To think the bf flash mob thing that is happening on Friday is a bit smug?

[Piggyleroux]

I bf my 15 mo ds and found bf quite straightforward from the off. I am aware that I was extremely lucky and I know a lot of women really struggle with it. I am also aware that bfing rates in this country are among the lowest in europe.

However, I think bfing needs to be normalised and I feel that this demonstration only serves to sensationalise bfing and imo, make the women taking part seem a bit smug and 'look at me' iyswim and just make people who ff feel even more shit.

Wouldnt it be better for bfing women to openly bf in public rather than do a mass gathering on one day? It really doesn't sit ring with me and I don't think that it will change attitudes or help women who really struggle with bfing.

Aibu?

"I'm A Tit Man" is horrible - it's not a nice term anyway, and the point of the phrase is that it is sexual. Why would you want your baby to wear some Nuts/Loaded slogan? I don't see how a crude t-shirt promotes breastfeeding, and I don't see some ironic point about sexualisation of breasts in our culture either. I wouldn't wear a t-shirt saying "Tits" or "Tit Milk" on it.

dirgeinvegas - brilliant post - sums it up perfectly imo.

I don't think anyone is shocked to see bf tbh

I think some bf like to think others are shocked by it ,but in rl people are not

because mostly the lactivist merchandise is for FUN - bf parents having a bit of fun. does it even have to promote bf? its not sponsorship!

I've nothing against the occasional beefburger,far from it.My kids have the occasional burger.What I have a problem with is the rising epidemic of obesity in children caused by a diet consisting of far too much junk,fat,sugar, fast food and very little exercise.The said combination is far more a public health issue in this country than a baby having formula for a few months. Milk isn't junk it's an alternative.MCdonalds(bar the fruit bag)is shite. Milk won't cause obesity,a diet full of shite will.

I have voiced my concerns on the MCD threads re MN feeling it's ok to advertise a company who has probably caused far more ill health to children in this country than Nestle ever has.I hate double standards.

Even if it's just a joke it's a bad one - bit like those "Daddy Only Wanted A Blowjob" babygros.

usualsuspect - I'm not sure about that, I think some people do find it quite shocking. My brother was recently saying to me that although he doesn't have a problem with public breastfeeding, he'd be shocked/suprised to see it because it's so unusual. Though I did point out to him that I had fed my baby many times when out with him and he obviously hadn't noticed

Usual suspect - this sounds completely ridiculous but the other day I was shocked to see a bf mum in the bf group I went to!!!! It's just not something you see other women do in the town I live. I wish it was seen as more 'normal' as it would make life a lot easier.

There is going to be a flashmob to promote speech and language therapy later in the year. Is that smug?

Isn't an awareness raising event just... well... an awareness raising event? I don't understand how it's smug. I have really enjoyed feeding my toddler.

I really have no thoughts about how anyone else feeds, but really don't see why this event has to be pooh pooh'ed and laden with negativity. I'm sure it will put some off who thought it might be a fun way to raise awareness of something important to them.

But caring about breastfeeding and wanting it to be as easy as possible for the next set of mothers isn't anything to do with being smug.

I don't find breastfeeding that interesting really, it's just something I did. I never went to groups or anything, but I will always offer support to anyone who's trying (or about to try), not because I've any great wisdom to impart, but because other women did it for me when I struggled.

And that to me is what a breastfeeding flash mob is about - just the pure joy of lots of mothers taking a little time to celebrate a shared experience.

I've never managed to give birth naturally. Never even gone into labour spontaneously. And now after two section, I almost certainly never will. It makes me sad, and I feel left out when women who have successfully given birth vaginally talk about it, share their birth stories, support one another through the early stages of labour. But if they had a flashmob, I might feel a twinge of envy, or loss, but I would not see it as any comment on me, or my experiences.

It's quite sad really to react to a group of women celebrating their shared experience with suspicion and spite. And calling them smug seems quite spiteful to me.

I wouldn't be arsed going to something like this, but I wish them well and hope they get a buzz out of it :)

The vehemently pro-formula MilaMae is anti McDonalds? I've read it all now.

No, working9while5, the SALT flashmob is fine; it's only breastfeeders who're smug, didn't you get the memo?!

milamae - afraid mcd's and nestle are probably on equal footing in terms of awful behaviour. i'm probably as anti burger as you but i dont think they agressively market/bribe health officials their product in the way nestle do. they would never get away with telling us happy meals are a health product.

5dollar I'm not vehemently pro formula but anti formula scaremongering,stat twisting and guiltmongering.

As a teacher/mother/tax payer I also don't like seeing the effects that a diet high in junk food has on children.

I think its absolutley crazy ad very smug (although dont know anything about it) Congrats OP on being so 'normal' about BF though, its refreshing!

As georgie said, it will just fuel the fire and put more women off I think. Imagine joining a clan like that? Do they not have aything better to do with their lives? Maybe they should just concentrate on their own families and spend the time with their little ones instead of worrying about everyone elses.

Actually think I might go and egg em. Where is it?

Err Sungirl have you not read the new ABC ad campaign.Anybody reading that would go away thinking a McDonalds happy meal (complete with bribary toy, triple fried fries,luminous cheese, flacid white bun and other fried products) was akin to a meal made at Riverford.

Anyway I digress, just replying to previous posts.

McD's is not anyone's sole food though and nor does it have a potential effect on the mother's free food supply. Fast food and formula companies both out for profit and not much else fair enough.

McD's is a few times a year food for me for example.

actually thats true milamae - apologies. nothing in comparisom to formula though still.

If we accept that no-one feeds their DC a diet of solely McDonalds...

And if we accept that it's only older children (i.e. those post-weaned, on solids) who even eat McDs....

In comparison with babies consuming, as their very first food, a diet of solely processed, other-species milk.

Plus - you have such a problem with people sticking their beak into other people's feeing choices?

I have more time for those 'sticking their beak' into a baby's sole diet in its first weeks/months of life than in someone doing the same into how a child is fed occasionally...

And you're the one having a problem with double standards? I have to say, I honestly can't take anything you say on this topic seriously anymore....

And I only say 'vehemently pro-ff' as that's always how you come across on these threads. Just the way breastfeeders supposedly come across as smug.

It's all in one's perception, I guess....

i liked the Toxic Childhood take on mcdonalds etc - the book recommends only having it as an occasional treat for the over fives. dh and i agree that was the stance we would take with fast food.

anyway back to flash mobs :)

People do react badly to public bf, particularly of older babies.
MIL nearly flew off her chair when I fed DS last year in my house. I guess she thought he was weaned by 2, I didn't mean to startle her.

its true timewasting - the worst reactions i have had were from people i knew well and had done for years. (i must admit though never hassled by strangers). both were the mother's of good friends of mine. one recoiled in horror when i bf in the debenhams cafe and was visibly uncomfortable even though we had a frank chat aobut it and the other said to me 'oh gawd SGT, you're not one of those are you?? eugh!'

I'm quite disturbed by the "Daddy just wanted a blowjob" one, although I'm sure it must be just a figment of Rita's fevered imagination.

I don't see why we should be drawing attention to BF in public. Is it not missing the point that you can BF in public without anyone noticing what you are doing??

Wanksock, seeing other women breastfeed is the best way of learning how to breastfeed successfully yourself. Why is it important that no one notice?