To think it really wasn't necessary for Myleene Klass to mention the 'Breastapo'?

[UnknownGnome]

I was watching Lorraine this morning during which there was a feature which showed Myleene Klass visiting a third world country promoting the benefits of breastfeeding and raising awareness of the goodness of breastmilk, particularly colostrum. Formula is often watered down, or made with unclean water, therefore not the best option for many women, but they are not always aware of this.

Cut to Myleene in the studio with Kate Garraway and she is, again, talking about the benefits of breastfeeding but qualifies this by saying she is by no means a member of the 'breastapo'. Was this completely necessary? Surely it's ok to talk about the benefits of breastfeeding without making a negative comment about those who promote it?

Just realised that I haven't posed this as an AIBU, so, AIBU to think this was an unnecessary and unhelpful comment?

their way

Because I don't think for one second it has anything to to with anyone being genuinely offended by the term - more to do with not liking being laughed at.

Fawlty Towers is comedy gold. Just for your comments about that yabvvvvu.

I'm pretty sure even my gran, the product of two holocaust survivors would have smirked at Breastapo.

Chill the fuck out.

you find it funny - i dont like is - shasha no need to be rude - my dislike of the term doesn't effect you in any way

Oh right, I'm supposed to laugh at the term then Rubber
When it's meant as a put down and aggressively as well?

No and I didn't find it funny when a friend did a nazi salute to my German friends either. But he did so that makes it okay then

I agree with Pictish and Worra.
There are many of us that recognise the type of breastfeeder she's talking about if we've been on MN for any length of time, though I prefer the term evangelical.
She was promoting BF in the third world wasn't she?.
I don't get the hate for her either, apart from the fact that she was the first person to give birth ever, she always comes across as rather nice.

It's not minimising the holocaust - it's just saying that some people have a dictatorial and utterly immovable opinion on the subject of ff and treat women who ff as akin to giving their dc poison. Nothing wrong in wanting to distance herself from that type of person.

YANBU - it's tarring all BF supporters with the same brush as the (very few IME) women who are positively anti-FF rather than pro-breastfeeding.

ElinorBellowed - if you were treated badly by other mothers at an LLL group and the Leader facilitating didn't pick up on please give feed back and tell them. I'm sure the Leader(s) present would be very upset to hear about your experience but won't know unless informed. The LLL group I attend has had fully FF mothers coming along for support with other issues and would definitely never cold-shoulder a mum who was mixed feeding.

I always think her real name is Melanie and she changed it to he more exotic

YABU.

Oh come on it's just a bit of word play

What she means is she's not one of the breastfeeding mafia

But 'Breastafia' doesn't quite have the same ring to it....

Oh I don't know Worra.
Breastafia could catch on.

Breastafia sounds like an affliction.

Whatever word you wish to use to describe evangelical unsisterly intensely pro-breastfeeders, it will unfortunately not make them see how damaging they can be for breast feeding, the image of breast feeding (although obviously it shouldn't have an image, but it does) and to the mental health and feelings of women who have recently given birth/ struggled with BF. I obviously don't mean peer supporters in this and am very pro BF for myself.

Or a small Eastern European country?

It sounds like a weird kind of nipple cream

Personally, I think 'Breastapo' is genius! I wish I'd thought of it!

YANBU OP.

I haven't ever seen anyone on here trying to make people feel bad about their feeding choices. I've seen people post information about breast feeding, facts about breast feeding, but I've never seen anyone say or imply that someone is a shit Mother or even worse human being for not breast feeding, whatever their reason. Plus, most of those on this board that feel passionately about breast feeding are also peer supporters or BF counsellors, mostly who give their time for free to help women who want to BF to BF. that's not 'try and guilt women into breastfeeding' or 'make hem feel like shit' or anything like that BTW, it's support women in their own choices.

Or the new Baby Name of choice, no? Can imagine it knocking Clementine/Clemency right down in the mn polls.

Midori, you really haven't seen it?

I must admit they tend to get short shrift, but they certainly do exist and do no good at all to their cause.

Sorry Midori but you've clearly not read the same threads I have.

She irritates me but, frankly, the experiences I had in hospital and beyond would not be far from the terms breast feeding nazism or breastapo. I was seriously upset and made to feel like a failure as it was tricky for me to bf after having an elective c-sec (due to illness). My dd was early, my milk wasn't ready and she was small so tired easily from trying to feed. To this day, I feel traumatised by the attitudes, manhandling and pain (plus guilt) involve in trying to feed my girl. It was dreadful. Thank heaven for my midwife who gave me 'permission' to mix-feed after my dd lost weight...

The thing is, on MN you aren't allowed to be too positive about breast feeding or you'll be accused of being breastapo/mafia/bf-ing nazi.