Q: Were you breast-fed as a child?

pretty sure yes

i'm not gonna ask my mom now. i'm guessing yes.

I was not.

Briefly. Not long enough for all of the extra 5.2 IQ.

Recent article: not entirely sure how I feel about this woman's public breastfeeding travails as while I think our societies prudery is silly, I'm not sure standing at a college lectern is the place to choose nipple over bottle feeding.

Not that I recall, no, certainly not.

( I was)

yeah we all were at least for a while iirc

I don't have the foggiest idea, but if I were to guess I'd guess not.

afaik

i was and i think it accounts entirely for my superior discernible posting style

Not only was I breastfed, I was attachment parented. The oth day one of my more annoying colleagues insisted loudly that any attachment-parented kid would be "FUCKED, those kids are FUCKED." I only had a plastic spoon so I did not stab him.

i was-- i remember my mother telling me about drinking guinness to make the milk come. Also i was a baby who wore cloth nappies (diapers) fastened with safety pins, in proper oldfashioned/hippy style.

No. My mother thought it was a disgusting inconvenience and made her opinion clear when I breastfed my own children.

I'm incapable of lactating and I don't want to have kids but…I don't understand how breastfeeding became a political issue. Shouldn't it be uncontroversially a good idea to feed your infant the stuff that your body produces for the sake of feeding infants? (And shouldn't we also be nonjudgmental if health or economic issues make it difficult for some parents to breastfeed for very long or at all?)

that seems otm to me

i don't think i was. i don't know why not, but it doesn't seem the done thing in my family, and we (i) are too prudish to discuss it. i coulda really done with those 5.2 iq points. :(

I don't understand how breastfeeding became a political issue

as with shades of skin colour, a lot of it's about class/wealth/leisure/resources -- think about how common wet-nurses were in the 18th/19th centuries, when being able to employ another woman to breastfeed your child was a sign of wealth and leisure and separation from common duties.

I voted I am dead. But I suspect I was breast-fed.

xp, to self: (not to say that people did not also have wet-nurses because they couldn't produce milk -- but it was also a sign of prestige, of being able to afford a wet-nurse, of being able to consume breastmilk milk originally produced for a different baby.)

there is prestige, right now, associated with breastfeeding, and a lot of that is about leisure and resources (e.g. if you are are a busy person, perhaps returning to work, who decides to pump and keep milk: is it painful and exhausting, where does it need to be kept, does it suit the carer to prepare it, etc etc etc -- this stuff is easier for people with one set of resources than it is for other).

having babies is hard work whether you breastfeed or not

i'd be interested in seeing some statistics actually breaking down breastfeeding by socioeconomic class bc i've heard a lot of assertions but not a lot of numbers

One thing I did not know until recently is that breast-feeding is not super common among middle-class black mothers: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jul/23/kimberly-seals-allers-breastfeeding-advocate

Were you breastfed when you were a baby?

I have no recollection, and never asked my mother, so i don't know. I do recall boxes of formula bottles being around so probably I wasn't.

xp, to self: (not to say that people did not also have wet-nurses because they couldn't produce milk -- but it was also a sign of prestige, of being able to afford a wet-nurse, of being able to consume breastmilk milk originally produced for a different baby.)

It was also, unfortunately, due to the belief that having sex while breastfeeding would make the milk unsafe or unsavory for the baby, so in order to return to being at their husband's sexual disposal, women were "encouraged" to farm those babies out ASAP. In this way, the patriarchy owned both the bodies of the wealthy wives, and the bodies of the lower-income wet nurses, who were then officially forbidden from having sex with THEIR husbands during their employment (although who knows if it was actually normal to abstain or not, it seems more likely that people were like wtf and did it anyway--I guess sometimes wet nurses had to go live with their employers for that reason).

But anyway.

so my momz was writing an article about this v v wealthy woman who sued for divorce from her husband in, like, 1660, and the husband was a religious maniac and controlling and one of those prudish erotomaniacs who smashed the genitals from his statues and also ordered that in his lands

- babies should not be breast-fed on fridays because that was a fast day and it would encourage them into sin and luxury
- milkmaids must abstain from any impure thoughts while milking because it would make the milk sinful

she did not tell me his thoughts on wetnurse conduct but i can guess what they were tbh

I'm not sure those things aren't in the Republican platform somewhere tbh. You'd think more would have changed in
350 years.

i'd be interested in seeing some statistics actually breaking down breastfeeding by socioeconomic class bc i've heard a lot of assertions but not a lot of numbers

― Mordy, Wednesday, September 12, 2012 1:50 PM (19 minutes ago)

yeah, me too. the subject of that guardian article: "a relative said to me that breastfeeding was for poor people." suggests that people have widely varying ideas about who breastfeeds and why.

Using data from the National Immunization Survey—an on-going telephone survey conducted nationwide—among those surveyed, 75 percent initiated breastfeeding, 42 percent breastfed for six months, and 21 percent breastfed for one year. Hispanic women were most likely to initiate breastfeeding (80 percent); followed by non-Hispanic whites (73 percent); and non-Hispanic blacks (54 percent).

Continuing:

Their findings support the theory that African-American women, though well informed about the benefits of breastfeeding, receive little information about how to breastfeed. The women surveyed reported a lack of support in the hospital, citing limited access to lactation counselors and ready access to free formula. Despite an expressed desire to breastfeed, they indicated that they were rarely counseled about breastfeeding after birth and that their babies were often supplemented with formula.

That article is called "Why Breastfeeding Rates Are Lowest Among Non-Hispanic Black Women" fyi.

You know who else breastfeeds less? Younger mothers. From the CDC:

Breastfeeding rates increased significantly with increasing maternal age overall and for all race-ethnicity groups. The breastfeeding rates of mothers who were under 20 years of age (43%) were lower compared with mothers who were 30 years and older (75%) or 20-29 years of age (65%).

Breastfeeding rates among African-American women lag behind all other ethnic groups. National data show that only 45% of African-American women reported ever breastfeeding compared to 66 and 68% of Hispanic and white women, respectively.

Of African-American women who do choose to breastfeed, duration is short, with many discontinuing in the first days after birth. This report applies a social ecological framework to breastfeeding to investigate macrolevel–microlevel linkages. We posit that macrolevel factors, such as the media, aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes, welfare reform, hospital policy and breastfeeding legislation, interact with microlevel factors to influence a woman’s decision to breastfeed. These microlevel factors include features of the community, neighborhoods, workplaces that support or discourage breastfeeding, social and personal networks and cultural norms and individual beliefs about breastfeeding. The report discusses how power operates at each level to influence women’s choices and also emphasizes the value of ethnographic data in breastfeeding studies.

Quotes from same:

Whereas some cultural beliefs supported breastfeeding, they were outweighed by beliefs about the problems and consequences of breastfeeding. Among these, two factors emerged as key barriers: concerns about pain and breastfeeding in public.

"Pain is involved here, I know, so it’s a state of mind a person is just going to have to adjust to. What I’ve heard, it takes about three months to get over it, but you do get used to it." (18-y-old pregnant woman; Jensen 1998: 160)

"Your breasts is one of your personal spots, you can’t just pull that out or show that anywhere. That’s for you and you only, you and your companion. If a guy sees a breast, his hormones will react to what he sees. I think that breastfeeding out in the public will cause you to get raped or something." (21-y-old father of two children; Jensen 1998: 157)

"The breasts (are) more or less like a sexual component. It’s there to turn on the male sex. And for the baby to be attracted to that part of the body, is in my mind, it’s like a turn off, do you need this loving? Like, in your mind, you want this baby to love you, and it’s not that I think people are sick that do it (breastfeed), but what are they searching for, really, within themselves?" (27-y-old pregnant woman; Jensen 1998: 158)

From http://news.msu.edu/story/very-few-low-income-moms-meet-breastfeeding-recommendations/

"Many of low-income mothers do not feel they have places to turn to when breastfeeding became difficult," she said. "We need to provide them with assistance that is available and affordable, as well as easily accessible."

The first step is continuing to raise awareness of the low rates, Hanna said, and that includes among physicians and nurses.

"In the past, the solution often was just to provide free formula to low-income mothers eligible for aid," she said. "Now there has been much more of a focus on providing information about breastfeeding to new mothers, rather than formula being the first option."

Your breasts is one of your personal spots, you can’t just pull that out or show that anywhere

Been ruled legal in NYC to walk topless in public

Nope. My mom thinks it's obscene.

I don't remember, I was quite young then

not as a child, no

The breasts (are) more or less like a sexual component. It’s there to turn on the male sex.

I'm male, I like the way breasts look and feel, but, like, WTF? Calling breasts a sexual component is like calling moustaches and beards a sexual component.

Yes, I was breastfed, born in the early 80s. My sister, born in early 70s, was breastfed also.

However, this:

yeah we all were at least for a while iirc

is super inaccurate in many areas (not sure if it was meant seriously or not?). My husband (born in 70s) was formula fed from birth and his mother never attempted or wanted to nurse, and she says the doctors discouraged it anyway. I know many others around the same age who were never breastfed.

"Many of low-income mothers do not feel they have places to turn to when breastfeeding became difficult,"

My own experience with breastfeeding - as a mother, I mean - has been largely very positive, but even so I had a ton of pain in the first 2-3 weeks while my baby figured out how to latch properly. It completely sucked. When he was latching on I had to stop myself from screaming. There`s also some pretty rough guilt that goes along with wishing you could avoid feeding your child, and even though I had a lot of support and was absolutely determined to continue nursing as long as possible, the experience made me really understand why some people feel that it`s not worth it.

Oh. Just realised that this

yeah we all were at least for a while iirc

could refer to the poster and siblings, not general population. Ignore me, sorry.

I was not: I was lactose intolerant and drank soy milk until I was about two, when I apparently stopped being lactose intolerant. I don't think it matters, I wouldn't have been breastfed either way. My brother wasn't intolerant and he had formula. There's pretty much no way my mom would've had time for it, I guess.

I feel like there's a thread about once a week where I get to post this: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/04/the-case-against-breast-feeding/307311/

WHY IS ADRIAN STILL BREASTFED?

"Your breasts is one of your personal spots, you can’t just pull that out or show that anywhere. That’s for you and you only, you and your companion. If a guy sees a breast, his hormones will react to what he sees. I think that breastfeeding out in the public will cause you to get raped or something." (21-y-old father of two children; Jensen 1998: 157)

Guh. My mom received a beating from her first husband for breast-feeding my sister in front of a male friend. My baby album has her breast-feeding me on the first page.

apologies if this was linked on erstwhile breast-feeding threads:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/19/090119fa_fact_lepore?currentPage=1

No, my mom still thinks it is a gross thing to do.

I agree with Dr. Pine (in the counterpunch article), but gosh, what a passive-aggressive tone. xxxxxpost

"The breasts (are) more or less like a sexual component. It’s there to turn on the male sex. And for the baby to be attracted to that part of the body, is in my mind, it’s like a turn off, do you need this loving? Like, in your mind, you want this baby to love you, and it’s not that I think people are sick that do it (breastfeed), but what are they searching for, really, within themselves?" (27-y-old pregnant woman; Jensen 1998: 158)

this is a super upsetting quote

It's ignorant.

Her kid's a teen now.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

not as a child, no

― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, September 12, 2012 9:58 PM (1 week ago)

this was meant as a sly joke btw but apparently my humor is too subtle/unfunny for that to have gotten across.

tbh I just assumed you were showing your imperial tendencies

I got the joke, if that helps.

nope. my mother was far too interested in smoking her fags and walking the fucking dog to sort out the needs of her newborn.

i mean i was often was told that those were the days that babies were put at the bottom of the garden so the screams could be ignored.

dang

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Jessica Valenti, very interesting on the social pressures around breastfeeding here:

Haha, I have felt smug over so many things and then felt silly about it – so no need to apologize. I actually was pretty sanctimonious about breastfeeding until I became a parent. I remember a girlfriend of mine was pregnant and I asked her about breastfeeding (in retrospect: WHY was this any of my business?) and she said she just didn’t want to do it. Didn’t want to try, wasn’t interested. I was horrified and shittily smug.

When I had Layla, reality smacked me dead in the face. It was like, guess what traumatized lady – no fucking way are your breasts going to pump anything CLOSE to what your baby needs! I didn’t know that though, because Layla couldn’t digest food for the first few weeks and was fed intravenously. So until her digestive tract developed I pumped constantly. I thought I was a total pro until she was able to take the milk and went through my supply in no time. The day she had her first bit of formula, I was the most devastated I had been since having her. I felt like I was a total failure and now my baby had to have poison. It was ridiculous. So I went to pumping over 5 hours a day. When I expressed concern to someone that I wasn’t going to be able to work and pump that much they said, “What’s more important – your job or feeding your baby?” So yeah, total mind fuck. The day I stopped breastfeeding for nutrition and just let her do her thing for funsies and to fall asleep was the first good day I had parenting. It’s what eventually allowed me to bond with her.

I think we’re so obsessed with ensuring that women prove that they do everything for their children, no matter how much it hurts or is causing mental distress. And then if you complain about these things, it’s just – oh, you’re not doing it right TRY HARDER.

People very often blur the lines between what is good to do and what is moral. There is no fucking way anyone could do everything that would be "good to do". This is not a moral failure.

There's a lot of other smart shit in that interview, too, like about homeschooling and mommy-as-identity.

That interview is amazing.

No, I wasn't. So I actually didn't grow up thinking it was "normal" or "natural" or that it was a "rule". I breastfed my two kids. It felt weird: "WTF this milk I produced fed my kids for months on end!" In a way I was happy that my mom didn't push me (as opposed to a colleague.) For a short time I was a little arrogant about it but I quickly changed my opinion. I hate how nurses (and others) really give you a guilt trip if you choose to bottle feed. Becoming a mother (or father) is a freaking whirlwind. A lot of positive things happen but on the other hand the whole process can be VERY stressful. It is an earthquake of the highest magnitude. And honestly dumping that emotional guilt trip on a mother (who chooses not to BF for whatEVER reason) is ridiculous.