...to ask what you think of this new breastfeeding video?

[clitorisorclitoraint]

I found it a tadge patronising.

You?

I thought it was fine but way too long, had to switch off after 3 mins.

Worzel I find it really refreshing and nice to hear people give an honest perspective on how it's not something done purely out of mother-martyrdom as it were :)

FWIW, I thought the video was cool, but my DCs are older now and it probably would have had me in tears 10 years ago whilst failing (literally) miserably to BF DD.

What would have helped? Someone who'd done it successfully to come and sit with me in the hospital and show me how, then visit me at home and gently help me. I so much wanted to and it was agony. Lasted 2 weeks after both births because I managed that time with DD and thought DS would blame me for ever if I didn't manage the same time with him and if he turned out to be less clever.

I thought it was funny! I don't think it was supposed to be informative, I think it's supposed to be lighthearted, and maybe a celebration of breastfeeding, if a bit naff, but maybe I'm missing something.

Just out of interest how many women that have commented on this thread have breastfed or bottle fed?

I have done both. Bottle fed my 32 weeker after 6 weeks expressing and failing to BF due to shitty support. Felt like a failure and as if I had been robbed.

Bf my 27 weeker for 20 months. I managed to feed him because I was bloody minded and had proactive support. Loved every minute of it, it was a gift and a pleasure.

I haven't caught up reading this thread but I mixed fed my DD (she had one formula feed a day from 10 days until 11 1/2 mths) plan is probably to do the same with DC2.

The formula feed started as the middle of the night one because I was exhausted and DH did it, and became the bedtime one when she slept through (which DH did)

I could've used expressed milk to do the same thing and sometimes did but expressing is a PITBoobs so I stopped bothering after a while.

I think it's fun and yes I have breastfed three dcs.

This way back on the thread now, but I do wonder how many women actually feel sexy and confident about themselves while brestfeeding at all. I certainly didn't. I had to wear a bra at all times because of the constant milk leaks which is just not sexy at all.
But I'd also had a baby not long ago, and was pretty tired - sex was more or less the last thing on my mind, especially during that first week when half of that 78% of mums who do give bf a go give it up.

So if I had been struggling right at the beginning, would a video like this have helped? No.
When I was 21 and pregnant and really really scared about people seeing my boobs in public would it have made me want to try bf? No.

That's why I don't like it.

I realise a lot of effort went in to this and that's great, but I still think a message of "breastfeeding is normal, and it's normal to struggle a bit" is a lot more productive than "breastfeeding is something special that extra special mums do"

I breastfed DS for about five and a half months before switching to bottles, and DD for 13 months so far with no bottles (still going, but she's cut back a lot on her own recently).

I love it - so cuddly. Will miss it when DD decides she's done.

i'm breastfeeding my four month old and have no plans to stop anytime soon.

going back to Dollydoeshula trying to fob "sexy" off as another word for charming...

is that really what you think burlesque is? just a bit charming? nowt to do with being sexually alluring?

LaWeasel, agreed.I don't find breastfeeding sexy either and don't want it to be a sexy experience. I agree with WorselMummage - it is an ikky thought to combine BF and sexual imagery. after all, burlesque is about the sexual objectification of women, and breastfeeding couldn't be further away from that.

I didn't like the connection with sex. There is nothing sexy about breastfeeding any more than having a cup of tea or plate of cottage pie or pasta's sexy.

My feminist heckles have gone up at the idea women need to be sexy to be of value and I loathe the burlesque stereotype.

Better support for breastfeeding women and those considering breastfeeding please. And also more support and information about mixed feeding.

I found the video bizarre but not offensive to me personally. If it gives bf positive publicity then great.

If I had watched the video as a breast feeding mother I would have found it really fucking irritating and patronising. I breast fed exclusively to 6 months (and a bit more beyond) both DS and DD and it was extremely tough. Bleeding nipples were ongoing and 3 bouts of mastitis. I did NCT classes, breast feeding cafe, online forum support, breast feeding counsellor, the lot. All that helped keep me going mentally but the only thing that helped me practically was nipple shields that the hospital midwife 'broke the rules' to tell me about. I felt resentful of those mothers that could do it with ease, let alone enjoyment. I certainly never felt sexy or sassy and a corset would probably led to to another blocked duct. I felt much better in myself physically when I stopped. If I have a 3rd baby I will do the same but this video will not help me.

FWIW I thought the women looked good but would be better in heels

Apologies for my bad manners but have only managed to skim through this thread. Thought video was ok,could've done without the cows-it came across as more of a celebration type of thing than anything else.
As far as breastfeeding promotion goes can't see this being much of an advert. The Scotland NHS clip on page 3 however is brilliant! Should be on tv across GB

I liked the idea of this project but I agree that dressing up new breast feeding mothers as burlesque dancers was a bit wrong and unnecessary.

NHS breastfeeding promotional literature always has some worthy looking woman with no make up, in a baggy t-shirt, whole boob out. This video clearly tried to re-dress this by trying to inject some glamour into the image of breast feeding.

BUT . . . I still have never seen breast feeding mothers like me portrayed anywhere. I do my hair and make up, I wear clothes from TopShop and Zara, not baggy t-shirts, I breastfed in my bikini on holiday, I go to the gym. I will admit, I care about how I look and one of the main advantages of breastfeeding for me was the weightloss aspect. I have never whipped a whole boob out anywhere but I have fed in public many times. I am also an "extended" breastfeeder (DD is 14 months).

I do feel sexy, in that I have a sex life with DH. I sense from this thread that some people are uncomfortable with this idea.

Not sure what I'm trying to say . . well done for trying ladies, your babies looked very sweet and you clearly had fun but maybe I need to make my own video!

Where can i watch this BF video?

There's a link in the first post

Thnks buttonmoon my baby is 4 but still interested

I'll be in your vid CountessOleska. I could have written your post

Gill1963

I am stopping this very week after 50 months. DD1 2yrs 6mths (in tandem with DD2 for 6 months). DD2 is 2yrs 2mths.

PuzzleRocks - It's good to know there are people like me out there! I never seem to come across them in real life!

I just wish breastfeeding (especially breastfeeding for longer than a few months) was seen as normal and not specialist in some way!

I find the same, people tend to be very surprised that I am BF: although it keeps me a big fat bloater until I stop . Not many of my friends have children yet so I hope I have normailsed it a bit for them. I have found it is the guys who are most impressed actually.

Countess, One of the recent major breastfeeding campaigns was the Be a Star campaign. It was aimed at younger mothers, and did show breastfeeding mothers who were young, fashionably dressed and groomed.

This is a link to part of the gallery:

www.beastar.org.uk/archives/318

Posters of these women were put up in clinics and doctors' surgeries. I think it was a good campaign, as not only were these posters put up, but they also got young mothers to act as breastfeeding advisors to other young mothers, and the website gives a lot of space to the actual women and their stories and advice, which might help others make an informed decision and identify with someone who is like them. There is certainly a perception that breastfeeding is something older mothers do, and I think the Be a Star campaign helps break that down. It might be good if they did a campaign for mothers of all ages showing that lots of different types of women breastfeed.

The issues with the burlesque/sassy promotion are compounded by the fact that there is nothing about the mothers on the website, other than the one who is a professional burlesque performer. The site is also sponsored by another burlesque performer who has her website address on there. I think the campaign could get its point across a lot better if their website was more like the Be a Star one, and gave new mothers somebody to identify with by letting the women in the video actually tell their stories and give some advice on the website - that would get the point across that these are normal women.

I really don't get the impression from this thread that any poster thinks breastfeeding women are not also sexual women. There are very few people in the world who are asexual. Objecting to burlesque is not an objection to people having a sexuality.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes this - although it went down well on my wall. It's not about promotion as far as I can see, it's a celebration and I'm sure no one who was unable to do something is going to appreciate it being celebrated. No one who did it but didn't feel sexy is going to appreciate a celebration of feeling sexy. Too many women don't do it because their breasts are sexual or belong to their husband, too many women do it but don't feel like they can have a sex life too or it changes their view or their husband's view of their breasts. Some of us do still feel sexy, sometimes even more than before! Some of us appreciate the multifunction nature of our breasts that they can feed our babies and still be playthings for our man and always 100% belonging to the body they're attached to not the nursling or man.

Maybe that's the difference in those who appreciate the video?