to think the Mother who's had her baby taken away from her for breastfeeding isn't newsworthy but who Ryan Giggs is shagging is?

[MrsDimples]

If you google the story of the woman in Madrid whose 15 months old daughter has been taken away from her for breastfeeding her, you get one news story. This has got to be more newsworthy surely.

The Facebook group has been open for several days & has just over three thousand likes, which isn't very much.

www.facebook.com/WeAreAllHabiba?sk=wall

I can only find 2 threads relating to it on Mumsnet.

Clearly I am posting this to try & drum up more support, which I think is perfectly reasonable.

Just liked it!
Cant believe this has happened. We are in Brisbane and I never even heard it on the news!
Is there any news on her progress?

They don't explain in the info whayt they mean by weaning. Is the baby still totally milk fed at 15 months? That can't be healthy?

That's so shocking - that poor girl and her baby! Barbaric. Bastards. :(

There's a bit more information on the story here

That is terrible i`m not sure how to sign the petition. Disgusted at Spain treating this woman like this my heart aches for her child.

tu correo- e is that email adress ?

The linked blog post is the only information about this case that has emerged in about a week now.

The allegations of both violence and non-compliance in a parenting programme are serious ones, and might/might constitute good reason for removing a 1.25 year old from its mother regardless of whether still BF or not.

There have been a couple of earlier threads about thus eg here which also contained a shout-out for Spanish speakers to see if there was any more info in the Spanish press. There isn't.

So the silence may well be because there is clearly far more to this story than the blog post by her supporters.

I agree with meditrina. itnseems like there must be more to the story than first appears.

I can imagine many scenarios wherein the authorities would remove a child and be right to do so. Obviously, breastfeeding a toddler is not one of them, and is so outlandish a reason, I feel there must be more to it.

The lack of other news outlets reporting it suggests it is not as clear cut as the blog implies.

But YANBU re Ryan Giggs. I could not care less about him and his affairs.

Is that a 'real' story? At the bottom of the blog it says it might be a hoax.

Many friends who live and worked in Spain; and I've never heard of a cultural issue regarding breast feeding. Doesn't mean it doesnt exist of course.

Back to the Op and which is more newsworthy: Ryan Giggs or Spanish Breastfeeding - can't say either of them interst me but I'd hazzard a guess that Ryan Giggs will flog more papers

Back to the Op and which is more newsworthy: Ryan Giggs or Spanish Breastfeeding - can't say either of them interst me but I'd hazzard a guess that Ryan Giggs will flog more papers

Exactly. It's not a case of what's more important, it's what will sell the most papers and people are interested in who Ryan Giggs is shagging than the Spanish mother's plight.

I think there's more to it tbh.

www.amormaternal.com/2011/06/please-help-habiba.html

If you need any more info.

Y para los que quieren y pueden leer en espanol:

www.amormaternal.com/2011/06/madre-lactante-separada-bebe-amamantar.html

No se si es un hoax o es la verdad// I'm not sure whether it's a hoax or the truth - apparently quite a few well-known birthing/breastfeeding etc advocates are involved?

If it's not a hoax, I highly doubt that her exclusively breastfeeding was the cause of her child being taken away. There are blatently other factors that have not been reported - diminished mental capacity/ violence/ neglect......god knows what. But I would be certain there is a lot more to this than merely a breastfeeder who was treated terribly.

Rosmarin: that's the same and the only blog post about this.

Are there any MNetters in Spain who could let us know what sort of coverage this story is receiving in the main stream Spanish press?

(I doubt the British papers would pick up any foreign domestic story unless it was pretty big in its country of origin or had a specific UK angle).

Medical Report

www.facebook.com/WeAreAllHabiba?sk=app_103822229704881

I don't believe it for a second.It is either a hoax or there is a lot more to the child being removed than this.

I speak Spanish and I've lived in Spain. I've done a scan of the Spanish press online - Vanguardia, El Pais, ABC.

The case is genuine, and is as reported. Although I love Spain and the Spanish, there is a Catholic racist patriarchal undercurrent in that society, especially towards powerless young women, and this behaviour is entirely consistent with it (30 years ago the same thing was happening in Ireland, and 40 years ago in Liverpool). However I must say that the majority of Spanish people would be appalled at this case, in my opinion.

A backlash against the IMMF and in support of Habiba is growing and the case has reached the top of the paediatric and public interest community.

I've joined the Facebook group, and will be sending information about it to everyone I know. I'll also be contacting BBC about it. I'd encourage everyone else to do the same.

There's a petition here that can be signed:

actuable.es/peticiones/immf-give-back-habiba-s-baby

none so gullible as a facebooking mumsnetter eh :)

www.lavanguardia.com/local/madrid/20110617/54173370107/la-defensora-del-pueblo-pide-a-la-comunidad-que-evalue-a-la-hija-de-habiba-en-un-hospital.html

www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/sociedad/separada-del-bebe-por-querer-amamantarlo-1039210

noticias.lainformacion.com/interes-humano/sociedad/la-fiscalia-impugnara-la-retirada-de-la-tutela-a-habiba_mFuNymLxD0lgXMfEmufjT4/

www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Defensora/Pueblo/pide/Comunidad/evalue/caso/Habiba/elpepusoc/20110617elpepusoc_13/Tes

I've been following this on facebook for a few days now.

The report that was seen by the IMMF did not give any real reason for removing Alma (the 15 month old dd) other than refusal to cooperate with anti breastfeeding and co sleeping policies (these were deemed too chaotic) Alma was not fed by bm alone but some form of blw was in progress, but the ffoods were deemed 'unsuitable'.

The case has been refered to the courts and the prosecutor has accepted that there is a case to investigate.

The IMMF do not have to go before the courst to remove a child.

Habbiba (not her real name) co slept and bf and refused to take lactation suppressing medication. for these reason she was deemed an unfit mother.

There are spainish doctors who have read the reports on Alma and those who have examined Habbiba who all agree that the seperatuion is unjustified and extremely damaging to the child.

Please before you dismiss this as a hoax or unjustified campaign please dig a little deeper.

Like Trialete I have lived in a very a patriarical sociaty and do believe that it is not unheard.

Even the fact that it is policy to end bf with lactation supressing drugs whilst within a mother and child home should raise a few eyebrows.

EL Pais has picked up the story so it should be available there.

www.amormaternal.com/2011/06/habiba-and-alma-together-hugging-and.html

No thanks to the majority of people round here, eh.

I read this story earlier today, and the Guardian article quite clearly stated that there are other factors in this case, including the fact that the woman's boyfriend is violent, and poses a threat to the child, and yet she insists on living with him. The breastfeeding stuff is just what the press have latched onto (excuse the pun) to grab headlines. If she's endangering her child by living with a violent man, social services are absolutely doing the right thing in my opinion.