Just Call Me Daisy

Just Call Me Daisy is an online project, to collect breastfeeding stories from mothers, and collate them into a book.

Breastfeeding always gets the misery stories and the grief stories and the "how dare you make me feel bad for choosing formula" screams.

It's very rare that Mums are allowed to just have fun and celebrate their own worked-hard-and-made-it voice, and this project is designed to do just that. Details and submissions here.

Breast Is No Longer Best... Formula Is Inadequate...

Dr Karleen Gribble, speaking at the Australian Breastfeeding Association's Hot Milk conference in August 2007. Dr Gribble outlines starkly why the "breast is best" message does nothing more or less, than make formula sound 'good enough', and that we must change the paradigm if there is any chance of increasing breastfeeding rates.

The message that formula is not benign, and that infants deprived of breastfeeding, have higher rates of illness and disease, is not a comfortable one. We have this lovely cosy image that formula feeding is only dangerous in poor countries, with bad hygiene.

Even then, when those very same conditions happen to us, it doesn't appear to make a difference. Dr Gribble relates that even when babies' lives are directly in danger, such as leaving hospital on formula, and being released into hurricane wracked New Orleans, where people were dying and clean water was not available... the doctors still couldn't bring themselves to tell mothers that formula feeding would put their babies' lives at risks.

But it's not only in poor countries that formula feeding increases health risks to babies and mothers. Formula feeding is itself intrinsically risky, as babies suffer from both the lack of breastfeeding, and the risks of using modified cow's milk on tiny newborn guts.

Formula fed babies suffer from higher rates of gastroenteritis, ear infections, certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease, life threatening sleep apnoea in adulthood... mothers of formula fed babies suffer higher rates of breast cancer.

Leaving mothers in ignorance of these facts is simply criminal. How can any mother make an informed choice, if she doesn't have the facts?

Likewise, how can mothers using formula, do so as safely as possible, if they don't know that powdered infant formula is not sterile, and as many as 14% of batches are contaminated by salmonella and enterobacter sakazakii?

Breast is no longer best - it's just what you feed babies. Lack of it, increases health risks. The message that needs to get through is not that breast is best... it's that formula is inadequate nutrition for babies.

If you choose to refuse your baby your breast, you should at least know what risks you are taking on in both your baby's health, and your own. You should be empowered to minimise those risks as far as you possible can, and you should have a right to proper lactation support that doesn't get in the way of establishing breastfeeding if you are happy for the baby to have your breast.

And if you had no choice but to use formula, you deserve to have it made as safe as possible for your baby. You shouldn't be getting your information from the people who need to sell it to you, to keep their jobs.

No baby ever chose a bottle. Babies are born to breastfeed.

Everytime you use "breast is best" you knock that down a little, and allow the formula companies to make merry on mothers' ignorance. A lot of profit to be made in that silence on the risks, in that gagging of the truth. A lot of sick babies in hospitals on drips, a lot of mothers out of their minds with worry, on why baby is projectile vomiting again. A huge amount of potential donated milk, left uncollected, as formula companies flood the culture with the fallacy that formula is needed. Formula is never needed. It's just that mostly, it's all that's available. If there is no human milk, better formula than raw cow's milk. It's that simple. Better than the last resort.

The miracle of the human race is that we survive large periods of famine and drought. We're built to survive on inadequate nutrition, and get to the next generation for the Good Stuff to heal us. We're allowing this amazing ability to then allow us to decide to feed our babies inadequate nutrition.. can you spell irony?

Breast is no longer best... formula is inadequate... pass it on. (Even if you have to whisper it... in case you get your head blown off for daring to speak the truth.)

Yarl's Wood Medical... by Yarl's Wood

Whenever I've reported on conditions for babies and children in Yarl's Wood IDC, there has always been comments back that "this cannot be true." I've even had anonymous letters telling me I'm making it up to try and get some sort of personal satisfaction from the attention...

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To all my doubters and detractors... I'd like to send you on to this Nursing Matters webpage.

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It has, in shameful detail, the Yarl's Wood medical notes on Baby C, the baby who was left hungry in YW for over 18 hours.

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And it's not me reporting on those notes - it's the notes themselves. As recorded by Yarl's Wood medical staff.

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The story they tell, is somewhat shocking. In my opinion, it shows the institutionalised neglect and disregard for the detainees within our detentions centres. I invite you to read them, and make up your own mind.

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If, after you have read them, you agree, that they show a lack of either proper medical care or regard for Baby C's health, I'd urge you to contact your local MP. As a constituent, you have a right to request your MP act on your concerns.

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Detention centres are not a local issue. What's going on in them, and the standard of care being shown babies and children locked up in them, is not about the local MP arguing with staff. It's about all MPs, in the country, taking on board national issues to do with our concept of who we are as civilised people. As a constituent, you have a right, and I'd argue, a duty, to bring things like this to your MPs notice, and state, unequivocally, that it is NOT being done in your name, and you want answers.

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The standard of medical care in the centres is determined and dictated by senior Civil Servants reporting directly to Government ministers. As a constituent within our Parliamentary structures, you have a direct voice in demanding both accountability, and competency, in those officials. If your MP says you should raise your concerns directly with the Government, please remind your MP that Parliament exists to hold the Government of the day accountable for its actions, and you expect your MP to maintain that function on your behalf. It's what they are there for, and why they stood for public office in the first place.

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Please use your voice and speak for the voiceless. You can read for yourself how Baby C has been treated, and how she came to be left hungry for so long. The medical notes show clearly who said what and how it came to pass. Official UK Border Agency letters sent out to those who have already complained, tell a different story. The story in the medical notes, is the story that was told by the mother, and by those of us who were trying to get this baby fed. Yet UK Border Agency still refuse to accept that anything went wrong, have yet to apologise, and have not stated it will never happen again.

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Writing you MP is very simple. Hit this link, and put in your own post code. The UK Parliament site will then open up an option table on how you wish to contact your MP. If you hit the email option, the computer will actually open the email up for you, and allow you to just type in your comments, and send them on to your MP automatically.

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It couldn't be simpler. Almost as simple, you'd think, as feeding a hungry baby.

No-one wants to see you doing that...

A Mum was told that feeding her hungry baby was completely unacceptable, in Rothwell Leisure Centre this week, and the mother has asked that all mothers of breastfeeding babies in the local area, help her stand up for the right to feed her baby.

This is how the mother describes what happened:

We had been there about 40 minutes when the duty manager arrives and tells me not to feed the baby by the pool. I said: "Why? Is it health and safety issue?" He said: "No, no-one wants to see you doing that." I said: "If it was a bottle would that make any difference?" He said: "I haven't had a problem with bottles." I said: "It's my right to feed my baby and the council has a policy to support me in local government buildings."

He wanted me to stop or leave; I did neither. He walked away without introducing himself or telling me what he expected me to do.I am very upset and disappointed.

I then rallied my family together and left.We were in the pool less than an hour, my son distraught that his birthday treat was ruined, my three-year-old barely got wet, and my baby didn't even feel the water.

I also spoke to the ladies in the canteen who also agreed it wasn't acceptable to be asked not to feed my baby but quoted that it was against Rothwell Leisure Centre's rules to breast feed.

I am very upset. Nobody from the leisure centre wanted to speak about my complaint so I have put it in writing but where will it go?

Seeing that is was quoted by an employee, as against the leisure centre rules, and seeing that the leisure centre is run by Leeds County Council, I phoned the council and asked to be put through to the person in charge of this area of sports facilities, and his name is Mark Allman.

Now, Mr Allman is on leave, and a gentleman named Ian Waller, Sports Operations Manager for Leeds CC, was dealing with the issues, and I had a long conversation with the Secretary in the office, who phoned him through for me. I have to say, that Mr Waller was in a meeting, and even though he had to attend the meeting, he made sure I got all the info I needed - so very well done there.

And what they confirmed for me, which is what I suspected, is that breastfeeding is not only allowed on all Leeds County Council properties, but supported and encouraged. In fact, materials supporting breastfeeding from the NCT are displayed on doorways in their sports facilities, and mothers can have a choice in many locations on feeding their hungry babies where they are, or going to separate rooms if they wish too.

Leeds had also taken the time to discuss if there were 'Health & Safety' issues on breastfeeding babies feeding in the pool area, and I was assured the only time there would be a health issue with a baby in a pool, was if the baby had vomited whilst in the water - and that was nothing to do with how the baby was fed!

So this seems like the 'usual suspect' in these cases. A person doesn't like what they are seeing, and uses their position to claim the company they work for objects. They don't like it, and they resort to stating 'policy' says it is unacceptable. Which is, of course, why babies need to be protected from this personal prejudice. I'm sure Leeds County Council will follow this complaint up seriously, and support this duty-manager by retraining, and reinforcing the message throughout all their facilities. Hungry babies get fed, and that is the council policy!

But whilst this sort of nonsense keeps happening, babies and their Mums are left feeling exposed and stressed, by always wondering if the next person to walk by, is going to say something negative to them. And this stress and fear of criticism, often prevents mothers from allowing their babies to feed in public at all.

I hope Leeds gets it through to all their employees : it doesn't matter what they want to see or not, hungry babies get fed. Their rights to food comes before anyone else's personal feelings on the matter.

I'm very confident that this Mum and her children are going to have their rotten time at Rothwell pool made up to them by Leeds officials! Go Leeds!

Breastfeeding as a Survivor of Sexual Abuse

In a recent discussion on a lactation list, the following was posted. The discussion had been about how to meet each mother’s needs, when they presented as ‘not wanting’ to breastfeed, for a variety of reasons. The sparking post had been a teenager, who was pregnant, but didn’t want to breastfeed as she didn’t want something ‘sucking off her’. A discussion arose on how to meet this young woman where she was, and speak to her of breastfeeding in a positive way.
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The ‘sucking off me’ struck a chord with many lactation supporters, who say that first time pregnant women are often afraid of breastfeeding, and the conversation developed until the old chestnut of “What about Mums who have been sexually abused?” arose.
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In case this one has passed you by, when the ‘can’t’ breastfeed issue arises – in order to pummel breastfeeding into the ground - the standard defense these days when you point out that at most, 3% of women cannot breastfeed fully, but all can breastfeed to some extent, is to immediately shout out “What about women who have been sexually abused, they can’t at all!”
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This truly annoying attack/defend tactic, is rarely spoken by a woman who is actually in this position, and is usually being hurled across the room at you, by someone who is desperate to prove that breastfeeding is some idolized concept that normal everyday women cannot achieve. It’s annoying on several fronts, not least because it is so rarely spoken by a woman that it applies to. It also ignores the actuality that many women who have been sexually abused and breastfeed, often discuss how healing it was for them, to see their bodies in such a position of power and strength. And annoying, not least of all, as it’s a ‘show stopper’ attempt by the objector to get you to stop discussing breastfeeding – “Go on, I dare you” they are saying “say something negative about women who have been abused. Show your Nazi nature!”
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Of course, how to support mothers who are genuinely suffering from body trauma after abuse, is an important topic, and the discussion moved into that. A post was made about how it may be more important to support a mother in weaning, than in continuing, if she has come up against a wall of negative feeling located in prior abuse.
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So into this general discussion, the following post fell. I think it speaks for itself, so at this point I will retire… and pass you onto the mother, also a breastfeeding counselor, who posted:

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I loved… [the] post on this subject! It touched on so many things I've often wondered. One query of … [the postee] I've developed an interesting theory about - how can a formerly sexually abused woman 'endure' the intimacy of conceiving the baby but not breastfeeding it?
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I am a survivor of such abuse by a family member. It was actually probably one of the lesser tragedies of my childhood. I grew up in foster care and became emancipated by 16. I was always determined never to make any of the mistakes that had so affected me and think I did a pretty good job of breaking the cycle of abuse and addiction that has been in my biological family for generations as far back as anyone can remember.

When I decided to breastfeed, it was based on logic and that same desire to 'do the best I can'. I'd read a brief blurb about how it was better than formula. I also had heard it was better for bonding and I knew I'd certainly not had any bonding in my own childhood and wanted to do better.

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Imagine my surprise to find I really didn't like it! The swoony, lovey mother magic has never been there for me. And I say this, a woman who has 5 children aged 8 yrs down to 10 months and nary a one has had a drop of formula nor an artificial nipple in their mouths. I've been tandeming for over 7 yrs straight now and had 2 stints of nursing 3 in there, as well. I've nursed through 4 pregnancies entirely, nobody weaned - of course. No rest for the weary! :-)

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When I examine why I don't enjoy breastfeeding, I want to initially write it off to all that my body has suffered and my resulting ambivalent feelings about it. The initial latch-on is perfectly fine for me, the rapid pace of the 1st hungry suckling is okay ... then the thirst hits me in a wave and I feel panicked and claustrophobic. If I'm pregnant and have sore nipples, the feeling is tripled to the point of making my skin crawl. I have absolutely positively never been able to tolerate nipple-twiddling of the free breast and no acrobatic nursing has ever been tolerable.

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Thankfully, there hasn't been a free breast since #2 came along and they twiddle each other's hair and fingers instead. Then the clamping down/pressure feeling of letdown makes my underarms tingle and itch maddeningly. It goes on and on, the nipple tugging, the teeth scraping, the sucking their way back up the nipple like a straw when they startle from having dozed off, the fluttery, non-nutritive sucking that lets the tongue caress the nipple... for some reason, all of it makes my hair stand on end! And yet my husband interacting with my breasts sexually has not ever brought about the same reaction.

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I've come to believe for me - and many other survivors - that it's more about the dependency needs going on during breastfeeding. It's been so hard for me to allow myself to ever be dependent on anyone again after losing my own family. It's been a work in progress to let people be dependent on me. I found I was always guarded and a bit emotionally distanced, always.

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Then comes a baby. So much work and pain to be left with such a vulnerable, terrifyingly dependent person! That I have to keep alive! All of which hits home the most when s/he is literally attached to me and sucking his/her very existence from my breast. It doesn't get much more dependent and intimate than that.

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Sexual intimacy isn't an accurate comparison because a sexual partner is not so dependent on you during sexual acts. You, who have secretly felt at times your body was disgusting and evil and had betrayed you and caused you so much misery ... and sex can be endured because it doesn't last so terribly long, it can be done in the dark, and maybe you've learned to allow your body to be used by others while you shut down emotionally.

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Not so with breastfeeding. Not only do you need light to do it in the beginning, but other people have to intrude and look and check and touch. (I will never forget the 1st nurse who tried to 'help' me latch on my 1st preemie son in the hospital. She pushed my gown open, grabbed my breast, thrust it at the baby and then pushed his head into it. I was simultaneously horrified and shamed at her callous treatment of my breast and concerned for the seemingly smothering baby!) The baby stares at you lovingly and beseechingly until the milk lets down, and then contentedly... you can't absent yourself in the same way at all. You have to accept the gratitude and need and meet it.

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So when I work with Moms who have aversive feelings associated with breastfeeding and they reveal past sexual abuse, I know exactly what they are dealing with. I don't believe it's wrong to encourage them to keep at it. Quite the opposite, I think it's amazingly empowering. I can help them explore if it's actually direct associations with their breasts having been abused or more about the incredible intimacy and dependency going on. And I can show them how to get through it! I myself often have to distract myself during the more trying aspects of breastfeeding.

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A good book, a phone call to a friend, computer, tv, a snack I love, interacting with other kids. It's still - after all these years of breastfeeding you'd think I'd be desensitized by now! - very hard for me to sit and gaze at my babies nursing. (One of them liked to try to drive his finger into the seal between his lips and my nipple and I wanted to bite his little finger off every time, so even while I am horrified by it, I can totally relate to that 'throw the baby into a wall' feeling.)
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I have read and heard over the years many times people say that a depressed/angry/sexually abused/reluctant mother should not bf. Should not be ‘pressured’ to breastfeed. I simply can't agree. I think it can be one of the most rewarding, empowering, therapeutic things she can do - for herself and the baby.

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My 1st 2 sons breastfed to self-weaning at 5. Once weaned, I was of course nursing 2 more and they went through a stage of regret and wanting to breastfeed again. I let them try though I knew they'd lost the sucking reflex. They are 7 and 8 now and will tell anyone who asks, they'd still like to be nursing.

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They are old enough to pick up on my discomfort nursing the 2 little ones now. I tell them it's not always as easy and nice for the Mama as the baby. My 8 year old is shocked. he says, “you LOVED breastfeeding me!!” I don't disabuse him of this notion even as I laughingly recall that he was the offensive finger-intruder whose ears I could have cheerfully pulled off. I relate this story to say that I just don't think babies are so sensitive they internalize and harbor any ill emotions or memories from being nursed by a less than transcendentally ecstatic mother. And 'making it through' another nursing session never left me resenting the baby - quite the opposite. I find myself doing most of the physical lavishing of attention in the form of kisses and strokes and hugging after they've nursed. I'm so glad they're done and we both could do it !

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I think once a woman knows it's the basic first step in doing right by your baby, even if it's hard for her, we do her a great disservice in not helping her to do it. I'd never be able to live with myself if I'd given up because it was uncomfortable and not the lovefest I'd thought it would be. I think someone who has survived abuse and trauma is actually more able to accept the idea that this is not going to be easy, but you can do it and you should do it to give your baby better than you got, than a person who had a picture perfect life.

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Part of the reason it works for me is that it isn't too good to be true. I've had to fight so much harder than most people for any of the meaningful things in my life, it feels quite right that this should be a bit of work, too. I would urge that we all not back away and admit defeat too quickly with mothers citing prior sexual abuse as a reason they can't reconcile maintaining breastfeeding. If you explore educating and feeling them out a bit more about it, you might find them uniquely adapted to doing it even longer than the average breastfeeder.

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mummaTOwldthings

www.myspace.com/mummaTOwldthings

(pictured with her 20 minute old baby boy, after a breech home birth!)

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If you need support for these issues personally, or in terms of supporting a friend who is breastfeeding and experiencing problems, help can be found by contacting any of the major breastfeeding support organisations.

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Australian Breastfeeding Association

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La Leche League International has a drop down menu of all countries covered

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Breastfeeding Network (UK)

For a warmer, healthier home....

People who aren't that involved in breastfeeding support, often wonder why we who are, get so out of shape about the Government's lack of support for breastfeeding.

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Or rather, they wonder why we say the UK Government isn't that supportive of breastfeeding.

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After all, most of them have seen a breastfeeding poster, at least once. So, what are we wittering on about?

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Well, apart from not supporting Mums who are actually breastfeeding, by putting in place laws to protect them... apart from not funding proper lactation support so that all women who do want to breastfeed, manage to do so... apart from not having the intestinal fortitude required to tell Mums up front that formula feeding increases ill health in both babies and mothers... and that powdered infant formula is not sterile...

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Apart from all that...

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... there is things like this....

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Government sponsored.
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Fie, not just Government, sponsored by the Department of Health!

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A leaflet designed for, and aimed at, lower income families. A leaflet that probably went through several very high level committees, to make sure it was striking the right tone.

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And the tone is... bottle feed your baby for a warmer, healthier, life.

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No wonder Nestle likes to sponsor UK Gov events, with helping hands such as these at work.

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*throws hands in air* *throws mousemat across kitchen* *kicks the wall several times* *opens up a tub of ice cream*

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Somedays, you just feel like giving up....

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*sigh*

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Complaints to: Department of Health

*rummage rummage... has to be some emergency chocolate around here somewhere... rummage rummage..*

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Edit: It gets worse. Someone just emailed me and told me how this damned leaflet arrived in my home. I'd spotted it on the kitchen unit. What I hadn't spotted, was that it came in my milk tokens envelope. From Healthy Start. So, the healthy start eating programme, run by the UK Gov, to encourage healthy eating in infants from lower income families... is sending an image of a bottle feeding young baby, into homes on lower incomes, that they are targeting for extra support in... raising breastfeeding rates. As this socio-economic group has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the UK.

Seriously, you couldn't make this up.

The UK Government, shooting themselves in the foot, at you and your baby's expense.

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Update: 13/08/08

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DoH sent the following out to those who complained:
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Thank you for your... [complaint] to the Department of Health about the distribution of the Warm Front team leaflet.
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Thank you for raising the issue regarding distribution of the Warm Front team leaflet, which incorrectly features an image of a mother bottle feeding her baby and the Department of Health's logo. I would assure you that the Department fully appreciates your concern, especially as the Department is responsible for and committed to increasing breastfeeding rates. The Department takes such matters very seriously, especially as the leaflet does contravene its breastfeeding objectives.
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Following an internal investigation, this revealed that the leaflet was distributed in error. The Department can confirm that the team responsible have been informed, and the leaflet has been pulled with immediate effect.
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The Maternal and Child Nutrition policy team at the Department of Health make every effort to ensure that all appropriate imagery and content is featured in their materials. Unfortunately, in this instance, the team was not made aware of the leaflet before its production and subsequently the leaflet was distributed without their prior approval.
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The Department hopes this response sufficiently explains and reassures you that the Department is committed to making breastfeeding the norm and endeavours to promote the message in all its communications.
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Yours sincerely,
Edward Corbett
Customer Service Centre

Lactaphobia

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lactation
1668, "process of suckling an infant," from Fr. lactation, from L. lactationem (nom. lactatio) "a suckling," from L. lactatus, pp. of lactare "suckle," from lac (gen. lactis) "milk," from PIE base *glact- (cf. Gk. gala, gen. galaktos "milk"). Meaning "process of secreting milk from the breasts" first recorded 1857; lactate (v.) in this sense is a back-formation from 1889. Lactic acid is from 1790; so called because it was obtained from sour milk. M.Ir. lacht, Welsh llaeth "milk" are loan words from Latin.

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What I like about the original meaning of lactation, is that it was the process of suckling a child that was being described. The act of being suckled upon, was lactation lactationem. I know it's moved on from there, and is now used to describe the process of making milk, and that's not a bad thing. In the post-Industrial world, where women are re-finding their power and their babies, and wrenching both back from the profiteering reach of formula companies and factory owners alike... redefining lactation to be about the production of milk, and supporting mothers in that as a separate need, is A Good Thing.

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A common rubric now, is that mothers lactate, and babies breastfeed. This is a neat reminder that babies are the active participants, the ones doing the suckling. A vital point to make, in this world that positions breastfeeding as a lifestyle choice on behalf of the mother, thus neatly removing the baby's needs and desires from the equation. So it's a phrase I like, even as I rue that the mother-baby symbiosis has disappeared from 'lactation' to some extent.

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And that's not just because I'm a word geek. Or rather, it's because I'm a word geek I rue the changes. Because some language development is good, some less so. Words embody concepts, and those concepts have power when we use them. As we grow as a culture, and find new things about ourselves, or find we need new ways to describe how we feel about old things... we make new words. Breastfeeding, for instance, is a really new word. It's only been around for about a hundred years. You could argue, this is only since the rise of bottle, and formula, feeding. For up until then, there was no need to mention how you fed the baby other than to say you were feeding it!

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Nursing, of course, is about the oldest we can track. We've always nursed babies at the breast. It's how we got the other type of nursing, the bandages and taking temperature type, as an extension of the original meaning - to nurse a child. The actual definition of breastfeeding in some dictionaries, is to nurse a baby. I like nursing as opposed to breastfeeding. Nursing brings with it warmth, and love, and caring, and snuggles. But it can get confusing to use nursing, and sometimes you have to stick to breastfeeding to be heard. But I do invite you to use nursing for one day, everytime you'd use the word breastfeeding, and see what happens! You might like it as much as I do! But, like I said, we sometimes have to use breastfeeding, to be clear and precise.
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For that reason, we didn't hold nursing picnics, or lactation picnics on July 21st, across the UK, we held breastfeeding picnics!

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And great fun we had at them all, and very successful they were too. A great fun day out for all concerned, whether it was milling in the mobs at Bournemouth, or fighting off the traffic in Westminster, or waving your flags for the camera at Durham, all around the country, mothers and babies showed off their suckling skills.

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And others showed off less attractive skills...
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Kenneth Gray wrote: Look Sorry but I dont want to see women getting their breasts out in public It needs to be done in private It makes people feel uncomfortable Not politically correct but TRUE

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... which was, after all, only to be expected... but others, perhaps, were more forthright...

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Posted by: jpcm24 I'm sorry, but it is a 'restaurant' where people are eating. If I am in a restaurant I don't want to see that. I don't care how great you think it is that you have a kid and how great and special you think your kid is.
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Comments that most mothers have seen and heard during the past couple of years in the UK, when feeding babies is discussed. These sorts of comments are common, and mothers get pretty fed up of hearing them. And when we tell others that we get fed up with it, they tell us not to be so sensitive, it's not like people are meaning to be nasty....

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Posted by: Tom I do not object to breastfeeding, i do object to seeing it when i am walking through a park though.What next..... Sex in public in front of children because it is a human right????

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or offensive...

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Posted by: women I think they are a bunch of perverted women who get turned on by a baby sucking on a tit in public and men watching and when they are still letting the baby suckle at 1 year plus should be classed as paedophilia

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or just racist...

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Posted by: Mr Britain Walking naked down the high street is also natural if you live in darkest timbuctoo - but in Oxford one would be locked up - why is it one law for the native and another for the law abbiding citizen , personally I think women should be allowed to breast feed in public , in the toilets of restaraunts , but not at the table sat next to me whilst i am tucking into my scoff- what about my rights to the enjoyment of my meal without some unwashed old baggaage feeding their spewing brat at the table

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or simple misogyny...

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Posted by: Hugh Breast feeding in public will involve ever increasing degrees of nudity from the aggressive mother who will use this power of public exposure to discomfort and drive away those who are not in their family group.

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or just simply perverse...

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Posted by: John Thomas What about my rights - I want to be able to have a swift one off the wrist on a bus - masterbation is a natural act so why am I discriminated agianst make you voice known vist wankingonthebus.com and vote to petition governemnt

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All of which would be funny, if it wasn't so serious. Two of the Mums were harassed on their way home from the London picnic, for instance. Both on their own with a baby, both on the Tube. Emily Pulling, whilst feeding her son, was actually shouted at loudly by a male commuter, telling her he didn't want to see that sort of thing. She responded vigorously, but reports she was shaking like a leaf at the time. Others sat back in the carriage and let this man abuse her and her son.

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It's no shock to us, of course, we who ran the picnics and organised the press coverage. we're used to this sort of lactaphobia. Daily, obscene and aggressive comments are made about breastfeeding babies and their mothers, particularly in the UK and the USA. I often feel that what they say isn't as shocking as the fact that they feel safe to say it. Would such comments be made about colour, race, religion or sexuality?

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white Says All you pushy arrogant breastfeeders need to level with us and admit that nothing makes your crotch area tingle more than seeing a child sucking on a big swollen teet. It's a fetish and it's okay to admit that you nearly orgasm just seeing it in pictures or in person.This is why you are so passionate about it.Otherwise you wouldn't care about other people breastfeeding; you would only care about whether you do it.So quit handing us all your bull and admit that you are turned on by titty-sucking.That is why you have your ultra lezzy group breastfeeding sessions so you all can get your titties suked and watch each other having your titties sucked and moan and groan and come together. You sick homely broads.

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Jake1479 you are a disgusting pervert and like to watch babies suck on breasts to get you off. your so gross

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StarbucksAddict95 ok y the fuk do u ppl add videos on youtube breast feeding?..thats just wrong ..im not only telling u but 2 evry women who has their breast just poping out on youtube...god women r becoming more nd more "body showing" shame on urself lady nd have some pride rather than putting ur breasts on a public site....

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In case you're wondering, we are now in the realm of how people talk to mothers who post breastfeeding support videos on the Internet. Videos by such lactation luminaries as Dr Jack Newman, showing how to latch a baby on and how to deal with breastfeeding problems. Videos designed to show how to breastfeed, and how normal breastfeeding is. Or, as many tell us each and every day... child pornography...

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ASiReNiCLaMiA Ok, first, why are you recording babies breast feeding and posting it up? Why are there toddlers that you are teaching to say boobie and get excited about latching on to nipples? These kids are gonna be screwed up later in life from this crap. What are you doing? You do that with INFANTS! Not when they have a mouth full of teeth and can talk. What the hell. Second, the only people watching this are probably curious or just a horny dude who is into that sort of thing. What are you doing? Seriously. You should be placed in an correctional facility for kiddie porn cuz thats basically what this is. You freak.

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Of course, some of the comments are directed at the babies...

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McLOVININYOUROVEN Move over you greedy little bastard my turn my turn

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jacksnmnwlkr12345 That ugly baby doesn't know how to please you. Let a real man show you how it's done.

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And the usual one, that just by mentioning breasfteeding, you are shamelessly attacking mothers in their other choices...

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foxybliss boobie feeding
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Im bottle feeding my baby. Come on give me shit, make me feel like im a second mom. Thats what all you pro breastfeeders do. YOU MAKE SURE bottlefeeding mothers feel like shit. WHY CAN'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

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YouEatTurds YOU SICK FUCKING BITCH

I HOPE YOU GET HIT BY A BUS YOU NASTY BITCH! NOBODY WANTS TO SEE BABIES SUCKING YOUR DISGUSTING TITS. GET THIS BULLSHIT OFF YOUTUBE YOU STUPID CUNT

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And please don't think it's just the illiterate...
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diamondchild While I understand the nature of your videos to be educational I felt that I should let you know that I have reported all of your videos to youtube for nudity and I and friends plan on reporting them every day until they are taken down. This is a public forum for posting and if you do any research at all you will realize that there is a MAJOR underage following for both viewing and posting on this site and it is beyond me to understand how you think its ok to just let these videos be open to everyone to watch. Children do not need any help finding such an easy view of breasts exposed in video form. Whether or not you mean for them to be these videos are completely able to be called pornography and either you take them down or we will complain to youtube until they do!

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I think I can say that it's people who think that seeing breastfeeding, will pervert children, that leaves most of us just truly flummoxed!

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In what world, does a child seeing another

child feed, see something pornographic?

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In what world, is breastfeeding, pornography?
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In the world of the lactaphobe, spewing hatred at

a breastfeeding baby, somewhere near you.
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Lactaphobia: the fear and loathing of the

process of a mother suckling an infant.

.Breastfeeding is not a crime.

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Lactaphobia should be.