The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

"[Stuff] people say to breastfeeding mothers"

In case you haven't heard (and if I've heard about it then you must have a long time ago) there is a wildly popular "[Stuff] people white girls say to black girls" YouTube video.  It has been endlessly parodied. 

Thanks to Free to Breastfeed, here is the "[Things] people say to breastfeeding mothers" version.  The one that made me crack up:  "Isn't it hot?"  I'm not sure why.  Have you heard any of these?

"Big Momma breastfeeds me, too"

What do you think of this PSA?

I think it should get points for originality and for acknowledging the influential role of grandmothers and dads, especially in the African American community.  I also like that the family is laughing at times.  The image of the grandmother feeding the baby by bottle at the end was momentarily confusing for me, but all in all I like it.

Tandem nursing too obscene for Funny or Die?

Funny or Die, a site known for sophomoric humor (including full frontal male nudity) apparently got a little light-headed from seeing a video of a mom tandem nursing her twins.

Funny or Die found the video by a comedienne and mother of twins Ahna Tessler, which (you are hereby warned), is laced with profanity, too risque and suspended the account of its creator.

The New York Times reported:

On the afternoon of Jan. 14 Ms. Tessler reached out to Funny or Die in a public area of the site, noting that the video had not been posted and that another video she had previously published was missing. That evening a site administrator replied, “Sorry, but your latest video got flagged as obscene, and we removed your account in response.”

When Ms. Tessler wrote back to say she “had no idea you couldn’t swear” on the site, the response was, “It was the breast-feeding video, not swearing.”

Funny or Die later reinstated the account and stated, “Funny or Die supports breast-feeding in all forms, especially among consenting adults.”  Which is kinda funny, I have to admit. 

Ahna Tessler told the New York Times that nursing twins is "the hardest thing I’ve ever done...I have to find the humor in this because it’s so insane right now, the amount of work and how exhausting it is.”

It's a strange world in which Funny or Die can't handle breastfeeding but the Catholic Church wants to see more of it.

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Why "normalizing" breastfeeding matters.

In a week when we're hearing a lot about breastfeding on Sesame Street, including statements of support by some top pediatricians, I wanted to share one of my favorite videos on the power of conformity.

The point is that if mothers perceive breastfeeding as normal (what everyone is doing) they're more likely to feel comfortable doing it.  And they're less likely to be harrassed at Target or get flack from their employers when they need to pump.  Getting breastfeeding back on Sesame Street would be one step in the direction of "normal."

I love this video and the point it makes about what happens when people perceive what's normal.  Please "like," share on Facebook, Tweet, share, forward, etc. if you do, too!

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Petition asks Sesame Street to bring back breastfeeding

Have you heard about the online petition to bring back breastfeeding on Sesame Street? 

The petition says: 

We are not asking Sesame Street to remove bottle feeding. We are asking that both ways of feeding babies be shown as normal.   If we normalize breastfeeding in our community, especially with our children, we can help raise a generation of breastfeeders which will support our economy, make for healthier children and lessen the risk of breast cancer for many nursing mamas! 

I think that the current focus on childhood obesity, a cause championed by the First Lady, is a great reason to bring breastfeeding back.  Michelle Obama has drawn many connections between breastfeeding and lowered risk of childhood obesity.

Just in case you haven't seen what it looked like when Sesame Street did show breastfeeding, in the 70's and 80's, here are a few clips.  The last one actually had two versions, one which ommitted the breastfeeding scene.  Sadly, the Mr. Rogers clip appears to be gone.

I can't watch this one without getting choked up.

Can you?

This ad is part of the UK's Be a Star campaign, aimed at young moms.  It includes these print ads which are just about as glam as I've ever seen in a breastfeeding ad.

 

 

Moms stage nurse-ins at Target stores nationwide

Nurse-ins were held at Target stores nationwide yesterday in support of Michelle Hickman, a mother of four who was harrassed in a Houston area store. Events were planned at over 100 stores, and the Facebook page used to organize the event has over 6,000 members.

Both local and national press covered the events.  USA Today reported that protests were being held at more than 100 stores, and Time described nursing in public as one example of our culture's "complicated relationship with breastfeeding."  ABC News drew a contrast with a conflict with Whole Foods, in which the chain welcomed the protesters.  CNN's interview with Michelle Hickman is below.

After trying in vain to help Target resolve this issue prior to the nurse-ins and even help position them as a leader in supporting nursing moms, Best for Babes got a response from Target, which reiterates their policy.  This policy was not reflected in actions of the Target staff or the customer service representative who told Michelle Hickman that, while the chain is "aware of our legal rights as nursing mothers, Target has different policies because they are a family friendly public place."

Did you attend a nurse-in at a Target store?  Tell us about it!

More breastfeeding PSAs from New Zealand

Here are the last of the New Zealand PSAs on breastfeeding which I've shared before (here, here, and here).  Enjoy!

 

New Zealand PSAs on dads helping with breastfeeding

Here are two more PSAs from New Zealand's breastfeeding campaign.  Both are on the topic of how family (especially fathers) can help with breastfeeding.  You can see a few more I've posted here and here.

 

 

Nevada's new nursing in public PSA - a first?

Below is a new PSA from Nevada which focuses on mothers' right to breastfeed in public.  This is the first time I've seen a breastfeeding promotion ad which focused on legal rights to nurse in public.