure breastfeeding Dads are actually quite common!! I think more Dads should breast feed in public with fully exposed nipples and areolas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I honestly had no idea that Dads breastfed for their kids. Learn something new every day. Apparently, I do not know the right kind of men! ... I know! You could add this to that other thread about things I didn't know until I learned them on WTM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 My daughters are offended when they see shirtless men. Maybe they would be more OK with it if said men were breastfeeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I think more Dads should breast feed in public with fully exposed nipples and areolas. Am I the only one who just tried to google breast-feeding men in kilts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Am I the only one who just tried to google breast-feeding men in kilts? Yes. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I think more Dads should breast feed in public with fully exposed nipples and areolas. Don't be sexist! They should be able to decide, just as women do, if they want to move to a more private place or use a cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Am I the only one who just tried to google breast-feeding men in kilts? Did you find any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Sorry, but a breast is a reproductive organ. They always have been, always will be. Just like a penis has another purpose, I don' think that if a girl grows up seeing many men discretely peeing, that it will be any less of a sexual organ when the time comes. This isn't correct. Mammary glands are part of the exocrine system and are not necessary for reproduction: i.e. someone with a complete double mastectomy could still reproduce without medical intervention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 OMG!! This thread! I am rolling. I can't wait to suggest to my dh tonight that he begin breastfeeding our son. He does use me nursing as an excuse why he can't do certain things (wake up at night with him, for one). That's about to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Has anyone studied the psychological effects of male breastfeeding on children? What if the child isn't weaned until he's school age? Does the effect differ for boys vs. girls? Is the composition of male breast milk as ideal for baby nutrition as female breast milk, and if not, is it proven to be better than formula? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 And, how does a guy go about buying a nursing bra? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Did you find any? No :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Just when you think you've heard it all... the internet never fails to amaze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 And, how does a guy go about buying a nursing bra? Etsy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 wouldn't hair on the nipples bother the infant? Or do they shave their nipples? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Has anyone studied the psychological effects of male breastfeeding on children? What if the child isn't weaned until he's school age? Does the effect differ for boys vs. girls? Is the composition of male breast milk as ideal for baby nutrition as female breast milk, and if not, is it proven to be better than formula? Food for thought! (insert junior high age giggling) :D On a more serious note, I would have to wonder if the lower fat ratio of the male body negatively effects the fat content of the milk. Nutritional studies should commence. One should not just assume that because male breastfeeding can be induced, that it should be. Data needs to be accumulated and evaluated. I wonder how much one would have to pay men to be induced into milk production for the purposes of a study? Me thinks for many men, a WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLE lot of money! LOL Faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 wouldn't hair on the nipples bother the infant? Or do they shave their nipples? Some women have hair around their areolae. Big thick black ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Men do not need female hormones to produce milk. I do know a family where the mom's milk dried up at 9 months for each of her babies and they just fed the baby goats milk until the baby was a year. My aunt was raised on goat milk because, like my second daughter, she was horribly allergic to breast milk. It works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Is anyone else picturing that dinner table scene from Meet the Parents? "I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?" Apparently the answer should have been, "Heck yeah!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 How do you know that you don't know any breastfeeding men?!? I bet you haven't even bothered to ask them! I'm sure breastfeeding Dads are actually quite common!! I highly doubt this. :huh: Just the thought of it makes me go. :willy_nilly: Men and women are different and are meant to have different roles in child rearing. I nursed my kids in front of my other kids and they are all comfortable with the thought of breastfeeding. In public I covered with a small blanket or nursing cover, and sometimes I even nursed in the car because it was more convenient. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Am I the only one who just tried to google breast-feeding men in kilts? To be entirely fair, it really should be a multi-tasking breast-feeding man wearing a kilt. While nursing the baby, he should be holding a cupcake in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Your posts imply that others are doing it wrong if they choose formula over the male breast. Did your kids' father breastfeed? Again, I'm like this .... :confused1: :smilielol5: Then I think of some of my neighbors, whose moobs I already do not want to see, and I want a vomit emoticon. Maybe I have the wrong attitude, and I should be forced to see as many moobs as possible so I can recognize male breastfeeding as a natural and beautiful thing. (Now I need another vomit emoticon.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I can't believe I wasted ten minutes reading this entire thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Of all the things I want for my boys, breast feeding their kids is not even on the list. I have to admit that it never even crossed my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Yep, my home is a nursing-friendly place. My kids don't blink at a friend or relative who breastfeeds around them. I certainly think it's healthy for boys and girls to see breasts as functional and matter-of-fact. Having said that, I acknowledge that breasts can also be erotic. I think teenagers and young adults should be capable of contextualising the female breast and understanding that in this context ( breast feeding, medical care ) they are non-erotic, in that context (intimate relationships) they are. I love that word "contextualizing." Yes, they need to be comfortable within context. The problem with our society is that context is definitely an issue; we have such an imbalance of context. Our society has driven home the message that boobs are for sex (yes and sex sells which is why they are used so much in advertising) and most adults in our country have not had enough exposure to the idea that breasts are also for feeding our young. The mere sight of them should not, in itself, be arousing, but the context. The mere knowledge that someone is nursing should not be embarrassing nor should it promote discomfort. I have always made it a policy in my home that nursing is welcome anywhere the mom feels comfortable and anyone who has a problem with it can leave. I hate the idea that, in this country, nursing a child is an isolating experience. I am all for those private bonding moments, but moms have other things to do as well. They have groceries to buy, parks to visit, But when we force mothers to make a choice between living an active life and nursing her child, we make babies pay for the imbalance in context in our society. To me, it is about removing obstacles to breastfeeding by normalizing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Boy, that dad sounds like a real quitter! He just gave up, huh? I hate it when men do things half-a$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I hate it when men do things half-a$$. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 This is starting to sound like a "why I'm the better mom" discussion, which IMO is extremely unhelpful. Don't leave out the better dad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Your ignorance is WHY I insist on my son being exposed to this so that it is normal. How does exposing your son to men breastfeeding make it normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 ohh thank God I stumbled on this nice normal post before I fled for ever from the weirdness. I can not stand bottle feeding apologetics on a bfing thread. Breastfeeding is the one best way to feed your baby. Followed by your own fresh milk pumped and fed via a bottle. Followed by your own frozen milk. Followed by someone else's milk. Formula comes in after all these other choices. This is not a breastfeeding thread. I don't know what it is, but I know what it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Has anyone studied the psychological effects of male breastfeeding on children? What if the child isn't weaned until he's school age? Does the effect differ for boys vs. girls? Is the composition of male breast milk as ideal for baby nutrition as female breast milk, and if not, is it proven to be better than formula? I think you could seriously get a government grant to do this kind of a study. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 This is not a breastfeeding thread. I don't know what it is, but I know what it's not. I'll tell you what kind of thread it is. It is the kind of thread that causes you to go check the mushrooms you bought at the farmers' market to see if they accidentally gave you the "magic" ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Men do not need female hormones to produce milk. I do know a family where the mom's milk dried up at 9 months for each of her babies and they just fed the baby goats milk until the baby was a year. Sure they can produce a substance similar to a woman's breast milk but it is not the same in quality or quantity. Lactating women have about 10x the amount of prolactin as men. They will not produce enough to feed the developing child....well, then again, I guess he could just be the snack station, and have mom be the full meal deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Perhaps the solution is to produce boys' t-shirts saying "Show me your breasts. Keepin it real." Or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I think you could seriously get a government grant to do this kind of a study. I'm actually serious to the extent that the OP is pushing male breastfeeding (and practically shaming those who didn't try it before formula). I mean, we all know "breast is best" because mom milk has been studied so much. Dad milk hasn't, as far as I know. Dad has different hormones and hormones impact developing children. I don't think it's responsible to push people to nourish kids exclusively on dad milk without knowing more. I mean, if kids were meant to drink dad milk, dads would lactate naturally, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Perhaps the solution is to produce boys' t-shirts saying "Show me your breasts. Keepin it real." Or something like that. we can add this to my etsy shop where I sell the purity rings to WTM members who haven't whored out all their likes in one day. You might have missed that thread whilst you were globetrotting...it's the immodesty one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 we can add this to my etsy shop where I sell the purity rings to WTM members who haven't whored out all their likes in one day. You might have missed that thread whilst you were globetrotting...it's the immodesty one. Maybe along with your purity ring line, you could add a special nipple ring - for the dad who is finished breastfeeding after the kid is 5 or 6. (I want you to be able to branch out in your sales.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Maybe along with your purity ring line, you could add a special nipple ring - for the dad who is finished breastfeeding after the kid is 5 or 6. (I want you to be able to branch out in your sales.) OMG....you are brilliant! A new trend in body jewelry. I know many car companies have things like this http://pictures.dealer.com/s/subaruofkeenesne/0931/c132e4db404638720125d92caba8af34.jpg So Now Men can bling up their hairy chests as well as show what sports they love. A quick reference guide of sorts. Me: "Hey Jane, look at that dude over there. He likes kayacking, sking, racing cars, and breastfed for 3 years!" Jane: "Yeah, Tap. Those breastfeeding men...they like all the adventure sports. I bet he would be a hooter to hang with" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I love that word "contextualizing." Yes, they need to be comfortable within context. The problem with our society is that context is definitely an issue; we have such an imbalance of context. Our society has driven home the message that boobs are for sex (yes and sex sells which is why they are used so much in advertising) and most adults in our country have not had enough exposure to the idea that breasts are also for feeding our young. The mere sight of them should not, in itself, be arousing, but the context. The mere knowledge that someone is nursing should not be embarrassing nor should it promote discomfort. I have always made it a policy in my home that nursing is welcome anywhere the mom feels comfortable and anyone who has a problem with it can leave. I hate the idea that, in this country, nursing a child is an isolating experience. I am all for those private bonding moments, but moms have other things to do as well. They have groceries to buy, parks to visit, But when we force mothers to make a choice between living an active life and nursing her child, we make babies pay for the imbalance in context in our society. To me, it is about removing obstacles to breastfeeding by normalizing it. Thank you for a sane reply. If more people had this attitude, well, it might be a saner world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 If you are trying to get them to change things and let women run around the US without any top on, I think you are going to have a hard time pulling that off. I also think you are a bit extreme in your thinking. I think he can get a healthy view of breastfeeding without seeing the breasts of every single woman on the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I hate it when men do things half-a$$. :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I'll tell you what kind of thread it is. It is the kind of thread that causes you to go check the mushrooms you bought at the farmers' market to see if they accidentally gave you the "magic" ones. :biggrinjester: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I did NOT know that men could breastfeed. :-/ I'm not bothered by women breastfeeding in public, covered, uncovered, or standing on their heads, but if I saw a man breastfeeding, it would FREAK me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I want my son to see breasts. I want him to see babies nursing. I want that image to be ingrained into his mind and be at the forefront of mental images when the conversation of boobs comes up with his friends. I want my son to be a vocal advocate of his future spouse and supporter of nursing. To do this he needs to see lots and lots of breasts as the baby is latching on and popping off for this to be ingrained as normal. As he ages I will talk with him about breast as sexual, but right now the developmentally appropriate view of breast is the way humans feed their young. FWIW DS's answer to a full busted women showing lots of cleavage is that she must have an impatient baby and wants to be ready to feed him/her. I think it's possible to raise a son who appreciates and supports breastfeeding without exposing him to "lots and lots of breasts as the baby is latching on and popping off". And as others have said, your son will also need to consider the views and preferences of the mother of his children. Exposing your son to nursing moms in the course of day to day life (without seeking them out or making a big deal out of it) should be plenty IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I haven't been here in weeks because I have been too busy dealing with personal stuff, and the very first thread I saw when I logged back on was.... this one. :eek: What have you people been smoking while I've been gone -- and where can I get some of whatever it was? I have read this entire thread, and I think it's absolutely over the top, and that if anyone has a breast or a breastfeeding obsession, it's the OP, and not her or anyone else's sons. OK, I might have believed that she had good intentions at first even if she sounded a little extreme about wanting boys to watch as many women bf as possible, but she started to lose me when she started judging women who choose not to bf... and then I got to the part where she said that if a woman couldn't bf, her husband should do it and.... well... that is quite possibly the most extreme and bizarre idea I have ever heard. Seriously, I can understand wanting your sons to realize that bfing is normal and healthy and non-sexual, but it's certainly not the only acceptable way to feed a child. And wanting to intentionally expose children to as many bfing women as possible sounds kind of obsessive and weird to me. Why the obsession about it??? Why would anyone even think about something like that in those terms? I'm sorry, but while the general concept that kids shouldn't be hidden away from bfing moms seems reasonable, the OP seems to be taking it to quite an extreme. And don't even get me started on the bfing dad thing. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I haven't been here in weeks because I have been too busy dealing with personal stuff, and the very first thread I saw when I logged back on was.... this one. :eek: What have you people been smoking while I've been gone -- and where can I get some of whatever it was? I have read this entire thread, and I think it's absolutely over the top, and that if anyone has a breast or a breastfeeding obsession, it's the OP, and not her or anyone else's sons. OK, I might have believed that she had good intentions at first even if she sounded a little extreme about wanting boys to watch as many women bf as possible, but she started to lose me when she started judging women who choose not to bf... and then I got to the part where she said that if a woman couldn't bf, her husband should do it and.... well... that is quite possibly the most extreme and bizarre idea I have ever heard. Seriously, I can understand wanting your sons to realize that bfing is normal and healthy and non-sexual, but it's certainly not the only acceptable way to feed a child. And wanting to intentionally expose children to as many bfing women as possible sounds kind of obsessive and weird to me. Why the obsession about it??? Why would anyone even think about something like that in those terms? I'm sorry, but while the general concept that kids shouldn't be hidden away from bfing moms seems reasonable, the OP seems to be taking it to quite an extreme. And don't even get me started on the bfing dad thing. :rolleyes: Hold onto your hat, Cat. There has been a lot of bizarre threads while you were away. Glad to see you back though. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I dont think there is anything odd about the idea that exposure to breastfeeding and the sight of bare breasts will sort of desensitize kids to the over sexualized idea of breasts which is prevalent in our society and reinforce what breasts are for- to feed babies. In fact I think anthropology and psychology would agree with the idea. I think it's the assumption that this oversexualization is hardwired that's odd. There should be no vigorous reprogramming needed. Just normal exposure to moms nursing their babies without it being a big deal. I think the OP is at the very least overthinking it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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