For any of you who might of missed this:
Mother and Baby printed an article in their July edition that has offended both breastfeeders and formula feeders, you can see it here: http://www.lactivist.net/?p=1155
The parenting forum The Bundle Jungle flagged this up to me and I set up a facebook group, asking Mother and Baby to support breastfeeding.
This led to a bit of media interest and here are the interviews:
BBC Bristol -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p008glcp/Breakfast_With_Steve_Le_Fevre_28_06_2010/
2hrs 22 minutes in – Lisa from Lactivist talking about the article in Mother and Baby that calls breastfeeding creepy.
And this one is a far too quick interview on the World Service with Katheryn Blundell from Mother and Baby http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p008762v/Newshour_27_06_2010/
36 mins 30 seconds in
These won’t be online forever so I’ll see if I can download them somehow and save them on here. I am hoping to get a chance to talk to Katheryn Blundell properly. I’d just like them to print facts and not suggest things to potentially vulnerable new parents that might put them off trying breastfeeding.
Lisa
Please do not demonise this woman for finding breast feeding repellant. What should she apologise for? Feeling her breasts are part of her sexuality and feeling uncomfortable with breast feeding or being brave enough to say so? I fully intended to breast feed but was so repulsed by the feeling that I was in tears and it affected my bonding. I now feel that I have to apologise and explain to everyone why I feel my breasts are private parts. I’m pleased someone else has shared this experience and do not feel she should apologise for her feelings or feel guilty for them. It is great if you can breastfeed and of course it is natural but if it doesn’t feel that way that should be respected too. No apology is needed and if it allows one mother uncomfortable with breastfeeding to feel that she is not an unnatural failure as a woman then she has provided a service.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Thanks for your very honest comment Helen, this is clearly an important and emotive issue for you. And you are right – no-one should need to apologise for their personal feelings about their body.
But I don’t think Lactivist is demonising the author of the article for finding breast feeding repellant at all. Rather that there are factual inaccuracies in the article which might themselves put some people off breastfeeding (e.g. that breastfeeding makes your boobs sag – it doesn’t, pregnancy does) and as a professional journalist (although somewhat disingenuously presenting herself as ‘a reader’) the author should check her facts.
Also, in my opinion, the tone of the article – have you read it? it’s on this site – is flippant, sneering, objectifying (towards mothers and babies) – whether I breastfed or formula fed I’d feel unhappy about it, to be honest.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0