to think Sarkozy has a point?

[Kitchentiles]

Apparent outrage today because he said breastfeeding is a kind of slavery for the woman and let's men off the hook for getting up in the night.

True and true I'd say!

[Kitchentiles]

lets

[TroublesomeEx]

Take it you haven't BF then KT?

[cory]

no it doesn't; they can still get up and do the dirty nappy

and the breastfeeding woman can stay in bed

don't worry, Mr President, there is a solution to everything if you look hard enough

[FaverollesWithBoughsOfHolly]

I never got up in the middle of the night. I latched DS on and went back to sleep. Dh got up in the early weeks to do all the night time nappy changes, even when he was back at work.

[SardineQueen]

There was a french author who caused a palaver with this recently with a book / article saying this

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

He is both French and a knob. He wouldn't have said anything different.



I'm sure that Mr S will not be up in the night for any baby related reason.

[wannaBe]

I think he's right.

Look at threads on here from women saying that they can't go out because baby is bf (in the early weeks) and how it is to be expected that you will essentially spend the first few weeks stuck at home with baby latched on continuously until you've got your supply up/because he's going through a growth spert etc etc - and this seems to just be the accepted norm.

[SardineQueen]

That's not slavery though. Most of the women want to do it.

Like pregnancy towards the end can be very restrictive - it's just how it is.

[Serenitysutton]

If you want to look at it like that, then of course it let's men off the hook. It doesn't matter of you're up all hours pumping or co sleeping, the man is still not the one doing it. But to compare it to slavery it's offensive, although I agree with the poster above about being tied to the house/ baby in the early days- it happens, no point denying that.

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

That's not slavery WannaBe - that's wanting to give your baby the best start by breastfeeding. It's called choice, and most women make that choice willingly. Hardly fits the slavery analogy - which as Serenity says is offensive.

[cory]

fair enough the woman has to actually breastfeed

but whether the woman has to get out of bed to get the baby for his feeds, whether the woman is the one who co-sleeps, whether the woman does the night nappies, whether the woman gets out of the house or not (if and when she wants to)- all this is surely a matter of negotation for the individual family

I can't say I was tremendously keen on bouncing out to parties in the early weeks (painful stitching), but my friend who had an easy delivery was out visiting the following day

[Kitchentiles]

folkgirl you are assuming. I BF both mine til six months. I didn't particularly enjoy it.

I agree slavery is a dramatic and emotive word but he didnt say it was 'like slavery' but 'a kind of slavery'. And it is. You have no freedom, no opportunity to have a break and it has to be you to do it, regardless of how little sleep you've had. Everything comes second to baby's needs.

I envy women who enjoy it, I really do! I just don't see it myself.

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

It's not even a kind of slavery - it's a choice which results in a temporary change in lifestyle. Perspective is needed from Mr S, I think.

[cory]

How about just agreeing that women are individuals who can make their own decisions rather than needing a man to tell them what their experiences are really like?

It's like men holding forth on how you should give birth or whether you should work or stay at home- all on the assumption that I am too fluffy-brained to work through these issues myself.

I had one difficult experience of breastfeeding and one easy. I didn't need anyone else to evaluate either of them. Or to generalise. Or to tell other women that their experiences will be exactly the same.

[Tortoiseonthehalfshell]

I just expressed and let my DH feed DD a bottle sometimes. It really wasn't a big issue, and I EBF my daughter till 18 months.

[ManCrushedToDeathByALift]

You know I kind of agree with you OP. I bfd both mine to 13mo and 9mo and it was fine, but I love not doing it any more and being able to go out.

Glad I didn't start the thread though!

[eurochick]

I think he's just jealous that he can't play with Ms Bruni's boobies while the little one is latched on.

[Dirtydishesmakemesad]

I would have said i was a willing slave. constantly at her beck and call but with the option of quiting if i had had enough. I fed dd4 until a couple of months ago (stopped at 13 months) but i was pretty happy for it to end. dc5 will be breastfed when she arrives so it was only a break but a welcome one.

My dh didnt get up in the night there was pretty much no point in us both being awake but he did take over what daytime care of the older dcs he could so that i could rest in the day.

[jellybaby25]

@ForkGirl -- your comment came across as very patronising.

[tethersend]

Having a baby at all is slavery for both parents

[JeezyOrangePips]

It's not how I would have worded it, but, for a relatively short time, you are enslaved to your baby.

[TanteRose]

old news from last year...

[tethersend]

So it is, Tante... I wonder why jellybaby bumped it?

Unless Carla's joined MN?

[ZonkedOut]

It's not slavery. It might be drudgery in the early months, but the BFing another has a choice to stop, slaves did not.