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

[clitorisorclitoraint]

I found it a tadge patronising.

You?

I thought it was funny. I liked the point (which was a point I took from it although may have been a product of my own fevered imagination) that slim women dressing up in cleavage-enhancing gear to dance around for men to look at (burlesque) is fine and dandy and (in some circles) "empowering", but normal-looking motherly types using their breasts for what they are primarily meant for, particularly in public, provokes a lot of strong negative reactions. Getting women in group B to dress up as women in group A underlined that point, for me. Also the range of names for breasts the vast majority of them I imagine coined by men reflects the very odd view of them in our culture. But I thought those points were made with humour and without hectoring, which is nice.

I did think it was too anti-formula, rather than pro-breastfeeding, in places. I had hoped that was unintentional but it looks from comments on this thread as though it may have been deliberate.

CountessOlenksa I liked your post - I'm like you too! I always like to look well-groomed and never leave the house without my make-up etc - even in the early days of motherhood.

I'm def not the frizzy-haired extended bf stereotype and, like you, I often had people express surprise that I was 'still' bf. I bf all my dc for over a year each and in fact, dd was bf for a whopping 26mths. She loved it!

I also welcome campaigns like the 'be a star' and I loved the sesame street clip. But personally, as I said earlier on the thread I don't find the burlesque video offensive in the slightest. Maybe because I had such a positive experience bf - I don't know? I really did see it as a celebration of bf women.

(Afterthought, actually my hair is naturally quite frizzy, but I tame it!)

No CDT, nobody has said that at all. People all over the world including the UK manage to be both sexual people and breastfeed. People don't stop being sexual people simply because they breastfeed.

Making out that people who don't like burlesque and don't want it associated with breastfeeding have some issue with their sexuality is like saying that people who don't eat at MacDonalds and don't want MacDonalds associated with (for example) weaning have an issue with food or an eating disorder.

And this video is meant to be promoting breastfeeding. It says so on their website.

Another good campaign showing real but non-stereotypical breastfeeding mothers. This one was local to me and was on the side of our buses.

www.onlynatural.org.uk/

However it was said not sure, but VHowes is right formula compared to breastmilk is 'junk food' its the difference between giving your baby a chicken salad or a mcdonalds.

and yes SOVERYLUCKY - Formula is an abnormal milk to give your human baby. Formula made from cows is made sepcialised for calves not human babies. I dont think many people know or want to believe this but it is the bottom line.
It isnt failure on behalf of the mums that cant breastfeed for whatever reason, it is a failure on behalf of the health professionals that fail to give support and encouragement that breastfeeding mums need. This is very sad as women are left bitter and upset at 'giving up'.
most of you clearly dont get the video but it was all for a very good cause. Thaigreencurry: theres no need to feel embarrased for the dancers they are proud of what they have done and despite the nasty pathetic comments on here there are plenty more positive comments and support from around the world including nct!
Thank you for all the nice comments from the people on here that appreciate the message being put accross and to those of you with better ideas...... you better get started!

MillyR I like the look of that campaign and that there were posters on buses. Large scale/format advertising that's as elegant as that is very good thing.

confuddleddotcom I'm with MillyR's response to you. Your point is absolutely wrong. What one of the women who took part was saying upthread is that breastfeeding can be sexy, and that's what I was arguing against, not that a woman who breastfeeds can't also be sexy.

Bizarrely the makers of the film seem to want to present the sexy side of breastfeeding... which is just plain weird.

and I'm not anti burlesque, or vintage or corsets or any of the other single elements in the film; I just think it's in very poor taste and odd to present them as having anything to do with breastfeeding your baby.

How long have you breastfed for StudentMidwife ?

Studentmidwife - do you not realise that comparing formula milk with McDonalds will only upset and alienate many mother? I hope you learn some tact before you qualify.

StudentMidwife - Me fears you might not progress past the student bit

What would happen if a person ate nothing but McDonalds for 6 months?

Their health would suffer, they would fail to thrive.

Most babies fed nothing but formula for 6 months do thrive and don't suffer any consequences. Your comparison is pants.

MillyR - yes I do like those campaigns better than the posters i have seen in my local surgery (although they are aimed at very young mums).They are still very serious and worthy in tone though . . . I liked the light hearted tone of the video better.

What would really help would be if we saw it on tv more - I love the Friends episode about the breast milk for example! And obviously if more people did it in public (which they don't seem to round here!)

I just don't think corsets and breastfeeding go together for practical reasons. the thought of the milk welling up with the let down reflex, and then the pain of it being constrained by the corset is almost physically painful for me. Ouch!

I managed to get to the cow part before wanting to slap everyone. FFS. I loathe the militantness ON BOTH SIDES. I actually stopped going to antenatal classes because of propaganda crap like this. Oh that and some female lecturer implying that using pain relief during labour was tantamount to eating little baby kittens and that we'd go to hell or some bollocks, I'd kind of switched off at the pain-relief is unnecessary bit.

Women should be able to feed the way they feel comfortable with, without patronising shite like the above and wanky formula ads on our faces.

Personally, having birthed hefty babies and, even though I have enormo-norks, I'm not particularly a good milker, their size also made BFing almost dangerous, so I went for mixed feeding. As my DD#1 was 10lb and would drain both tits and THEN a 9oz FF for fattyboombooms hungrier babies, the HV put her on suggested babyrice at 6 weeks.
I was EBF DD#1 at first but nearly collapsed from exhaustion, without those top-up bottles we would have both run into problems. Plus I had very bad PND, was hallucinating etc, NEEDED to get proper sleep.
Some bitch MWs would grab my tit and shove it in DD1's mouth which I'm sorry, made me feel quite violated. Please just ask before you grab my baps, tis only polite... I cannot convey how ANGRY that made me. Like because I have borne someone I am now their property?

So I resent the implication that I am not doing the best for my children. I did the best for US.
I went through 9 months of pain, SPD, and nausea, then hours of agony, followed by PND... four times.
So I will feed my baby the way that a) works for us and b) enables me to have a little bit of myself back, and woe betide anyone who gives me a guilt trip on it. Some people just aren't good milkers or just plain don't want to. That is their choice.

Sorry, /rant over, as you were.

"formula compared to breastmilk is 'junk food' its the difference between giving your baby a chicken salad or a mcdonalds."

What an awful message to give out. :(

I have been following this thread for a couple of days and I just want to add my twopence worth. I have to say that I have had direct involvement with Apple Dumplings and was always fully aware that there would be those people who didn?t get it or like it. I also followed and watched the links to the Puerto Rican film and the Scottish film, both of which I enjoyed and saw the value of, but equally they also would have received objections for either showing too much or too little breast- you can?t please all the people all the time.
Anyone who watched the documentary ?Is Breast Best?? presented by Cherry Healey on BBC3 will have seen the scene where a young teenage girl is interviewed before and after the birth of her baby- in her words as I remember ? I won?t breast feed because breasts are for your boyfriend and showing off?? When her baby was born prematurely Cherry went back to visit her and sure enough she had a bottle in the baby?s mouth and actually said that she knew breast feeding would be better for her baby but she couldn?t do it unless famous people did it and she might then have copied them because she dyed her hair red like? (someone who?s name I can?t remember) and she would have breastfed if they had done so. Very sad but there you have it.
Apple Dumplings was a bit of fun and made to raise awareness and create discussion which I think it has done so - good, bad and indifferent. In my opinion it would also appeal to those who adore celebrity like the young teenage mother in that film. We already know that Mumsnetters know the value of breastfeeding and most will attempt to do so and find out that it isn?t so difficult and is actually wonderful, provided you get the support and help and if you find it difficult or impossible it?s no crime either. This film is there to get the message across to others who won?t even consider it and it might make them think about it.
Perhaps instead of trying to find the things that divide us we should all realise that our goals are the same and maybe it would be better if we moved forward with a more positive and collaborative attitude
I think we have to applaud the women who danced to the song and to the mothers who were happy to breastfeed on camera, and shame on those of you who attacked their curvy figures- these are real women who breast feed and are proud of what their bodies can do by nurturing and growing healthy infants

Add message | Report | Message poster d0gFace Fri 17-Jun-11 12:23:08
"formula compared to breastmilk is 'junk food' its the difference between giving your baby a chicken salad or a mcdonalds."

What an awful message to give out.

Not only is it awful, it's not true!

So, is formula as good as breast milk? If it isn't significantly better then why all the NHS push for it? (genuine question as I haven't done much research, I breastfeed for the convenience and because me and dd enjoy it)

Boscat, I see what you are saying and pretty much agree, but on the other side of the coin, I've known people who, whilst pregnant, were leaned on heavily to BF, but after the birth found that, for various reasons, it simply wasn't a goer...no amount of anything was able to assuage their senses of guilt and failure and they spent their first few months of motherhood, instead of enjoying that wonderful time, beating themselves up about something that was a) totally out of their control and b) totally caused by the BF militia who are endemic in the maternity services.

I've also witnessed people who were finding it painful and horrible - to the point of tears every feed - that no amount of BFing counselling was helping. Yet they carried on because of worry what people would think and all the "CARRY ON IT GETS EASIER", which it hasn't. They still cry, they still dread every feed purely because they are so scared of the bullies that they daren't say "Ok, I've tried, maybe it's time to move on".

I am all for encouragement and support, but in some areas, that line seems to have been crossed over into bullying territory. Which helps no-one. And actually maybe 'harms' the attitude to BFing. Far better a balanced view to allow women to make the best choices for themselves and their babies. Sometimes the anti FFness seems almost misogynistic.

And for the record, the think the corset ladies looked fabulous, though I agree with IntergalacticHussy, corsets and hurty boobs - MEEP!

Formula isnt as good as breast milk.

Opps cut off my own message.

Formula isnt as good as breast milk. Formula is a good substitute for people who cant or wont breastfeed. (This is how I understand it)

Formula might not be as good as breast milk, but neither is it junk. I was FF and I have an IQ of 159 (much good its fecking done me) and have NOT become a serial killer.

When DD#3 was in a coma in GOSH they tubefed her with SMA. Good enough for them, good enough for me.

well to go against the grain i loved it and the bit with all the babies at the end made me cry a bit, in a good way

I was FF because mum tried and tried but had inverted whipples and I was getting more blood than milk. She was only 16 and this must have been awful for her. :(

But this DOES answer two questions. The "Why do I love vampires" one and the "Why does my mother hate me" one

Formula milk is not as good as breast milk, but in very many situations for very many women and babies, formula feeding will be a better and healthier option than breast feeding.

Of course Formula isn't as good as breast milk.I think alot of mums already know that but to compare it to a McD's is beyond ridiculous.Both dcs were formula fed as feeding hurt to much.I tried and tried,mws showed me but I still couldn't do it.Helpful post by the way.That will make new mums who can't breast feed feel great

I think Boscat has it right.
Here endeth my observations.