Hey breastfeeding prudes. A little F.U. from the lactating ladies: crocheted breast beanies for the breast-feeding babies.
Patterns available from etsy.
For the squeamish I give you this confession, I breast-feed my two year old son. He’s old enough now to say “I love breasts”. It makes me laugh but I think he just does it for the thrill of watching you all go ewwwwww. And I say that as someone who digs you, who was a little icked out by breast-feeding two-year olds myself, once upon a time.
I know, see, World Health Organisation-approved breastfeeding, it could happen to anyone.
I’m right there with you. My son is now three and always requests “milk in a cup” because he breastfed until age 2 and still feels the need to articulate where the milk will be coming from.
That’s funny, my 3 year old always requests “cow milk” because he remembers when we called it cow milk to differentiate from what was pumped in bottles. Then he discovered chocolate milk and “yogurt milk” (flavored kefir), and so figured the proper term for the plain stuff was “cow milk”
My 23 month old terms it cow milk to, as opposed to Mummy’s milk.
HA! My kids alternately request cow milk (7 year old), mommmy’s milk (2 year old), and coconut milk (2 & 5 year olds).
We called it boob juice.
I breastfed until my baby was two and a half year old, he started out at 11 lbs and 22 inches long. He is the healthiest child ever. He now is 10 yrs old, breastfeeding comes with maturity. I was 18 when my first son was born, 22 when my daughter was born and 28 when my last was born. Too embarrassed when I was 18….when I was 22, thought I would try lasted a couple months, last one was 28 and able to handle the fact that is natural and the benefits for the child where unreal, physically, emotionally and mentally. My youngest is rarely sick and does great in school. He is reading at an eighth grade test level as a 5th grader.
I was 18 when my son was born and bf for a 1 year, it was hard and I got judged for it but it was well worth it, so I wouldn’t generalize it as an age thing….
My son (nursed until 3 yrs) requested “kitchen milk” vs. “mommy’s milk”. One night he was before bed and all of the sudden he stopped and said “I want kitchen milk”. I guess it wasn’t coming quick enough that day. 🙂
We had “milk” and “milk from the fridge” at our house. lol good times
We called it “mom juice!”
Ha, I wish I was still breast feeding so I could get me one of those! I used to ewwwww, too: isn’t it great how you can educate yourself and change your own stooopidity?
I think I’ll make a pair of these and make them into a bikini top for my daily sunbath on my back deck. LOLOL…. I nursed my daughter for almost 3 years, and would never have given up those sweet snuggly hours together. All hail to the women who ignore pressure from the perverts who think breasts are only sex objects!!!!
I agree! Breasts are a natural thing, and breast feeding is what people have been doing forever!
That is SO on my list of must haves, right along with the onesie that says “I bite my thumb at you, sir.”
LOVE THAT QUOTE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!
I love it! Wish I had 2 for when I breastfed my twins together.
Zed I was thinking i wish i had these when my twins were younger. They are almost 15 months and still tandem breastfeed. Good luck on your breastfeeding adventures.
Excellent. A likes to make a spectacle of feeding.
I hope he is still feeding at two. Both girls self weaned around one and a half.
Heh. I love that. I’ve also got over breast feeding of older kids, although I didn’t manage it with mine.
Isn’t discreet breast feeding where you ensure that you don’t actually squirt milk in other people’s eyes?
Best definition ever.
Awesome definition! hahah
Yep.. I always did discreet breastfeeding…
LOL! Love it! Because honestly when I was first learning to breast feed my daughter (over 9 years ago) I think I did squirt my husband in the eye a few times
lol! been there done that!
I’ll never forget the day my first son decided at the food co-op to watch everyone else right when my milk was letting down and I shot some woman in the back across the cafe area. Thank goodness neither she nor anyone else noticed it!
LOVE them. I’m tempted to get one for my bestie who is due in October and plans on full-term breastfeeding.
(On a pernickety note, you meant discreet, not discrete – unless you actually did mean breastfeeding “apart or detached from others; separate; distinct”?)
Eek – thank you for picking up on that error.
Dearest “blue milk,” What’s with the militant, in-your-face, persona. Do you have a granny that thinks you should not be breastfeeding, or are you just looking for a fight? I breastfed both of my daughters; one until she was 18 months old and the other for 13 months, both at their discression – not mine. Just to let you know, that was 27 years ago and I NEVER experienced any kind of negative attitudes by anyone – ever. What are you so up tight about? Why the judgemental name calling – “prudes” (roll of the eyes). News flash Miss Smarty Pants, you did not invent breastfeeding – it’s been around since the beginning of time! Now if you are out at night at a 5 star restruarant wanting to make a statement, my advice to you is two words: GROW UP.
Sharon Berry – am I understanding this right? you’re pro breastfeeding, pro breastfeeding without judgementalism – it’s what you experienced yourself – but anti this post/me?
Also, why is it ok for you to call me “uptight” but wrong for me to call people who are squeamish about breastfeeding “prudes”? Personally I’m ok with both words, but just wondering where it is you are coming from.
And while we’re looking at strange things in your comment why did you originally post under my name and not your own?
“Just to let you know, that was 27 years ago and I NEVER experienced any kind of negative attitudes by anyone – ever. What are you so up tight about?”
Hey Sharon – news flash – things have changed a lot in 27 years.
However, I believe you may have just gotten lucky. I’m 25, so my mom was nursing me shortly after you stopped with your kids. And she was the ONLY mom in the maternity ward to be nursing. Everyone else used formula.
She never told me about any negative comments, but 27 years ago, it was rare to breastfeed, especially that long. Consider yourself and your children lucky that during the peak of formula feeding, you were able to nurse your children so long.
(bluemilk, sorry I can’t seem to reply to her comment but I really wanted to say this.)
And I think you meant “persnickety”. Just saying. 😀
Nope, actually pernickety is just fine.
Pernickety is fine. ‘Discression’ isn’t though.
[…] von Bluemilk: How to do discrete breastfeeding Diese hat den Link wiederum von etsy, wo auch eine Häkelanleitung erstanden werden […]
Love them. And to think I was once terrified of breastfeeding my infant in public! I can’t even say for sure anymore exactly what I was afraid of….
Those are pretty funny.
@Rachel, I had a hard time breastfeeding in public at first, too. Now, ~21 months in with my second baby, I have no qualms! (I’ve never had any complaints, either- but I live in Southern California, and really, most bikini tops show more than I do when I nurse.)
I do get a few weird looks when I say that I only had about 6.5 months off between breastfeeding my two girls. You can see the wheels turning in people’s heads…. Yes, I was pregnant with baby #2 for about 3 months before I stopped nursing my first child (who was 23 months old when I stopped).
I tandem nursed a 2 year old and new born… Talk about make people think when I say my daughter didn’t wean until the baby was 3 months old..
Ha ha I dread to think what people would say about me – I bf my eldest daughter until she was 3y 6m when I was 8m pregnant with my youngest daughter and I was also breastfeeding my then 21m old middle daughter when the baby was born.
I’m now tandem nursing my 3y 9m old middle daughter and my 21m old youngest daughter. I have been breastfeeding continuously since March 2006 with 3 different children, tandeming for 40-odd months of that.
my late wife briefly trandem fed.
1st born shared his boobie milk from the age of 2 when his younger brother was born. once mummy was pregnant again, he was going to wean when the baby was born (his decision). he held on until the age of 4yr 1month so she could have a photo of all 3 ‘attatched’ at once.
total feeding when she was untimely taken from us – 6yr 8 month, of which 4 year 8 month was tandem
Awesome! I wish I could buy one NOW! 🙂
I also breastfeed my 18 months old kid no.2, and her brother went well into his 26 month.
Other than the 3 month break when #6 weaned himself at 2 /12 yrs old and # 7 was born, I have been nursing babies for 21+ years. I have 10 children. The oldest 9 weaned sometime between age 2 1/2 yrs and 4 yrs old. I’m sure #10, 28 mo, will wean when she is ready. To the rude people who comment on breastfeeding children. “Haven’t you seen a baby/child eat before?” can be a good reply.
I never experienced the cringe factor with breast feeding. I have a friend who was still feeding her 4 yr old. (It was usually just prior to bed, a comfort/sleep habit I think by then, but also when he was stressed and needed mamma comfort) but she always felt a need to apologise for it which always made me sad.
I experienced breast feeding envy. I was quite upset that my breasts actually appeared to be ornamental and not functional the way they should be and I persevered out of stubbornness far too long with trying to feed my first baby (who was losing weight and dehydrating) because I was told it was the right thing to do. My second spent so much time in hospital as baby (due to a congenital abnormality) that in the end the nurses asked me if they could just please bottle feed him since, again, progress for me was very slow and bottle feeds really did make their job easier. The fact that I managed to feed my youngest for almost 8 months was such a joy for me…
And I LOVE those beanies. (And the fact that they come in all shades I love even more.)
That is bizarre and unnatural, sorry. You have problems if you can’t stop breast feeding a 2 year old, much less a 4 year old.
In any case these hats are awesome for moms who are feeding their normal aged children!
“Self control”? “Normal aged”? Wow, obviously you folks live in a bubble. Most children in the world are weaned between 5 and 6. The US is the only freak. The European MINIMUM is 2 years. Minimum does not equal maximum. I have a 5 year old, I haven’t had milk for 2 years, and we still nurse a couple times a week. And there ain’t no one who can tell me I’m wrong. Try all you want. You do what you need to, and I will do what I need to.
LOVE IT! Thank you!
Awesome that you are breastfeeding your 2 year old son and telling people about it. I fed my son until 18 months and plan to do the same for my daughter. Even now she is at 10 months people look a bit incredulous when they see me pop the booby out for a feed, I like to look them in the eye and give a big smile.
People look weird at a 2 year old breast feeding because it IS weird. Learn how to teach your child self control.
Teach a 2 year old self control? I think you need to teach yourself self control. Mind your own business. Other people’s breastfeeding choices are certainly NONE of your concern.
I took a minute to realise that the woman in the first photo is actually breastfeeding twins, I thought she had on a bikini top for a moment. I am very much in awe of her awesomeness both breastfeeding twins and having the presence of mind to have two lovely nipple beanies to keep their little heads warm.
Oh I am enjoying this SO much, yes -presence of mind to keep their little heads warm! That’s what she was thinking about with these little beanies. So funny and beautiful. I bf my boys for 13 months 1st time, and 3 years 2nd time and never had any problems doing it in public but I sure wish I had these beanies to keep their little heads warm! These are so ‘in your face’. Good job.
I dunno, I can see the cuteness factor, but do we really need to see more disembodied breasts? Isn’t that the whole problem? That our breasts have been objectified enough already? I’d feel much more comfortable with the real thing.
I breastfed my son until he was three, when his sister came along and I decided I couldn’t cope with tandem feeding. I get where the f.u. comes from, that’s pretty much how I felt about feeding in public, never had much luck trying to be discreet myself, but always felt comforted by seeing other women who also let it all hang out.
I hated my breasts so much growing up I wanted to cut them off. I couldn’t stand them being touched. Just felt they were so wrong. Then I had babies, and I thought, oh they’re not so bad, they do this right, then, thank god, they’re bloody miraculous! To now feeling pretty comfortable with them.
Those beanies do squick me out a bit, only because they remind me of all the horrible plastic joke breasts you see, that make me sick to the pit of my stomach and feel like my body is gross and wrong. Wish I could be free of the patriarchal mind fuck and see the fun. Sigh
Hmm – not sure. In my mind, they draw attention even more to the fact that you are breastfeeding, which I would not have wanted!
I think they are more for the extremely confident mother’s who don’t care and are trying to make a point to the “ADULTS” who seem to have a problem with such a natural thing?… I mean I too am a little insecure about it and always trying to find a quiet secluded place to breastfeed in(which is at times extremely hard to do) but I do it because I hate the disgusted looks I get from people (my own insecurities). I think they are cute for people who want to rub it in other’s faces who think it’s so gross.
I love these. I fed my babies for 9 months. My daughter breast fed her first to babies and is still feeding number three. We have both met sensible people who know what breasts are for : feeding babies. We have both met interfering busibodies. The best one I met was a woman who sat next to me for ten minutes before she realised I was feeding my baby. When she did notice she jumped up and stormed off shouting “That’s disgusting!”
Funny but I don’t remember hearing about people moaning about bottle feeding. Yet the bottles are really artificial breasts!
LOVE IT! Thanks for the smile!
I so WISH I’d had these when I was breastfeeding. A nice antidote to the whole hide-the-body, tent-wearing phenomenon.
Alas, I weaned my youngest 3 years ago so it’s too late for me!
Those tents are the silliest.
I was 19 when I had my first child and had no idea that my decision to breastfeed him would be so political. I weaned him at 30 months, mainly because my 2nd trimester baby bump was starting to get in the way!
They need to have one pattern that has ginormous aureolas. I mean, some of us have ’em.
Very true!
Duh… just adjust the pattern to fit your own body! =)
Ha! I almost wish I was nursing again. And I nursed my kids to 4 1/2. Gasp!
I nursed my first son until he was almost 4 1/2. Although he was really just comfort nursing before bed, I did help encourage him to stop when I was beginning the second trimester of my second son because it was too uncomfortable for me. Now, the youngest is almost 3 and still nursing, moreso than my first. I plan to let him self-wean as well. Our families were supportive of the nursing until age 2, but then openly expressed their disgust; therefore, it is no longer a topic of conversation with my second child. I am glad to see such good company supporting my beliefs! : )
I’m curious – and ask this with the utmost respect just so I can understand better – why would a mother elect to nurse a child so long? And is self-weaning as simple as the child losing interest in breastfeeding or is there some gentle encouragement on part of the parents?
@ Elle – why not? There is no evidence that it is in anyway harmful to the child, WHO recommends b/feeding if you are able to a minimum of two years. There is only the squick feeling to get over, and some mums just don’t get that. So if it isn’t hurting the child and they don’t want to stop – my daughter didn’t want to stop either, but I stopped her because I was so over it – then why not keep going?
Mindy – I was just wondering. I don’t have kids so I was curious, that’s all.
Mindy, for the same reason it isn’t ok to let your child continue using a diaper or to not start teaching them how to talk or read (or at least reciting alphabet). These are things that a 4.5 year old obviously should be doing, but you think it’s ok to just keep on breast feeding life the child is a newborn?
The WHO guidance quoted is inaccurate. Other than missing psychological growth, you are risking allergies, iron deficiencies, etc
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12180052
“Self” – are you serious? You’re going to go by a BBC article rather than very well researched WHO recommendations? Are you a scientist? Do you know anything about nutrition? I’d say…no! The advice to wean babies as early as 4-6 months is absolutely idiotic. I say this for three major, HUGE reasons:
1) The mother’s immune system keeps the baby healthy. Period. You see this all over the place when comparing breast to bottle fed babies – it’s just what happens. Generally speaking, breast fed babies ward off illness much more effectively than bottle fed babies – that’s just a stone cold fact. Look around you.
2) Babies are NOT adults or older children. They need physical comfort and nurturing. Your implication throughout this discussion is that small children need to be made to “grow up” and “have some self control.” Not only is is terribly emotionally unhealthy to inflict these adult adjectives on our children, it’s psychologically damaging for them. Let young children be what they are: young. They are meant to be dependent long after the western social structure allows them to be.
3) Nutritionally, breast milk is fabulous. In some particularly cold, dark regions, it can be appropriate (but not essential) to substitute vitamin D in the winter, but to say you’re giving your child an iron deficiency by not weaning him or her at such a young age is ridiculous.
In short, people need to give themselves a kick in the rear, realize when it is THEY who have a problem and not the infants and toddlers (and parents) they are so roundly criticizing. Sometimes “what you and your friends think” isn’t what is right.
Just to clear up something about that BBC article: In the UK, “wean” means “add solid foods to an infant’s diet”.
Excellent! 🙂
i would totally buy one of these if i were still breastfeeding! unfortunately my daughter selfweaned at 5 months due to a very bad cold that made it so she couldnt breathe out of her nose. with me working full time i just wasnt able to pump enough to keep my supply up until she got better =[
That’s not called “weaning,” that’s called a nursing strike. One can recover from those. It is extremely rare for children to choose to wean before the age of two. A five-month-old is definitely too young to make a decision like that.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html
I have a 1 month old and get weird looks all the time… I am so inspired by all of your stories ladies thank you … you have really changed my mind on the age factor. Breastfeeding is such an art of beauty. I love these and want one.
I would have LOVED one of these when my boys were babies! They are just fabulous! I did get a few odd looks now and again, but I must say, for the most part, I would get complimented by so many women, young and old, for breastfeeding my boys. It was such a morale and confidence booster and just reaffirmed my belief in breastfeeding!
Love it.
Perfect!
I think they’re great!
Very good.
Though no need to be discreet in my opinion. It should be grounds for suspension of operating licence for any cafe etc to discourage or in any way discomfit breastfeeding mothers.
well in ireland it seems most people have a hang up about breastfeeding. i love it, did it for 6 months. if I’d known these existed I could have worn them for my in laws- we don’t talk anymore because of the whole issue!
So cute! Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if we could have a society where an F.U. would not be necessary? A girl can dream.
It would almost make a person want to have another baby just so she could make one of these awesome little hats and put it on her baby… almost! 🙂
I breast fed mine until she was over 2. It was a wonderful thing. And if we had owned a hat like this, you BET I would have put it on her!!
Hi cat fox – just wondering, did your daughter wean herself at that point? My 23 month old is going strong and I am getting a bit ambivalent about it…
I also breastfed my youngest daughter until she was over 2 and she weaned herself. The more active she got the more she only wanted to nurse when she was tired, or got hurt. Good luck!!
Now that you are out of the critical first year, I strongly recommend that you wean when it seems best for you, and your daughter, not just her. I nursed my first son until I was 5 months pregnant with my second, so he was right about 18 months when I had to wean him, and that made me so sad. I didn’t feel ready but it became a necessity. My second son turned 3 in March and STILL wants to nurse. It became a burden and I don’t recommend continuing unless it is a mutual desire and decision. I continued out of some sort of perceived obligation because I began watching an infant during the week for a friend and my son became kindof jealous so I didn’t want to “cut him off”, but honestly it got to where it made me unhappy. Be honest with yourself, and find a number you can both be happy with.
It’s natural as daisies, everyone needs to do it at some point, and there is nothing wrong with it., I say that anyone that wants to make a rules as to where and when you can do it, and how much must be covered, or that you must be in a special room where no one else can watch is a prude, a religious fanatic, or sociologically and compulsively of-kilter.
Wait, ‘breast-feeding”? I thought that we were talking about masturbation again. Or urination.
Time and place. Nothing wrong with breastfeeding, then again, manners and consideration seem to be outdated nowadays anyhoo…
Boom boom.
Are these hats available for purchase? If so, where?
Search “boobie beanie” on Etsy. 🙂
[…] How to do Discrete Breastfeeding – Blue Milk […]
this is genius!
Geez. Good for you! I’d have fun with them and I haven’t breastfed…a baby…for 21 years. lol
They are fine looking hats Blue Milk, Have you seen these breast feeding dolls.
http://blogs.forbes.com/traceyjohn/2011/07/13/breast-milk-baby-breastfeeding-doll-heading-to-us-retailers/
I want one! I think this may just be my new go-to shower gift… along with a La Leche League book! 🙂
HAHA love them!!!!!!! i breastfed my 8 week old daughter in public the other day, first time in public! i was shaking…seems ridiculous doesn’t it?? Im more embarrased about my boobs being seen, not the actual breastfeeding my baby (as i have no problem with it and dont care if i see women doing it), i dont know why? once my daughter was latched on and boob wasnt fully out there and was more or less hidden by babies head i felt calmer…i think ill get used to it though the more i do it? of course its going to be a bit scary exposing yourself at first…hehe. one lady walked past and gave filthy look, id heard about these idiotic people who do not think its right to breastfeed in public but didnt quite believe it til i saw this…very sad and ignorant…people should understand that we cant all stay locked in our houses so that we can ensure our childrens needs are met?? we’re not just Mums, we’re people too!!
Tamsyn, good on you! I was scared shitless about breastfeeding in public and breastfeeding in front of brothers-in-law etc when I first started. So, you are not alone.
Breasts are so sexualised in our culture, it can feel utterly absurd to have your own out, even for a split second before the baby is latched on, in front of anyone who is not having sex with you or fitting you for a bra. But good for you, claiming that space for you and your baby and I’m so outraged that you’ve already encountered some crappy person giving you a glaring. Breaks my heart too – it’s not like breastfeeding is always that easy in the early days, you jump through a lot of hoops to get it established in many cases and as if mothers should have to face shaming on top of everything else they’re dealing with.
Love it! I’m definitely making one for my little girl LOL
So cute!!! I should make some!! Although my youngest is almost 22 months now! He still nurses… and just gets down to the nitty gritty… if he wants to nurse he just belts out “Mama! BOOB!” lol love my boy.
I have no need to give a big F.U. where I am. I breastfed my son until he weaned at 10.5mo (I was devistated) but I never got the glares. I have massive BBs and used to just whip ’em out whenever DS was hungry. Most didn’t even notice, those that did either rushed to get me a chair, drink, food, stopped to admire a bub having a good feed (mostly elderly women for that last one) or just kept walking.
I’d still like to get one though, more for novelty though lol. I have no issues with whatever age lil ones stop feeding, except for if it is to soon.
Damprye: I had some of the loveliest conversations of my life with older women while I was pumping in public (or at parties, etc). I learned a lot about what it was like to deal with severe feeding difficulties a few decades back, both in a practical and an emotional sense. And I got the impression that some (or all) of these women had never really had the opportunity to sit down and talk about what that had been like for them.
@ Ariane Having been squirted in the eye by my sister, oh such a long time ago now, I love this definition (fell off my chair laughing!!)
@ Tanmsyn Her then husband decided that it was a good idea to have a REALLY good perve when I was breastfeeding about 1 year later. Some ppl get their kicks in the weirdest ways lol. He NEVER deterred me from bf (apart from making me wish the ground would open up & swallow me at the time :))
As for ppl who glare, stare, make rude comments (had them all as well), you can only feel sad that they must’ve missed out on something in their lives.
That’s awesome!
I want one for my babe! That’s the best thing I’ve seen all day.
My breastfeeding days are over. All four babies were breastfed. The last three was a minimum of 2 years. I would have LOVED these for the prudes that couldn’t believe I was breastfeeding in public, despite the fact that I lifted my shirt from bottom AND had the baby in a sling.. LOVE THESE!!!
:- •
I nursed my youngest until he was 4yrs 9 months…. And at 7 going into 2nd grade he’s perfectly normal Imagine! Love the hats btw.
Some people are just too creative ~ I’m sure this will get some double takes from a distance hehe
I’ve been seeing a lot of these hats on sites….I’m gonna have to break down and make one for DS who is 10 months. It can be his winter hat. LOL He loves his booby!
Censoring is bad practice – I have a friend and her daughter who actually referred me to this page and they have both commented on and responded to other comments. Sadly her opinions haven’t made it on because apparently only comments in favor of the nipple beanies are posted. Why not see all sides of it? While I’m very much a fan of the hats and have enjoyed the commentary from others in response, I need to figure out how to unsubscribe from this feed because it’s so disappointing that only one perspective is being shown. These hats are for “liberal” moms, but the blog owner/moderator isn’t liberal enough to accept that not everyone shares her perspective.
Hayley, your friend’s comments were trolling and that’s why they were deleted. See here for my thoughts on censorship and trolls: https://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/hey-internet-clean-up-your-mess/
By all means she can say she feels differently or doesn’t like the beanies or that they make her feel squick or whatever but don’t think she can snipe on other people’s comments, don’t think she can pay out on breastfeeding or mothers breastfeeding their kids…
While I can’t vouch for the content of the previous posts, I highly doubt (based on the personalities of these two individuals) that they were trolling. That said, I read the linked Hoyden About Town stance as well as the links that were provided and while I still feel like it’s censorship that shouldn’t exist, I completely understand your perspective and the responsibility of a blog owner (something I hadn’t previously considered) so thanks for directing me to a place that helped me gain a new perspective.
Oh man I love this! if I ever manage to get pregnant I am so buying one for my babe! This is hilarious. I was forced by my manager at work to tell a woman that she had to cover herself once and I was so humiliated and ashamed of myself.
Just say, “No.” ;-P
If breastfeeding is fine in public than why don’t we go to the toilet in public or walk around naked? Those things are natural!
To A little confused: you do go to the toilet in public, just go to special places to do it. Going everywhere would be unsanitary. As to going around naked, I do not know, I would not have problems with it. I guess, it is a matter of cultural limitations… 🙂
As to breastfeeding, love these little hats.I have breastfed my two kids in public with no any reservations what-so-ever. Did not even cover with my clothes. Three years each, will do it again if new kid comes along… 🙂 But still love the hats, or cups, or whatever they are… 🙂
@ a little confussed- are you just jealous that the child who is nursing doesn’t have to pay for their food? And the mother is bonding with her child…does that offend you? And ummm guess what there is a thing called a ‘public restroom” oh my I know it is shocking! Oh and another news flash there are places where it is okay to walk around naked…nude beaches! Hello! Don’t hate on BF moms and don’t be jealous! If you don’t like it, DONT look!
there are several cultures where walking around naked is totally accepted; in fact, in many places in north america, women do have the right to walk around topless, legally speaking, but it is not culturally accepted. I personally have no problem with it if you choose to walk around naked at all. anatomy is anatomy; nothing gross about it. We don’t piss or crap on the streets due to risk of infection, unsanitary conditions, and malodour.
But public breastfeeding is a fight against cultural limitations, and the constant objectification of breasts as sexual objects.
Why are you so grossed out by public breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding in public is about as common-sense as eating in public and breathing in public.
While I won’t use ‘it’s natural’ as an argument, ever, because it’s used to wrongly justify horrendous things, I will say that the reason I’m ok with breastfeeding in public is because it makes sense; if your baby is hungry while you’re in public, a little confused, why is it at all offensive to feed her? What is so wrong about making sure your baby is nutritionally and emotionally satisfied? Why are breasts so repulsive to you? What do you find so offensive about a part of female anatomy? Why have you internalised the messages constantly told to us by the media: that breasts are just for sexual objectification? What is so gross about public breastfeeding?
And in future, if you are so deeply disturbed, you can always choose to NOT look at a woman who is publicly breastfeeding. That is YOUR choice.
Sarah- not only do women have the right to be topless in my state (Vermont) anyone can be naked in public so long as they aren’t disrobing publicly (and everyone know that doesn’t mean to breastfeed– its for the flashers)
Do you eat in public A little confused?
Brilliant!!!
This is fantastic. I love that there are 3different coloured skin types! So cute. I was unable to bfeed my daughter but if i had this is gr8 there is nothing to be ashamed of its how God made us. Well done ladies i had a smile reading thru all the comments 🙂
Gosh im seeing some of the negative comments here. No need2be nasty ladies. Its natural to bfeed its how we were made i love the comment above to – A LITTLE CONFUSED. Do you eat in public. I think these are gr8 its only boob! There are much more important things to worry about.
WELL DONE BLUE MILK 🙂
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Nice!
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Love the hats soooo cute. AND so tempting lol.
Funniest question caught me off guard as i was doing my tax the other day. My accountant asked if i was going to breastfeed my new bubba when she arrives. I said definitely yes, because i did with the other 3 kiddies.
Now my accountant is probably 60-70yrs old, and he replied with, “That’s great to hear, so many women don’t now. Human milk is ment for human babies not any other milk. All animals should have their own species milk, not made up stuff. And make sure you feed in public it pisses people off but it’s natural and normal.”
It shocked and surprised me, but i was so proud of him! Most people you meet now a days has a negitive attitude towards feeding or the sight of feeding.
It was a welcome change of attitude.
Awesome. And from an accountant of all people 😉 I am married to one of those 🙂
I’m a mummy of ten…. yes TEN… my eldest is 23 yrs old and my youngest not quite six months, I’ve breastfed them all… the longest for 18 months… I LOVE the idea behind these bonnets…. I had a little grin to myself… I love the sense of humour these provide and the FU value! 😉
after a few short weeks bf-ing my first, then a few short months with my 2nd. many complications, i loved every minute of it! the closest most natural relationship with your baby you can ever dream of. LADIES…. IF YOU CAN DO IT, JUST DO IT!!!! bugger what others think or say. a few early mornings/late nights. the sore boobs. the leaking milk. the many cabbages we seem to go thru, is deffinately the most special rewarding moments that YOU WILL TREASURE FOREVER!!!!
we dont go to the toliets to eat so why should our babies have to, we are able to eat where ever we like and i believe our babies should be able to eat when they are hungry wherever they are! i breast fed both my bubs and loved every moment and i didnt care what others thought its all natural!
I completely agree that babies shouldn’t be breastfed in the bathrooms — SO unsanitary. I think nursing rooms should be mandatory in restaurants and shopping centers. Until then, I also don’t want to see boobs being pulled out ON PURPOSE (the occasional slip is understandable) for all the world to see. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for nursing mamas to cover up their nursing babies with a blanket or to pump before hand.
Bottle feeding a baby occasionally will not hurt the baby in any way, nor will it confuse him/her. My husband is a pediatrician and our kids went back and forth from breast at home to bottle in public. No big deal and they were weaned at 12 months as is recommended by many pediatric professionals. Of course I think if moms want their babies to nurse longer than a year they should do so without ridicule!
I wish that people who object to seeing babies eating would carry a blanket around with them to throw over their own heads when they see a baby feeding. It is purely a socialised thing, we have been taught that breasts are sexual and shouldn’t be seen rather than that breasts are normal and mostly useful for feeding babies.
Well, Mindy, do you also think it’s also appropriate for people to urinate and deficate in public as someone mentioned elsewhere in this thread? These are also normal human functions but social trends have steered us to do these behind a closed door.
To clarify, my statement wasn’t in regard to babies feeding, it was referencing the fact that I have seen on more than one occasion a mother with no shame exposing her breast(s) in public and thinking nothing of it. I’m not interested in seeing any part of the human body that wouldn’t normally be covered by a swimsuit making an appearance at my favorite restaurant during dinnertime. And I’m not going to put a blanket over my head to avoid seeing it.
Could you explain what exactly is so abhorrent about seeing a boob (even briefly as the baby latches on)?
Oh jen, don’t you know that a baby having lunch is exactly and precisely the same as a cafe floor being covered in freshly-laid human shit? Ashley-Marie told us so, so it must be true!
Actually, pumping before I go out anywhere IS too much to ask. And I don’t see why you think you have the authority to be declaring for a mother what is and is not reasonable when they are feeding her baby.
@laurelhed: yes, or getting out your erect penis and masturbating in the middle of the restaurant. All clearly the same thing. There are some things that we just should not be forced to see.
Try not to take it to the far extreme. I was giving examples to defend my opinion. That’s all it is.
Jen – Go back to both my comments – I specifically said I don’t want to see boobs exposed ON PURPOSE for extended periods of time because nursing moms feel like a public arena like a shopping mall or restaurant is the same as their home. I don’t want to see it. Period. If you do, good for you. I also never once said I was the authority on how a mother feeds her children, but as someone who pumped before going out I can safely say that it was not a major inconvenience or excessively time consuming for me nor for any other of the nursing/pumping moms I know. Perhaps you’re the exception.
And lauredhel – you are obviously an extremist because my examples were given to prove a point and taken from elsewhere in this thread so if you want to attack someone perhaps do a ctrl+f and find the other post that talks about excriment and critique that opinion.
The problem with both of your comments is that you are failing to see the big picture and what I’m saying, instead you’re selecting the lines you disagree with and nitpicking.
The blog owner replied to another comment in this thread and said that people are welcome to voice opinions here even if contrary to the common opinion – I don’t even feel I’m doing that because I responded in agreement to Nelly’s post and yet I’m being ridiculed because you two have an issue with your skewed interpretation of my opinion. Chill out and quit trying to pick fights.
Ashley-Marie – the big question is how often have you seen boobs being pulled out and waved about “ON PURPOSE”? Honestly? Because what I hear is how uncomfortable Western women feel breastfeeding in public, how difficult they find it, lest someone they don’t know sees a tiny glimpse of their breast before the baby is latched on.
Rather than scolding these hypothetical boob-exposers, which makes ALL breastfeeding mothers feel attacked in case they are being seen as the boob-exposers, why not give your full support to breastfeeding mothers, as one of us? New mothers, especially, need our support; it can be hard work learning to breastfeed, getting a let-down, and getting the technique right, god knows, they don’t need hostility on top of all that.
Also, pumping is not easy for everyone – I, for one, never managed to get a predictable feeding schedule going in order to do it and I often fed my baby before I left for an outing only to find her/him hungry again once we were out. Breastfeeding babies also ‘sip’ for hydration and I live in a hot part of the world, go through growth periods, get tooth-aches and require comfort etc etc. Pumping the milk beforehand is not the answer for everyone and every baby.
It is our right to exist in public space, it is the right of babies to exist in public space – that breasts have been sexualised is not the responsibility of babies and mothers… you are the adult who sexualises them and you are the one who needs to work on that issue for yourself so you can deal with the concept of breastfeeding in public space.
blue milk – I have on many occaions seen a mother pull out her breast for more than a few (think 5+) seconds getting the baby situated and in position to latch on. Maybe this is a cultural thing – you commented on Western women so maybe this only happens in my part of the world, the fact is that all I was doing was articulating my perspective. I’m not talking about the teeny glimpse of the breast.
It was never my intention to not support breastfeeding mothers – I nursed three kids so I know the challenges associated with nursing little ones especially as a young mom – nor did I intend to make anyone feel attacked because honestly I felt like I was the one being attacked in this arena. It seems that if everyone is not of the same mind they are criticized and their statements manipulated to the worst scenario.
I think there is a huge disconnect with a text-based medium because it seems that in order for me to express myself when my opinion differs even slightly from the group as a whole that being direct and putting my perspective in this forum means that many people will take it as me being aggressive. That is not the case. I certainly don’t agree with 100% of the posts in this thread, but I’m not jumping all over the opinions I disagree with, I don’t even respond to them. I read them and move on (unless I feel I’m being attacked, then I naturally will respond to defend myself). I believe that as adults we should be able to disagree without picking on those with whom we do not agree.
I don’t recall ever having said that women and babies have no right to exist in public spaces, I’ve re-read my posts and there’s nothing I can see that even implies, but then again I knew my intention, tone, etc. while writing. Also, I do not sexualize breasts, I simply come from a very conservative upbringing and my core values are very much in line with that upbringing. It makes me uncomfortable when a woman wears extremely short shorts that leave part of her backside hanging out, I’m uncomfortable when women wear shirts exposing a lot of cleavage. These are not things I should have to apologize for nor should I have to apologize for feeling uncomfortable when a woman’s breast is exposed in a public place for longer than is necessary. Perhaps this is cultural and my critics are from far more liberal places than I. Whatever the case may be, I will apologize if anyone has felt like I’m not in support of breastfeeding because I am all for it and I stand behind my statement in the initial post that required amenities should be offered to nursing moms because it’s ridiculous to think that a mother should have to breastfeed in a bathroom.
I completely agree with bluemilk’s response here (once again she manages to put it way more eloquently than I can). I had real difficulty latching my daughter on and once she hit the four month mark she would off come off to have a good look around if someone made a noise or started talking near here. It was a nightmare and I felt so embarrassed and awkward at times. If I had encountered more people like Ashley-Marie I am sure I wouldn’t have continued breastfeeding. Thanking people with prudish attitudes like Ashley-Marie are in the minority where I live. It is funny, the one time I did get confronted about publically breastfeeding it was by a girl friend of my who told me that she didn’t think that she should have to deal with seeing her friend’s boobs. Everyone else has been extremely supportive. What I find fascinating about this exchange is how much Ashley-Marie puts her discomfort down to the fault of others rather than critically reflecting on her own sexualised view of breasts. There was a time when I did feel uncomfortable about my friends breastfeeding on front of me (and my husband still does to a certain extent) but we both acknowledge that this is a result of our own hang ups than the breastfeeding mothers activity. And yes, I am still yet to meet one of those flagrant boob exposers. I think most of the time we don’t notice people who are publically breastfeeding to the point that there is now a huge disconnect between these hyperthetical boobflashing exhibitionists and the actually number of mothers publically breastfeeding.
Seen them before and I love them, so much in fact that I want to learn to crochet so I can make them to sell.
I can’t take it! Those are hilarious! I so wish I had had them when I was nursing!
I nursed my 2 biological children and wished I could have nursed my adopted son! I loved the closeness it helps to create and even 16 years later, we are still close! I remember once with my first born, having an issue with a police officer about nursing at a local beach, but when I asked if he fed his children there and he did, he had no response as to why I could not feed my child there! He walked away upset, but knew there was nothing he could do about it! For the record, I always used a blanket to cover up when I was in public, but never at home! These hats are adorable and I wish they had been around when my children were little!
More power to extended breastfeeders!
I myself was also grossed out by the idea – before I had babies.
My now 3 year old son self-weaned (with the slightest nudging) at 33 months.
My daughter is still going strong at almost 19 months. I tandem nursed them.
Judos to the ladies that have the balls (or shall I say, breasts) to extend breastfeed. You are doing the absolute BEST for your babies!
Lois Hamilton.
Wonderful to feed as long as you can, and I am fine with it, someone previous mentioned cultural sensitivity and I think that is important. (try to do this in some country’s and you will have real trouble on your hands.)
But I love the beanies think its a great idea.
To all woman!!!
It is so sad when a woman cant physically breastfeed. Our oldest was bottle fed and my wife suffered hugely emotionally as a result. As did some friends in the same boat (whose mothers were unsupportive!!).
Our second is now 17 months and my wife feels the need to apologise for feeding in public.
Well I say f.ck them. Its got to be the most natural thing ever….
Here is to women’s right to choose when, where and how they feed our future leaders of the world!!
You are awesome!
I love the hats and that they come in several colors *L* great. Not that my son would keep a hat on; but still. awesome. I tandem nursed my older two till my osn was just three and the baby was 3 months. Quite an experience
I’m definitely going to make some of these hats, and am wondering what motivates people who want babies to go and eat in toilets, that’s just disgusting. Do they think babies have no sense of smell? Hatred, insanity, or boob envy, whatever it is, it is an inhuman and pathetic thing to suggest.
“@laurelhed: yes, or getting out your erect penis and masturbating in the middle of the restaurant. All clearly the same thing. There are some things that we just should not be forced to see.”
Is the same as watching a baby breastfeed? You have got to be fucking kidding me! Breasts are for feeding babies and have been like forever. A penis is for making babies. There is quite a difference there and I suggest that perhaps you get your neck checked if you are unable to look away when a woman starts breastfeeding. FFS.
Amen to that. Jen and Laurelhed are semi-trolling here – glad I’m not the only one who sees that they’re going well outside the realm of normal understanding.
Whaaaat? Ashley-Marie, did you read the rest of the thread, the bit where it turned out Jen was being sarcastic and Mindy apologised?
I think jen was being sarcastic…
That was supposed to be in reply to Mindy, oops.
My apologies jen, my sarcasm meter is turned off this morning. Thanks for the heads up Tamara.
oh yikes! funny that you thought I was serious though.
As I responded to @quazydellasue on Twitter: if anyone does complain: “look, I get that ur hungry too, but ur NOT having any!”
hahaha. Yes, should shock them into shutting up.
Those hats are so cute.
I tandem nursed until my sons were 5 and 3 1/2 and I’m still nursing the younger one till he is 5 (though not in public!). La Leche League says that weening between 2 1/2 to 5 yrs is normal so I’m taking it. As a mom-over-40, and probably not having a much-wanted 3rd child, the physical act of nursing and the closeness it provides are important to me, and my boys loved/love it. Nursing is not just about nutrition.
I hate when people say you should go in the bathroom to nurse. How would they like to eat their lunch in a bathroom!
I nurse out in public all the time. I don’t always cover my babies head either, but I do keep it discreet. With my second child I was once at a park jogging and she needed to be fed. So I sat down in a secluded area and fed her. Well there was a table of people laughing and pointing at me. I don’t know weird. Like they had never seen it done and I was a circus act. Whatever!!
First time I saw a toddler nurse I was shocked. Then one day, there I was, nursing a toddler who asked to nurse ;-). In about 10 years, I hope to make some of these for a new generation of babies n the family!
Your son’s gonna have issues. ISSUES. 2 years old??? Child molester.
Don’t be jealous anon!
Oh anon, so nice to see the beanies have an impact.
I BF my son till he was three. Though we stopped nursing in public at about 1.5 years. I am confused as to why one would think a 2 year-old who has mama milk is going to turn into a molester-or are you calling the parent a molester? From a global perspective, nursing a two year-old is hardly a topic for discussion it is so common.
Exactly!
In reply to Ashley-Marie Miller’s latest comment above, a point of order about pumping. Your personal experiences/observations are not universal truths. For example, with my first baby I stopped being able to pump effectively when she was about 11 months old. Hardly anything would come out. This was a big disappointment as she had to go on to formula on the days I was at work. Breasfeeding still went fine though. Your comment was just obnoxious.
Tamara – again, if you read what I said it was about MY experience. How is MY experience obnoxious to you?
Well, for a start, I did not say your “experience” was obnoxious. What was obnoxious was your attempt to use your experience to dictate what others should do – hence your comment was obnoxious. Your comment at 1 August 3.38pm made a number of statements that involved telling others what to do on the basis that those things worked for you.
In addition, when jen said it was too much to ask to pump beforehand you again implied that it should be just fine since it was for you and your friends and then suggested she might be an exception. Perhaps, since there might be more of us “exceptions” than you thought, it might be safest for you to be a bit more accepting of other people’s circumstances.
Feel free to share your experiences but without basing your instructions to others on them.
I completely agree with, Tamara. I find your comment that because pumping was fine for you and your friends every other mother who is breastfeeding should be fine to do it too arrogant. And although you don’t say explicitly that you consider yourself an “authority” it is implicit in your general tone and statements about what is reasonable for us all to do which are given without any sort of acknowledgement that mothers other than you might have different experiences or there might be different perspectives on reasonableness. I shouldn’t even have to point out how pumping can place a burden on mothers and their babies but for the ignorant, here goes: First of all, my daughter didn’t take a bottle until she was four months or so and on advice of the breastfeeding clinic here in Oxford (lead by the leading experts Chloe Fisher and Sally Inch) we were told not to try a bottle too early unless absolutely necessary because it could interfere with the baby’s ability to latch. So that would mean I couldn’t feed her in public up until that time without breastfeeding. Secondly, as bluemilk noted, my daughter did not establish a regular feeding pattern until she was well over the 6 month mark and therefore I could not rely on taking enough bottles of pumped breastmilk out with me to cover any journey out and keep them sterile and fresh. As you will know, a baby should not feed from the same bottle more than one hour after it has first fed from it. Finally, sterilising all the equipment needed for pumping milk takes time and energy which when one is a mother to a young child can be energy that we don’t have (or would rather spend elsewhere.
Ladies, as I stated above I know my intended tone and obviously missed the mark or it was lost somewhere in a non-verbal, text-based medium. I’m sorry for any misinterpretation and really think that this dead horse has been flogged – many of you don’t agree with my opinion, I’ve defended my perspective, let’s just move on. I don’t know any of you personally, I don’t know if you all know each other, we’re in different parts of the world and in the big picture none of this matters.
I’m sure we probably all have a lot more in common than we disagree on and rather than focusing on things I wrote that aren’t directly in line with your beliefs, I prefer to move forward and find areas where our beliefs overlap.
Everyone has the right to do what they want with their kids, but I personally don’t see breast feeding a 5 year old as natural. My 5 year old is old enough to go in the fridge and pour himself a glass of milk. To each is own I guess…
“I personally don’t see breast feeding a 5 year old as natural. My 5 year old is old enough to go in the fridge and pour himself a glass of milk.”
Your totally natural fridge, which grew on a tree? And your milk which came out of the cow homogenised and pasteurised? Perhaps you need to re-examine the meaning of “natural” …
Why are you picking on everyone’s opinions? You continually nitpick about specific things – you did this to me too. LA is merely stating her opinion, there’s nothing wrong with that even if you don’t agree yet you feel you need to criticize.
I don’t think it’s nitpicking. Saying that it’s not “natural” is shaming and untrue. I think lauredhel brought up a good point.
By the way everyone – happy World Breastfeeding Week!
I breastfed my two many decades ago. I’m sad to see that there is still so much angst and controversy over this non-issue (or what should be a non-issue). Love the hats!!
I am actually in two minds about the hats. Kind of agree with the comment above about whether we actually need more disembodied boobs. It seemed a bit too much of a “fuck you” than I feel comfortable with (including aiming it at people who may be very sympathetic to public breastfeeding). Can’t we just breastfeed and that be enough without trying to make another statement on top of that? It seems to take breastfeeding from the normal, natural thing to do to something that is a fuck you political statement that we should manufacture into purchaseable clothing to put on our children’s heads…
I thought this initially too! I think the hats are a really cute idea and when I saw the image I giggled to myself because they’re clever. Then I started thinking of the implications and political statements of actually using a hat like this. I still think they’re fun for the novelty, but personally wouldn’t be comfortable with using one.
actually these hats are made from a pattern you can buy – so the hats aren’t for buying but for making. I think that makes it a little less creepy.
And I think it’s kind of a “fuck you” – but it’s also just funny and cute. Obviously not for everyone, but I don’t think it’s worth over-thinking in this case, especially since the person who’s boobs are being disembodied has total agency in it – since they’re the one who will (most likely) make them, and they’re the one who will put them on the baby.
Besides – breastfeeding became a “fuck you” statement when it became impolite to do it in public.
While we are on the topic of breastfeeding and pumping, have any of you donated breastmilk? I did it through our clinic here in Oxford (when I had too much milk in storage). It was such a rewarding experience to know that these tiny, premature babies were getting the best nutrition possible. And it saved the hospital so much money. I subsequently learnt that a litre of breastmilk costs a hospital £150 here in the UK.
I have been a donor and I agree that it’s so rewarding! After my second was born I had a good friend who was killed in a car accident leaving behind a 9 month old baby. That, paired with hinking of my own kids and how valuable breast milk is, inspired me to donate. I continued to donate for about two months after my third one weaned too.
After reading many of these posts, I just have to comment. I have 30 year old twins as well as a 27 year old. I breastfed all of them – the majority of time in public. (I was always on the go and boobs are very convenient!) I would feed my twins in the grocery store by laying them (one at a time) on the handle bars of the grocery cart and attaching them to my boob. I was in a state where I had no family and no outside help and I figured “ya’ gotta do what ya’ gotta do”! No one ever gave me dirty looks or said anything negative, but rather the looks were of incredulity and the comments were all of the nature of asking how I did what I did. My attitude was one of believing that if there was a problem, it was on the other person’s end and not my own. I had to figure out what worked the best for me and since I already felt like a cow with it’s calf (calves) attached, I chose to nurse them at the same time, one on top of the other, alternating sides, thereby keeping the milk streaming equally. They nursed this way for 18 months. I then nursed their brother for ten months at which time he weaned himself. He would much rather run off to discover the wide world! Nursing, for me was a time of peace and bonding and I was NOT going to let anyone or anything keep me from this pure joy!
These are awesome! I wish I could have had this when I was nursing. While I nursed discreetly, I received many rude comments and hairy eye balls from others, including my own mother….
You are my hero. For reals. And I just want to share that my nearly three old who referred to mamas milk as “uhms” told me once “mama, your uhms are are all a-licious”. I’ll let you translate. Thanks for smile and I totally high fived you across the cyber world 🙂
I’ve been reading this blog thread for the last week or so because the hats were linked to me via a Facebook event to promote breastfeeding in my region. It’s been interesting for me to see the global perspective here and then I found this video which kind of confirmed both what I’ve seen in the thread interaction and supports some of the statements made:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44050086#44050086
Like Ashley-Marie Miller, I’m in the U.S. and I too tend to be a little uncomfortable with seeing women breastfeed in public, but I own that it’s my issue because the society and culture where I live in particular is conservative. I’m not blaming society and culture, just acknowledging that I’ve been influenced by it. That said, I’m trying to undo that influence which is why I’m here and why I was at the Facebook event page. It’s been really great to read comments like Amy Christine Wilson Gray’s talking about how she nursed twins and also hear other accounts of how mothers have really enjoyed breastfeeding.
The video I linked above definitely explains why I, and perhaps Ashley-Marie too, feel the way we do – so now I’m curious as to the opinions of people in the group as to what you all think about these dolls in the video. Would you let your daughters – or sons – play with them?
I agree with the women who were talking about the breastfeeding doll that you don’t need a doll that comes with a halter top and a sucking action for kids to simulate breastfeeding with it. But what they didn’t mention is that you could say the same thing equally about dolls that come with pretend bottles, or dolls that come with a potty. Kids can certainly simulate any of that using their imaginations, rather than having to use these toys which specify what kind of play they are for.
I don’t see what the issue is. If you don’t have a problem with a doll that simulates poo, why on earth would you have a problem with one that simulates breastfeeding? I wouldn’t personally buy it, because I prefer dolls for kids that require more imagination, and are less limiting with the options for play. Children like to copy the adults around them – including breastfeeding adults – in order to help them understand the world, and can do that with this doll that specifies it’s purpose as breastfeeding (or another doll which doesn’t).
Good points about the different doll simulations! I think this goes back to the comments made previously about sexualizing breasts and honestly that’s the only reason I can think why a parent would want a doll who simulates potty training instead of a doll who simulates breastfeeding.
I agree about wanting kids to play with toys that require more imagination. I remember as a kid I had a jar of random Lego pieces, a box of Lincoln logs, some Hot Wheels cars, a few Barbies and I had fun building my own Barbie dream house and using the Hot Wheels cars as skate boards 🙂 Those were the days…haha
I actually don’t have a problem with breastfeeding, I did it myself though never in public, but as I’ve said before, that was my preference and it worked great for me. I thought this was an interesting video and think you’re right on the money that this is very much an American outlook. These toys may do well in other markets, but one of the ladies in the interview even said that this isn’t really the kind of toy that American parents would necessarily buy for their kids or feel comfortable having their kids play with.
Umm, I think you are over-generalizing about American parents there!
I don’t think it’s overly generalizing, It’s general, yes, but not far off the mark. It’ll be interesting to see how the dolls sell in the U.S.
riiiight, so in a country of over 300 million people you can clearly identify an “American outlook”? Good luck with that.
We should note that the person who is talking about this so-called “American outlook” is that same person who told me that pumping breastmilk everytime I went out was not a burden because it wasn’t for her or her friends.
Jen, I’m not sure if you’re replying to me or Ashley-Marie, but you are certainly unpleasant. Ashley-Marie has dropped the issue and tried to respond positively to your other posts about donating milk and something else that I don’t recall. You guys have different opinions, let it go. As for your comment on being unable to clearly identify the “American outlook,” let’s remember that generalizations exist to help make large data elements easier to mentally digest. While it’s true that probablility factors in and not all generalizations are true, statistically it is known – and even acknowledged here in this thread of replies to the original blog post – that Westerners/Americans are more conservative. A blanket statement like Ashley-Marie’s will inevitably not represent every American, but likely represents the majority because it is understood culturally.
I had trouble loading the video so haven’t seen it. However, I take it it relates to a new doll on the market that emulates a breastfeeding baby. It is the spanish one?
As far as I am concerned there is nothing wrong with this doll in principle but I can’t comment on the execution as I haven’t seen the video!
My children already play at breastfeeding their toys because that’s what they know. They pull up their tops and “feed” their doll, bunny rabbit or whatever. They make other people including their Dad do it too. So, at least for breastfed, children the special doll isn’t really necessary. I actually find it creepy when toys come with feeding bottles. My 2 year old just got a “baby” my little pony for her birthday that come with a bottle and says “I’m hungry, will you feed me?”. Frankly, that’s creepy!
This is a reply to Erin’s comment above – thanks for your input. Ruby just turned two! I am gently trying to avoid the usual feeding situations i.e. on wake up and when i get home from work. This morning she slept in and I was almost off to work when she got up so it was easy to say sorry, too late for milk now. We’ll see what happens when I get home! I enjoy it when it’s once a day or so but when it’s being demanded i don’t! How perverse of me! I am keen not to confuse her and try to see things from her perspective and she is only 2 after all.
I weaned my son at 3 and 1 month by gently phasing out, beginning at 2 1/2 as you sound like you are doing. The last to go were his feeds to sleep, and now that this doesn’t happen he skips naps even though he still really needs them. 😦
That said, I’m not sorry we weaned, and I’m not sorry for feeding till 3. If it were up to him alone we’d definitely still be going, and I certainly felt subtle pressure from my contact with the hardcore AP community to coninue!
But I was resenting it, and a friend gave me similar advice to Erin’s, that it’s a relationship – involving you both. My experience has been that it is certainly possible to instigate gentle, parent-led but ultimately mutually respectful weaning. Best of luck. 🙂
[…] quite typical of mainstream anti-breastfeeding views. There is something peculiar about the way breastfeeding is seen as exhibitionism, when really, it is simply feeding a baby. It says something about the way we objectify women and […]
I just love these! They are absolutely fabulous! I have just stopped breastfeeding my 2 year old because I was too exhausted from 8 night wake-ups even while co-sleeping. It took lemon on the breast once and a simple explanation that mummys milk has gone sour and she didn’t ask for it again. A few months ago, during a particularly demanding phase of ‘Milk couch, milk, milk, MILK!’ i tried to offer milk in a cup but she soon learnt and started ‘Mama milk, MAMA MILK!’ instead. This time she must have been ready. I am going to tag your site on my facebook. Brilliant
LOL!!! Have you ever seen this cartoon? http://www.mama-is.com/distract-a-ta-tas/ I thought of that when I saw this. My son is 4 and still loves his “mom-mom.” I never thought I would still be nursing him, and let’s just say that he and I are the only two people who think it’s a good idea. Ha. Anyhoo, I wonder if I could make one big enough for his giant head – he’s the size of your average 6 year old! 😀
These are adorable. BLUE MILK- I understand what you are saying, completely. People can give you some of the nastiest looks. Ive learned that it is the people who chose not to breastfeed and wished they had, and are jelious. I am currently expecting and had to wean my 14 month old because of having EXTREMELY high Calorie breastmilk and not being able to keep weight on myself..let alone grow another being. I was very sad, I ended up miscarrying and wished I had just kept nursing thru it bc I miss it so very much. I cannot wait till January when I am due with this one, Cannot wait to nurse again, just LOVE it!! I always encourage all my lady friends to continue and push thru the hard times. Because it is SO worth it!!
For the uptight people who don’t appreciate the beauty and perfection of breastfeeding, and think of it as somehow “sexual,” I think the perfect response is “WDJE?” (What did Jesus eat?) If it is good enough for Jesus Christ, Martin Luther, Muhammad, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, etc. it’s good enough for my baby!
[…] If you know anyone who these would be perfect for, which I’m pretty sure is anybody you know who is pregnant or has a newborn, you can click on this link. […]
Something bothers me about these. I see something wrong with using babies bodies as a platform for activism, even if it’s activism that I fully support.
I openly breastfeed my 11 month old baby in public, who has a very cute habit of unlatching and looking around at every noise. I think that my bare nipples during this process are probably shocking enough.
It’s counterproductive to the cause to make breastfeeding an issue. Just do it, as you normally would, in public. People will initially have a bad reaction, but they will assimilate.
Truly beneficial activism is accurate education for young girls and real-life support for new mothers.
Yeah, I tend to agree with you. I wrote this above:
“I am actually in two minds about the hats…It seemed a bit too much of a “fuck you” than I feel comfortable with (including aiming it at people who may be very sympathetic to public breastfeeding). Can’t we just breastfeed and that be enough without trying to make another statement on top of that? It seems to take breastfeeding from the normal, natural thing to do to something that is a fuck you political statement that we should manufacture into purchaseable clothing to put on our children’s heads…”
I agree completely. I find the hats really witty, and they would be hilarious in a culture where breast feeding is universally and unconditionally supported. But we live in a formula feeding culture, and breast feeding is a polarizing issue, so the hat kind of makes a big deal out of something when our goal is to normalize it.
ps: my daughter did the same thing, if anyone started talking next to us in a cafe she would automatically come off to have a good gawk. It was so frustrating. It meant it took us forever for her to finish feeding. And she still has a nose in everyone’s business at 2.3
There have been some replies that compare breast feeding to other normal biological processes that are not carried out in public: masturbation, urination and defecation. This really highlights a lack of knowledge of the process of breast feeding.
All of the other processes are conducted in private for legitimate reasons. We urinate and defecate in toilets as a matter of cleanliness because we can get sick if we eat and live in the same space that we pass our waste. We masturbate and have sex in private as a matter of respect for children, who are not sexually mature and do not understand; out of respect for our sexual partners so that they do not need to experience jealousy; and out of respect for other individuals own sexual space. It’s the same reason we don’t walk up to strangers and kiss them, and it is a social construct meant to keep peace.
We have built in mechanisms to delay these natural urges so that we can preform them in an acceptable space. Our rectums and urethra are built so that we have control over them. We have mental control over our sexual urges because the part of our brain that executes impulse control is hardwired to overrule the parts of the brain that control sexual function.
Breast feeding is entirely different. Babies do not have any way to delay their hunger, and they are physiologically built to be hungry very frequently. Infants need to eat when they need to eat, as any breast feeding mother can attest. A delay of five minutes in feeding can mean the difference between a baby who eats happily and a baby who is too inconsolable to nurse.
During the course of normal breast feeding, a nipple will invariably be exposed. I understand that this make some people uncomfortable because breast feeding isn’t entirely socially acceptable yet. It’s an unfortunate remnant of our hostility towards women and infants, and how little (as a society) we understand what mothers and babies need. We’ve spent a long time shaming mothers and forcing them into hiding. Then, understandably, we started artificially feeding our infants so that we wouldn’t be isolated any more. Now we realize how damaging this is, and we need to reform our ideas about how we feed our babies.
If my breast feeding in public makes someone uncomfortable, I apologize because that is not my intention, but I do not cover up. Babies need to eat and women should not be isolated or shamed for simply caring for an infant. Breast feeding in public acceptable is a matter of public health. With any luck, our daughters will be able to take care of their infants in public without shame.
*Making breast feeding in public acceptable is a matter of public health.
[…] being seen as disgusting and inappropriate is part of a much wider sickness in our culture. You do not have to be a breastfeeder – you do […]
That’s hilarious. I’m still nursing (can’t say breastfeeding, I have no milk left) my daughter who is turning 5 in February. I’ve found it an invaluable tool.
To the sexualizers of breasts: Nursing is not sex. What people do with their bodies, in private, during sex has nothing to do with food. If breasts are “bad” because they can be part of sex, then so is the mouth. The mouth is often used for sexual pleasure, but we don’t cover our mouths while eating or eat only in private. Think about that next time you see a man licking ice cream. Mouth+Dairy product=Sex. See how stupid that sounds? It is neither the mouth nor the breast that is behaving sexually. It is all in your mind.
Well said!!!
Thank you for articulating that! More people need to hear it!
I let both of my children self-wean. One was 6 and one was 7 on the very last day. I’ve never understood how a mother chooses an arbitrary day and suddenly cuts the kid off — unless she pumps. Nursing is about more than just food. And I love the beanies!
Oh, I love this! I’m currently breastfeeding my two year old. She frequently mentions her love of “boobs” and “boobies”, requests “other side” when she’s ready to switch and also specifies if she wants to nurse or wants milk in a cup. I’m glad I’m not the only one! I think it’s cute but I know a lot of people think it’s a little much : )
Mothers that breast feed their ‘babies’ after they get teeth and eat the same foods that mother does are not doing it for any health benefit to the child. They are doing it for themselves alone. Some mothers just don’t want their children to grow up because it makes them feel needed. That is a bad mother, not a good one
MJ, your information is not correct. Babies/children continue to receive health benefits long after their teeth have come in. You can find pages and pages and pages of support on this by doing a simple google search. Here’s a good place to start.
http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/
Yeah that bonding and closeness and comfort is totes bad for babies and children *facepalm*
The scary thing is, some people truly believe it is. Complete psychological independence must emerge (or be forced) by the time the third central incisor erupts, or all will be lost, lost I say!
I don’t know that I’ve ever come across a mother of an infant or toddler who needed to go to efforts to feel more needed. Have you?
I would normally have removed this comment because it is so judgemental but as the replies to you have been so good I’m keeping it.. but please consider this a warning.
My babies got their first teeth at 4 1/2 months. Any pediatrician will tell you that a baby should get breast milk for at least the first year or more. The ways formula falls short of breast milk are too numerous to list here. You are misinformed. Or perhaps just ignorant.
Totally! Plus, using AJs argument against AJ, the complete set doesn’t come in until around 3 years old so little can’t necessarily eat the same food as older people until then anyway! Some things are hard to chew with only 4 molars!
Sad that something so beautiful can create so much FEAR
Hardly fear, Heather. Having a different point of view doesn’t necessarily mean being fearful. While I don’t agree with AJ that extended breastfeeding is bad parenting, I wonder sometimes why advocates of extended nursing make such a big deal of it, perhaps protesting too much?
And I have to say that, while nearly all the mothers I know nursed their babies, I only know one who nursed her daughter until she was 4 or so. That mum has major psychological problems and her daughter, now in her teens, has a very hard time coping with her mother’s emotional dependency on her. So I guess my limited experience isn’t a very positive endorsement of the practice.
I understand that breastfeeding is natural, and that it is what is healthiest for baby, But what I don’t get about all the in your face attitudes about it now is I was raised to believe my body was sacred, not to flash it around, to dress appropriately, so if your pulling yourselves out all over the place in the name of your babys hunger, where does modesty come in? and how does someone like me enforce its importance to my own little girls when they see you doing that at the mall? Does true moral modesty have stipulations now?
I teach my children not to be ashamed of their bodies, and I teach them that feeding babies is as natural as an adult putting food in their mouth at the food court. Sounds like ‘moral modesty’ means all women’s bodies are sexual and something to be ashamed of and should never be seen. Breasts are designed to feed babies. BTW how do you think Mary fed Jesus? Breasts being fun to get out during sex or foreplay or whatever is just a bonus.
Maybe you missed DaddySupportsPublicBreastfeeding above
“To the sexualizers of breasts: Nursing is not sex. What people do with their bodies, in private, during sex has nothing to do with food. If breasts are “bad” because they can be part of sex, then so is the mouth. The mouth is often used for sexual pleasure, but we don’t cover our mouths while eating or eat only in private. Think about that next time you see a man licking ice cream. Mouth+Dairy product=Sex. See how stupid that sounds? It is neither the mouth nor the breast that is behaving sexually. It is all in your mind.”
MH – how do you handle any situation when you and/or your children see something you morally disagree with? Face it, you are part of society, and you will see people doing things you don’t like. You’re going to have to explain some difficult things to your children eventually.
As for modesty – your description of modesty is more what I would call body-shaming. But that is just my view on it.
How do you explain the overt sexualisation of women’s bodies throughout society – especially in mainstream media and advertising? Do your children ask why there are posters of near naked women plastered everywhere?
Actually, you hit the nail on the head in one respect. You are talking about how **you** were raised, and yet you seem to be willing to place your morals in the face of everyone else. It really does go both ways.
How does someone like you enfore its importance to your children? That one is really simple. When you are “enforcing” moral behaviour (that in itself is cause for concern) you need examples of both how to behave and how not to behave. You tell your children “some people don’t agree with the way we think about things, but we believe we are right”.
Bring your children up to understand that there are people who think differently to you. Allow them to make their own judgements.
[…] the blog isn’t complete without a link to a blog I heard/read about on Facebook. https://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/how-to-do-discrete-breastfeeding/ While this subject matter hasn’t been a near-and-dear issue for me for some 30 years, I sure […]
[…] I thought my baby cousin’s knitted Christmas pud hat was saucy (HA) but this…THIS is a triumph. Well-played Etsy […]
Cute idea but I still think breast feeding should be kept covered and private. Some of us were physically incapable of breast feeding. Seeing it in public makes me uncomfortable and not for the reason commonly posted here. It is an intimate moment between mother and child. Pump and keep milk with you when You go out… We live in western civilization so hanging boob out in the grocery is just unsanitary. Its awesome to breastfeed but again, its a Special bonding moment between mom and baby. Let’s keep it that way.
I always find the comment that breastfeeding is unsanitary quite perplexing. Breastmilk is sterile. Proof of that is when my daughter had a gummy eye shortly after she was born the doctor advised me to squirt breastmilk into it to clean it!
Bottle-feeding can be much less sterile. Part of the reason I breast-fed was pure convenient – trying to ensure my daughter’s bottles were sterilised was a real hassle.
Izzy, I’m sorry that breastfeeding makes you feel sad about something you would have liked to do but couldn’t but your right not to be reminded by the world around you does not outweigh a baby’s need to be fed and a mother’s right to get on and do it. Breastfeeding is not always an intimate moment, as has been discussed over and over in the thread – sometimes it is done to keep a baby quiet while you take a phonecall/finish a conversation with a friend; sometimes it is done to while stirring the dinner and supervising an older child’s homework; sometimes it is done while you both fall asleep exhausted; sometimes it is done to soothe a child whose just fallen over in the playground; sometimes it is done with gritted teeth while you wish you could finish this already and be doing something else.. etc etc.
There is nothing unsanitary about breastfeeding, and there is something quite racist about suggesting that we live in a society somehow above those other developing countries where women routinely breastfeed their children. Not everyone can pump milk and not every baby will accept a bottle – pumping can be hard-work, time-consuming and expensive if you can’t get enough flow without an electric pump.
MH – I’ve deleted your last comment. Your arguments are repetitive and I don’t want to tie people down here with endlessly refuting the same things over and over again for you.
As a note to future commenters, if your complaints about breastfeeding in public have already been covered here then your comments will get deleted too, this is a space that welcomes mothers and if your comments are anti-mothers/anti-breastfeeding then your view has already been already accomodated here and it’s time to give space to other responses to the post. If you feel an urgent desire to shame mothers for breastfeeding in public then you will find a million forums out there on the topic that don’t moderate comments and you can go wild poisoning the atmosphere over there.
I don’t have a problem with women who breast feed, it’s the age of the child I disagree with. I don’t like to see a child walking around with a bottle or “binky”. At that age they are ready for a cup. If you want to pump and give them breast milk in a cup, go for it.
Children walk at different ages – some as young as 8 months old. The apparent age of the child has nothing to do with their feeds. Extended breastfeeding is healthy for both mother and child, even though it is not often seen in Western countries. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding until at least age 2 – in western countries, even longer in other places.
I need one of these for my next lil nurser!
When are the captive bead nipple peircing beenies coming out? Punk Rock Moms Represent!
I started nursing babies in the 70’s (was a young mother) and stopped in 1996 (a few years off in between). I’ve seen attitudes change since the 70’s, but was never fearful of bearing my breast while feeding each of my 9 children. I often wonder if we should be more fearful of what comes out of the bottles of formula. Maybe they should be hidden?
I got kicked out a pool for bf there … like milk would contaminate the place and it would only contaminate if the baby was nursing???
That is appalling! I hope you complained to management. I bet tons of people pee in the pool too – breastmilk is sterile, ffs!
There seems to be a general idea that you can always pump or use formula. This is not always true. My daughter would refuse her bottle, although we practised a lot.
If I would not have nursed in public, I would have not been able to leave the house.
I tried to avoid public situations, because I prefer the intimaticy of a nice home.
Still I could not always manage it. One day I was breastfeeding in a quiet cornor of a photographer. At least it was quiet, until a family with 2 sons of around 12 and 14 came in. They were staring at me, but not in a negative way. They were staring in a non-sexual “oh, this is how it works” way. It was nice to see that look on faces instead of the “ooooh look at that!!! she is breastfeeding in public, whisper whisper” face.
I personally believe that breastfeeding in public should be possible, and it should be natural. But lets be honest, it isn’t yet. I think the fastest way to achieve it, is not by provoking people, but by doing it in the least offending way. And maybe we get more of the “oh, this is how it works” faces, so that our sons and daughters will think it is natural.
(I am not English, so I appologize for any errors I made)
Both mine were 3 1/2 and my sisters was 4 1/2 we didn’t plan it that way that’s just when they stopped, my other sister weaned her baby at 19 months. My kids told me when they wanted to nurse on my “nurses”. I wish I had these when they were still nursing.
My daughter’s Ped. strongly recommended I breastfeed her “as long as possible” to give her the best possible start, because of trauma she was born 2 months early 4 lbs 12 ozs at 11 years of age now she is a beautiful young lady with a great singing voice, a wonderful talent for drawing, painting etc and reading at 12th grade level since she was in 5th grade, almost as tall as I am and we can wear the same size. She nursed till almost 4 yrs old when ever and where ever she needed to.
Back in the 1980’s when I breastfed my babies I would have loved to have my babies wear these cute beanies. Even though I live in a very liberal area, we still covered up. I wasn’t bothered by that because it allowed me quiet down and enjoy the special time. That said I still would have loved to just nurse the babies without hiding.
I will never forget my very shy father-in-law uncovering “us” to see the baby and the look of shock on his face. I laughed so hard, he was very embarrassed and the baby just looked up and smiled.
Both my babies nursed until they were about one year old. I believed in breastfeeding until one of us decided it was over. Weaning wasn’t a problem because it was very gradual. An easy transition for us all.
I fed my daughters in Australia in the late 70s. I never encountered any drama, nor did I expect to. Virtually all the women who were then the age that I am now were supportive and regarded it as a matter of course: so did most older men. However, I usually made a judgement about how comfortable I felt feeding in a particular situation, and always covered up with a light cotton wrap if in public. That said, personally I would never have pumped in public: I would have felt far too exposed, and I’m certain it wouldn’t have been accepted by others in the same way nursing was. Funny, but it’s just the way it was.
It seems to me from what I’ve read and comments others have made, that public nursing in the US is much more controversial that it has been here. I’ve been quite taken aback that otherwise sensible, tolerant women got so antsy about it. For many, it seems to be linked to the utter antipathy toward body fluids brought about by the arrival of HIV/AIDS, combined with a generally over-the-top fear of any kind of “contamination”, of touching anything that may bear the trace of another person. Weird! At least most large shopping centres now have parenting rooms, where children can be fed, changed and otherwise accommodated in a degree of comfort.
I breastfed my first til she self weaned at 20 months. She differentiated between milk as “mummy milk” and “cow milk”. I’m currently feeding my 4 month old and my 3yr says “she was mummy booboo” everytime she cries.
These hats made me laugh so hard that I cried!
[…] latest crochet creation. Not long ago a friend on facebook posted a link to a blog that providing a witty take on discreet breastfeeding. I found the visuals hilarious, and being in possession of a friend who had just given birth, I […]
I too breastfeed both my daughters, but I did put a lightweight blanket over me when I did it in public. I nursed my daughters in a lot of restaurants but I did not want to make others uncomfortable with a boob hanging out. Just because this is a natural thing to do (breastfeed) does not mean I have a right to ignore others feelings whatever they may have been. I am not a prude, but modest. Hopefully I have a right to this opinion and won’t get trounced because I think covering up is the thing to do.
People have the right to look away, no one is forcing them to look. By all means if using a blanket feels right for you then go for it. My children spent more time ripping off any covering I tried to use – for sun protection rather than for anyone who was rude enough to stare. If people want to get upset over public breastfeeding they will do it whether you have covered up or not.
Not slamming anyone here, just speaking my peace – it is in our human nature to stare at breasts, especially when someone has one in their mouth. Why? Because we are all born with an innate desire for it. We’re simply built that way. And why shouldn’t people look? Isn’t that the whole point, to get them to become more comfortable with the idea? Teenagers might look and laugh or snort, and one might come up and ask me some questions about why I do it or does it hurt or whatever. How wonderful is that? Gives me an opportunity to spread awareness and bring back our natural God-given right to breastfeed.
I don’t know about you but I always found/find that wearing a blanket draws more attention to breast-feeding anyway. I will walk into a cafe and think “What has that woman got a blanket drapped over her?!”. By contrast, breastfeeding without the blanket is much more “discrete.” It often just looks like the mother is snuggling the baby.
I had my daughter at 19 and opted for bottle feeding right away, but I did also try breast feeding. I give props to the women that are comfortable enough to “whip” out their boobs in public, but I was never comfortable enough to even think of breast feeding in public. I know that the benefits of breast feeding are wonderful, but my daughter is almost 2 now and has hardly been sick and is developmentally at least 4 months ahead of typical children her age (according to her doctor) Again, I am not against breast feeding I am just saying that babies can be perfectly healthy when formula fed too. As well I see a lot of arguments over how long breast feeding is ok. I think that is completely up to the parent because babies are very capable of adapting to the changes that come their way because changes are constantly happening for them. I personally would not breast feed past one years old because of my own opinions and comfort level, but I don’t think it is ok of anyone to push their opinion on anyone else whether they wish to breast feed till 2 or 4, or if they hose to stop earlier on.
Chose*
“Again, I am not against breast feeding I am just saying that babies can be perfectly healthy when formula fed too” – yep, agreed.
These are hilarious.
That works for me! LOL
Funny hats! We got a good laugh though I’m not sure that’s what they’re for 😉
This is really interesting.
I am in the US, the Midwest to be more specific. I would not wean my child simply because he turned 1. However, I would never, unless I had no other option, nurse my son with out a light cover. Not because I am ashamed, scared, or don’t want to offend anyone. I cover my body because in our culture, whether I like it or not, my breasts are sexual and motherly. Even if I could change everyone’s opinions my own husband would not want his opinion changed. They are private, and our bodies are to be honored. I feel displaying them as though they are a common thing is to dishonor my body. If I was from a country where they are simply motherly this would be different. However- I’m not. I am happy for those of you who feel comfortable uncovered and am thankful you have the right to feed your child how you see fit! I don’t want to be comfortable with it for myself though. And someone telling me they’re more comfortable (at ease, less distracted…) with me covered doesn’t make me feel bad or less welcome to nurse in public. Where I live people’s bodies are private. I have NEVER felt unwelcome to nurse in public and I do it EVERYWERE. Never have I had a funny or ignorant look, let alone word. They see my not so little guy curled up to me with a small blanket over my shoulder and his head and smile. I respect them. This has allowed me to have so many conversations with young moms who stopped nursing because they felt trapped at home and who would never consider nursing uncovered in public.
Can I ask a question out of pure curiosity? Why would you continue to “nurse” your child once you have stopped producing milk? Especially at such an old age? Clearly there is no nutritional value at that point.
What do you mean by stopped producing milk? Unless there is a problem with supply most women take a few weeks – months for their supply to dry up after weaning.
What is the harm of extended breastfeeding?
No I mean about the people who are no longer producing milk for an extended period of time, I believe I read a comment about someone who had been nursing for two years after her milk production stopped, at like age 5 or something…I’m just wondering why is all.
I think there’s some research somewhere about how the act of sucking produces calming hormones in the brain. But I am feeling lazy, sorry.
Sorry Kristin, I see what you mean now. Probably a comfort thing.
These are awesome and hilarious. I so want a couple after I deliver my third here in a while. I only nursed my first for 6 months – which was a mistake – but hindsight is 20/20 – I was travelling extensively and lugging around my pump, keeping the milk fresh then freezing at home etc and having my already huge 34DD larger and hard as rocks or leaking during meetings was INSANE. With my second I nursed him until 2 1/2 – NO TRAVEL – and these would have been GREAT! I think my mother would have passed out had she seen them! Can’t wait for somebody to crochet a few of them for me.
Dear Blue Milk,
I think your little beanie caps are so cute and look forward to making a couple for my daughter who is expecting our first grandchild this summer. I nursed her and her siblings back in the early ’80’s. All my friends were nursing then as well. I remember going to the better dept. stores where they had waiting rooms with couches for us all to sit and nurse if we needed. My mother and her mother before also nursed, you could say this is our family tradition. I will add that everyone but myself and my daughters including my sister has had breast cancer. So if someone were to breast feed for the hopes of NOT getting breast cancer don’t depend on it solely. If your family has a history of breast cancer it will show up anyway. Your best bet is to do self exams, yearly checkups and mammograms. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Awesome!! I nursed my son until age 2 (he self-weaned just after his birthday) and my daughter was 2 years/8 months when she stopped. Wish I’d seen these beanies back then!
I love these! Wish I had seen them when I was breastfeeding in the late 1980s. Not sure I would have had the confidence to use them. I breastfed my son for almost 4 years (he was allergic to all but a few foods including rice cereal allergy) he weaned only when I was 8 mo pregnant with my daughter and my milk supply decreased and the taste changed) Most people were suprisingly supportive, including a older-man seatmate on an airplane that offered his lap for my sons legs at 1 1/2 yrs old. (I tried to be discrete) My own Grandmother was the most critical. Shortly after my daughter was born my son informed me his “Nonny” was “Good Again!!!!. We discussed the fact it was now baby’s milk and he reluctantly weaned. She sadly weaned herself at 13 months. I aimed for 2 years and missed that time. I still had some milk at least 2 years later. Treasure those years young moms. They are exhausting but wonderful.
These are awesome!! I want some! I have 5 month old twins that I breastfeed!
[…] the internet at the moment, these breast-like crotcheted baby hats. I first saw them in the post “How to do discreet breastfeeding” where Blue Milk called it: “A little F.U. from the lactating […]
[…] bluemilk.wordpress.com via Rachel on […]
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I’m very happy to find this page. I want to to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and i also have you book-marked to look at new stuff on your web site.
These are super cute gonna make one for my 6 month old SCREW what others think I can breast feed any where I do not have to cover!!! Its what my child and I are comfortable with…. Personally I plan to go til 18 months that what the law protects me to give me nursing breaks in Oregon… If you decide to go longer that is your choice I can’t believe others would push there belief on when to stop…. its healthier and formula stinks!!!!
I’ve been subscribing to this blog feed for several months now as I enjoy hearing different commentary about these hats. I was so delighted to see a mom using one of these hats on her nursing baby at the Denver airport over the weekend and I immediately thought of this blog thread. I will say the lady got some double takes, but she seemed to not take much notice because she was focused on her darling baby boy. So charming!
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying these details.
breastfeeding is the best for our baby, so give it!
thanks
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a very good article…
but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t seem to get anything done.
Just saw this post again as a Facebook memory and would like to read your posts regularly – very interesting! I am an IBCLC living in France. Merci beaucoup !