It's World Breast Feeding Week! That makes me...

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 5:37 pm

Mutepoint is taking a week offline for
vacational purposes. So, I'm going to
try to come up with the most awesome
poll and close it before he gets back so
he can't vote. Mwu ha ha haaaa.

Seriously, though. It's time to feed those
infants, world.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 5:58 pm

I'm in favor.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:10 pm

Me too, though we had to give it up
due to my daughter's obstinate refusal
to cooperate. Pumping worked until
Mastitis got the better of my wife. So
we switched to bottles. I had no idea
something so natural could be so ruddy
frustrating.

My sister-in-law can participate, though.
I'm sure her son will be ecstatic (seeing
as he won't eat any other way yet).

I'm surprised they didn't add "awareness"
to the name. As it stands, it sounds as if
women are suddenly going to start breast-
feeding their 2-month-old or something.
"Breastfeeding??? Why didn't I think of that?
I've been paying for formula like a sucker!"

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:28 pm

What is this, Chiff and Nipple?

I put OTHER, 'cause ideally this shouldn't have had it's own special week. Breastfeeding is a normal part of life. Do we have "eating week" or "urination week"? I'm in favor of both of those too, but I don't want to make a national celebration of them.

Actually, we seem to have an inordinate number of special weeks and months:

http://www.epromos.com/calendar/promoti ... endar.html

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:46 pm

fearfaoin wrote:Me too, though we had to give it up
due to my daughter's obstinate refusal
to cooperate. Pumping worked until
Mastitis got the better of my wife. So
we switched to bottles. I had no idea
something so natural could be so ruddy
frustrating.

I know. I finally hired a lactation consultant who got me straightened out the first time. After that I was a pro.
We lack a natural succession of maternal mentoring in such skills in our culture. My daughters say they won't have babies, so my expertise is available to anyone else who needs it.

Paul's point is well-taken though. We don't need "feeding week." But I think there is cause to educate a public which has spent the majority of a century tabooing something which--for many reasons--is superior to the man-made alternative. We just need to be sure we don't push the ball too far in the direction of causing those who can't for whatever reason to feel unnecessary guilt.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:51 pm

brewerpaul wrote:What is this, Chiff and Nipple?

It might make newbie questions more
interesting... We should take a vote.
Boy, is mutie going to be sorry he ever
went to the beach.

brewerpaul wrote:Do we have "eating week" or "urination week"?

We do have "shark week".

Actually, we seem to have an inordinate number of special weeks and months:
http://www.epromos.com/calendar/promoti ... endar.html

Wow, no kidding. "Women's Equality Day"?
Over a century of Women's Lib, and all we
gave up was one day for women to be
equal? That's messed up, world.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:40 pm

Feed 'em if you got 'em. ...by whatever means

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:45 am

cowtime wrote:Feed 'em if you got 'em. ...by whatever means

Post by **Nanohedron** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:17 am

emmline wrote:We just need to be sure we don't push the ball too far in the direction of causing those who can't for whatever reason to feel unnecessary guilt.

I wholeheartedly concur. Now that my man boobs are budding, I sure don't need feeling even more socially unacceptable for their being useless, too.

pipersgrip · Post by **pipersgrip** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:14 pm

I am all for breastfeeding. It is a natural and healthy thing. It also sweetens up my cereal.

I was raised around hippies, so I grew up with seeing it my whole life. It is kind of weird to see a four year old go and take a sip though, but it is their kids not mine. The only time I have ever been uncomftorable with it was when I saw this special on tv and this lady was breastfeeding her 8 year old. I think a baby should stop when they get teeth, but only for teeth reasons. Breastmilk is the worst thing for a babies teeth. It will rot them out because you can't brush the baby's teeth while they are sleeping. My little brother breastfed until he was 18 months and his teeth rotted out around age 5, and he had to have surgery to remove the teeth. It was a big, horrible ordeal.

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:32 pm

Abstaining. I haven't kept abreast.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 1:20 pm

Puritanical rules don't make it easy, I have seen some weird coverings wraps and curtains used to make sure the breasts were not exposed in public.

HDSarah · Post by **HDSarah** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:21 pm

The Whistle Collector wrote: Breastmilk is the worst thing for a babies teeth. It will rot them out because you can't brush the baby's teeth while they are sleeping. My little brother breastfed until he was 18 months and his teeth rotted out around age 5, and he had to have surgery to remove the teeth. It was a big, horrible ordeal.

I don't think breast milk is actually any worse for teeth than formula: it's the falling asleep with either one in the baby's mouth that can cause tooth decay. There can also be genetic and/or environmental conditions that make one person's teeth much more prone to decay than other people's teeth. I had a nephew who suffered from horrible teeth throughout his childhood, in spite of excellent tooth care by his mom. He had a rough start in life: he was actually allergic to breast milk and, after that was discovered, started to thrive on prescription formula. It was a big disappointment for his mom, who really wanted to breastfeed him and who felt odd in HER social circle giving her baby a bottle when other moms could nurse their babies.

I agree with the sentiments expressed earlier in this thread: Breastfeeding is good for babies and should be encouraged all year, but those who cannot breastfeed should not feel stigmatized. We want a world where individual parents do the best they can for their individual children, and society helps rather than hinders them in making healthy decisions.

pipersgrip · Post by **pipersgrip** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 5:24 pm

I was just told by the doctor that the sugar content was so high in breast milk that it is common for children to have severe tooth decay if they breast feed for a long period. But you are probably right about it. Flouride has a big thing to play a part in it as well. Back when I grew up, there was no flouride at all in the water, so we had to use toothpaste with extra flouride.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 7:28 pm

The Whistle Collector wrote:...you can't brush the baby's teeth while they are sleeping.

Yeah, not a good time to be doing that, I'm pretty sure. Not having kids myself, though, I was just wondering: why can't you do it while they're still awake and then let them sleep?

Just a question in case I have to help out or something, you know.

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