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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

So, are you a member of the Militant Breastfeeding Cult?

135 replies

LucyJu · 21/03/2006 10:55

Answer the following questions. Apparently, a score of 1 or above qualifies you for membership...

  1. Do you nurse your babies past one year of age?
  1. Do you share your bed with your nursing baby?
  1. Do you believe that mothers and fathers have different roles to play in raising children?
  1. Do you believe that nature provided women with breasts in order to feed their babies?
  1. Do you associate with other women who breastfeed their children or even-gasp!-attend La Leche League meetings? (award youself a bonus point for attendance at LLL meetings or other bf support groups)
  1. Do you follow the WHO guidelines of breastfeeding a baby exclusively for six months before introducing supplements or solids? (Presumably the WHO is part of the cult.)
  1. Do you believe that there are not only physical differences between men and women, but psychological and emotional differences as well?
  1. Do you believe that motherhood is a noble calling and that mothers and babies belong together? Do you-gasp!-think that babies are better off if their mothers are home with them rather than pursuing careers?

  1. Do you make your baby's food from wholesome, nourishing ingredients and avoid processed foods or additives?

  2. Do you avoid dummies and bottles?

Membership categories divided as follows:

3 Bronze membership
4 - 7 Silver
9 - 10 Gold
12 Platimum

I give myself a 9 out of 11 which, I reckon, entitles me to Gold membership of the Cult. Any platinum members out there?

OP posts:
Original poster
LucyJu · 21/03/2006 12:40

Just to clarify a couple of things...

I didn't make this up myself, I was sent it by a friend (who has never said, but probably thinks that I am a bit of a bfing obsessive).

I believe it was extracted from a pro-bottle-feeding book whose author believed there was some sort of conspiracy to make bottle-feeding mothers feel bad. In fact, most of society has become so brainwashed by this conspiracy, she maintains, that you might be a member of the cult without ever knowing it...

OP posts:
sazhig · 21/03/2006 12:41
  1. Do you nurse your babies past one year of age?
Yes (ds is 20 months & bfed)
  1. Do you share your bed with your nursing baby?
Yes, when necessary
  1. Do you believe that mothers and fathers have different roles to play in raising children?
Yes - they are different people after all who can bring different aspects to child-rearing
  1. Do you believe that nature provided women with breasts in order to feed their babies?
Yes - mammals feed their babies theie milk - we are mammals!
  1. Do you associate with other women who breastfeed their children or even-gasp!-attend La Leche League meetings? (award youself a bonus point for attendance at LLL meetings or other bf support groups)
Yes Ive attended LLL meetings since before ds was born - & Ive gone one further - I am in the process of becoming an LLL leader!
  1. Do you follow the WHO guidelines of breastfeeding a baby exclusively for six months before introducing supplements or solids? (Presumably the WHO is part of the cult.)
Yes - ds started solids at 7 months
  1. Do you believe that there are not only physical differences between men and women, but psychological and emotional differences as well?
Yes
  1. Do you believe that motherhood is a noble calling and that mothers and babies belong together? Do you-gasp!-think that babies are better off if their mothers are home with them rather than pursuing careers?
Yes - is what Ive always wanted to be!

  1. Do you make your baby's food from wholesome, nourishing ingredients and avoid processed foods or additives?
    Yes

  2. Do you avoid dummies and bottles?
    Yes

11 x yes plus a bonus for LLL - that makes me a platinum!!!!

oops · 21/03/2006 12:42

oh ok, you see i was up all night feeding my baby Smile
and being a sahm jus now, brain has turned to mush and i can't even count... so i get 11... ah ha 2 biscuits for me then and a smug smile

(waiting for this to kick off)

Gillian76 · 21/03/2006 13:16

I scored 8 so that puts me between silver and gold.

It's actually a real \link{http://www.militantbreastfeedingcult.com/index_a.html\website}

PiccadillyCircus · 21/03/2006 13:22

Have done it now - I get 6. So doing OK Smile

Incoggnito · 21/03/2006 13:30

To hijack a bit, be pedantic, and get back to q 4. what breasts were 'provided' for (odd word) - I hate to quibble, but you can say that mammary glands are there for the purpose of feeding a baby but there has been a lot of debate about the function of the human breast - we are the only mammals (I think) that have full-on breasts regardless of lactation status.

Curious to know what a pro-bottle-feeding book would be like...I've never seen one. I think it's a great idea to have a book that discusses (in proper depth not fallacious soundbites) the facts about bottle-feeding and formula vs breast and breastmilk feeding, but I can't see it being sponsored by either Milupa or LLL.....

suzywong · 21/03/2006 13:30

I'm a Gold with 10.5 so give me my medal please, and how come there were on ly 11 questions but a possible score of 12

Incoggnito · 21/03/2006 13:30

oops am incognito for another thread!

sweetkitty · 21/03/2006 13:34

oh I'm a gold too!

notasheep · 21/03/2006 13:40

Gold is the colour here

WigWamBam · 21/03/2006 13:42

I actually find it a bit strange that any method of feeding a baby should be classed as "militant" or associated with being a "cult". I also find it odd that believing that mothers and babies belong together, feeding them "wholesome, nourishing" food, and seeing emotional differences between men and women should be associated with one method of feeding over another.

Surely most of those questions are about parenting styles, not method of feeding - and we all know that being a good parent isn't tied in with whether we choose to breastfeed or not ... don't we?

suzywong · 21/03/2006 13:44

and...........cue the kicking off

Piffle · 21/03/2006 13:45

Yes to all but the last :)
Dummy and a bottle were necessary due to dds supplements for her genetic condition
But with ds I was a full house Grin

WigWamBam · 21/03/2006 13:46

No, not kicking off, just thinking out loud. Didn't think it was particularly contentious thinking out loud either.

NomDePlume · 21/03/2006 13:46

TBH, I'm AMAZED it didn't kick off immediately after moondog's 12.00.51 post !

oliveoil · 21/03/2006 13:47

indeed

NomDePlume · 21/03/2006 13:47

Damn, promised myself I wasn't going to post on this thread...

NomDePlume · 21/03/2006 13:47

Damn, promised myself I wasn't going o pos ton this thread...

harpsichordcarrier · 21/03/2006 13:49

still not kicked off yet? :(
I am mildly amused at the notion of "associating with other bf mothers" like associating with known criminals and so on.
I am soooo tempted to buy this book. could be worth a larf.

oliveoil · 21/03/2006 13:51

so you get a point for bf mothers but if any of your friends dare to use formula? Strike them off your list and ignore them. They deserve it.

harpsichordcarrier · 21/03/2006 13:52

yes
have I been "associating with women who use formula"?

gasping at the awful concept
because it really is all about us v them isn't it?

oliveoil · 21/03/2006 13:53

deduct yourself a point

Pruni · 21/03/2006 13:53

I am a bit confused by this quiz. Much along the lines of WWB's post.
It's things like this that give all you breastfeeders a bad name, you know, you should all be serenely ignoring it.

niceglasses · 21/03/2006 13:53

I never usually get involved with any contentious threads, but I have to say, I think the questionnaire stinks. What ARE you on about? No wonder bottle feeders get annoyed.........

niceglasses · 21/03/2006 13:55

D'ya know what my boys are 5 and 3 and gasp gasp gasp gasp gasp shock shock shock gaspt ad infinitum.........THEY STILL HAVE A DUMMY NOW AND AGAIN. I must be about -8987576838939 on your daft questionnaire.