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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Very sad conversation with a class of 11 year olds yesterday about breast feeding

43 replies

popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:38

We were looking at the key characteristics of mammals. One is obviously that the mother makes milk to nourish her offspring. Cue sniggers from the back. So Mrs Popsy decided to re-emphasise.....not just animals like cows etc. Human females all make milk for their offspring. More sniggers. So I explained that I bet many children in the class were breast fed by their mothers wehn they were young.
Lots of comments of yeuch gross etc.
So I asked why it was gross.
apparently (and we are talking well brought up children here - not disadvantaged in any way....) 'ladies' chests' (they would not even say breasts) should be kept under their jumpers as bottles are more sociable

needless to say I put them right

OP posts:
morningpaper · 07/07/2006 13:38

did you whip yours out?

moondog · 07/07/2006 13:39

I've gone in as a b/feeding mother to kids of the same age and they were incredibly sensible.
A friend was brave enough to do the same in a secondary school and same reaction.

We have wonderful m/wives and b/f counsellors in North Wales.

moondog · 07/07/2006 13:40

I whiped mine out.
The kids were fascinaterd.

zippitippitoes · 07/07/2006 13:40

I think that is typical of the age group though rather than an indication of future breastfeeders/supporters of partners breastfeeding..I would have been the same I'm sure

Original poster
popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:41

I fortunately held back whipping mine out in the science lab for fear of scarring them for life

I do think though, there is soooo much that needs to be done in schools to 'normalise' BF

OP posts:
Blu · 07/07/2006 13:42

I blame puberty!

frogs · 07/07/2006 13:42

On the upside, popsy, my dd1 in Y6 had a session on SRE (sex and relationships education) last week, and came home announcing, "Well, it was a bit embarrassing and most people were giggling and being stupid, but me and X and Y and Z kept a straight face because really, it's a bit immature to snigger just because people are talking about body parts."

Original poster
popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:42

They are incredibly sensible about reproduction etc - it is just breastfeeding.
I asked whether the yeauch factor was a result of them thinking about feeding from their mum. Apparently it was just a 'general yeuch about the whole thing'

OP posts:
moondog · 07/07/2006 13:43

That's the line b/f promoters take here Popsy and they do it regularly as part of b/feeding week.

The reaction was very favourable from all.I had quite a lot of mothers (small town) come up to me to tell me their kids had enjoyed it.Most were bottle feeders.

Original poster
popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:44

I have taught this age group for 9 years and reproduction doesnt phase them......just the mammals' milk thing!
Would be interested at martianbishop's experiences in secondary science

OP posts:
moondog · 07/07/2006 13:44

You know about the weasal milk thing right???

DumbledoresGirl · 07/07/2006 13:45

Dont be disheartened. I bet there was a fair amount of following the vociferous few who were anti. My ds is 10 and I am sure he finds nothing revolting about breastfeeding as it wasn't so long ago he saw me feeding his youngest brother, but I can also bet that in a class of pre-pubescent children he would join with them in saying yuck.

Original poster
popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:47

MD - yes i know about weasel milk..........it actually came into my mind during the conversation with the class

I know what 11 year olds are like - lots og bravado etc - but even when the bravado had gone, they still seemed genuinely weird abotu the whole thing.

that said, I had just given them their SATs results....

OP posts:
moondog · 07/07/2006 13:50

The way I saw it done was lots of pictures of animals (including weasels and cows) on a board,general chat about them all feeding babies milk then asking which most like ours.

Most effective.

Also interesting sciency bit about composition of each mammal's milk.

Original poster
popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:51

I have to bring weasel milk into the next lesson somehow

OP posts:
moondog · 07/07/2006 13:51

iT WILL STAY WITH THEM FOREVER.gUARANTEED!

suzywong · 07/07/2006 13:53

good for you putting them right Popsy

I volunteer as a Community Educator for the Australian Breastfeeding Associatioin and have given a few school talks with an actual real life breastfeeding mother volunteer and I always make a big point of the fact that it is very had to actually see any breast during feeding, I think kids just imagine the baby and breast are held aloft and baby sucks the tip of the nip with a pursed mouth.

Could you contact the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and ask if they can send someone in to do a school talk, they usually just ask for a small donation, or will you be loosing these prurient 11 year olds to secondary school next term?

And how come you never open the Bar any more?

Original poster
popsycal · 07/07/2006 13:53

will see what I can do!

OP posts:
PinkTulips · 07/07/2006 13:55

don't think it's fair to say it's an age thing as my 10 year old cousin was completely unfazed by me bf-ing and was actually quite interested. more to do with exposure and how it's talked about at home imo

moondog · 07/07/2006 13:55

Oh Aussies are in a league way above and beyond us Brits eh Suze???!!

purplemonkeydishwasher · 07/07/2006 13:57

Can someone explain the weasel milk thing to those of us in the class who don't know about it?

moondog · 07/07/2006 13:58

Weasel milk is most similar in composition to a human's thus highlighting idiocy of universal acceptability of cows' milk as most appropriate thing for babies.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 07/07/2006 14:00

Gotcha. Thanks.
I'm off to milk the weasel now...
(that sounds like a euphamisn for something else...)

PinkTulips · 07/07/2006 14:02

makes sense really, an omnivores diet would produce milk more similar to ours than a herbivore would. dogs are probably closer too then aren't they?

moondog · 07/07/2006 14:02

Eh PT??
Herbivores make loads of milk!