Breastfeeding petition!

Tanya · 04-07-08, 03:13 PM

I'm not sure how many of you are aware that there is soon to be a change in the law stating that women can breastfeed in public without fear of being asked to stop UNLESS the child is over 6 months old.

Health official guidelines state that you should only feed your child breast milk up until 6 months, after which you should start introducing solids. Milk however still plays a valuable part in a baby’s diet up until a year of age. Unless a mother wants to switch to formula milk a baby is usually breastfed until 1 year when you can make the switch to cows milk. This new ruling however means they will not be able to do this in public!

The lady heading the petition is requesting that the bill be kept in line with Scotland and the WHO guidelines (where it is legal and recommended to breast feed a baby in public up until 2 years of age!)

A quote from her:

Quote:

At any time beyond that, a woman breastfeeding in public can be charged with INDECENCY. Yes, you read that right. In a culture of page three girls and pornographic magazines visible in shops where children can see women’s breasts being exploited for sexual gratification and lust, women who meet their child’s biological needs in public will be considered criminals.

The government apparently reckons it wants women to feel confident about breastfeeding. What rubbish!

What Starched Fart in parliament came up with this madness? This is a blatant attack on a baby’s rights. This is politically-sanctioned CHILD ABUSE. Mothers, speak up about this! Don’t be bullied into closet breastfeeding and buying into the attitude that breastfeeding is still a cultural embarrassment.

Whatever your views on breastfeeding, please please sign the petition to give those who choose to breastfeed the right to breastfeed their child in public whatever their age!

Government Breastfeeding Petition

Personally I wouldn't breastfeed until the age of two, but 6 months is an appallingly low limit. There would be uproar if they decided you couldn't formula feed your child in public after 6 months, so why in the age of child obesity and illness, is the healthier option going to be made illegal?

(After you sign the petition make sure you click the link in the email they send you or your vote won't count!)

Ebony&Markus · 04-07-08, 05:24 PM

hmmm... When a child is under 6 months it is possible to breastfeed discreetly, but after 6 months the child can sit and it is hard to do it discreetly. Is a bit of bad taste. I don't really want to see a 1 or 2 year old child being breastfeed. Is a bit gross to be honest.

Plus when a baby is under 4 months all it eats is milk. After 4 months they eat solids and can start to drink juice, there is no need to breastfeed in public like you do when the child is younger. So to me it does not make any sense.

That is just my opinion though. I think the 6 month limit is ok. Especially after seeing that weird documentary of a woman that breastfed her older 4 year old. It is just weird.

I breastfed both my children until they were one. Up until 5 months it was possible discreetly but after that hmm... I would not have done that in public. I did breastfeed my 2 month old on an aeroplane and in a park, but at 6 months. No way...

That is just my opinion though!

Meiko · 04-07-08, 06:06 PM

I heard about that program and thought eep. Apparently some women can have a kind of withdrawl thing when they stop breastfeeding and feel they're denying their child nutrition. Most babies over 6 months only need two or so bottle feeds anyway. I've not heard anything about this change in law though.

Tanya · 04-07-08, 06:43 PM

4 year old? *Shudders* I could not imagine that tbh!

I was watching a thing on you-tube it was a documentary from the US about a woman who breastfeeds her child who is nearly... EIGHT!!!!That to me is plain weird.

She was sat on the couch with the daughter laid across it and she stretched across the whole thing. Apparently her kids (she has an older one also) touch her breasts each day.. have names for them and are often found drawing pictures of them...
But 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 months to me is still a baby. And before a year of age food is supposed to be 'for fun', to encourage chewing, a healthy jaw, and get the few extra nutrients a baby needs.

Also, yes a baby *can* eat food from 4 months but it isn't recommended. 6 months is recommended and you only start by giving one solid meal a day, so most of the day is still spent breast/bottle feeding (if you stick to guidelines) so I do think it is needed to be able to feed your baby whereever the hell you like. Plus, as pointed out sooo many times, you see more flesh on 'girls' walking around the streets or bilboard posters etcetera than you would ever see on a mother who is feeding her child!

Anorah · 04-07-08, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanya

Also, yes a baby *can* eat food from 4 months but it isn't recommended. 6 months is recommended and you only start by giving one solid meal a day, so most of the day is still spent breast/bottle feeding (if you stick to guidelines) so I do think it is needed to be able to feed your baby whereever the hell you like. Plus, as pointed out sooo many times, you see more flesh on 'girls' walking around the streets or bilboard posters etcetera than you would ever see on a mother who is feeding her child!

Ain't that the damned truth! (haha)

In the US they recommend breastfeeding up until the age of one. If you chose not to breastfeed, formula feeding is also strongly encouraged and is the standard as well in the US until the age of one. We are told that (like Tanya stated) nearly all of their nutrition from birth till 1 years of age should come from formula/breastmilk. Solids at 4-6 months and onwards is just to introduce new behaviours, new tastes, new textures, and to get the hang of eating solid food down pat. They discourage mothers from feeding their children cows milk until age one as well, as it is not an equal substitute nutritionally for breastmilk/formula.

My daughter is nearly 11 months now and still is a mainly breastfed baby. She has stopped feeding throughout the night, but still breastfeeds 3-6 times a day as well as some solids here or there. For the most part I skipped a lot of the prepared "baby" food as she just wasn't into it at the time, and now that she has 8 teeth, and understands the concept of chew and swallow I mainly feed her small tiny portions of whatever it is we eat. All that being said, I will most likely continue to breastfeed her up until 18 months or so, with weaning beginning around 12 months old, till it dwindles down to once a day or so.

Im drifting off subject though so I am sorry! I cannot believe they would want to limit something that is both natural, and the most healthy choice to make. You would think they would care more of the well being of todays youth than some fuddy duddy being offended that they might (gasp) see a boob or two. Heck I breastfeed and while -I- am personally slightly overly modest and chose not to do it very often in public, I still don't stare at other people when they chose to. Look the other way, find something or someone else to look at, ect ect.. There are ways to make the issue not a big deal.

Also I thought it was fairly common that topless wasnt a huge deal in Europe? Have things changed?

Lets face facts. One of the following is true for everyone.

Either ..
You have boobs yourself.
You have been breastfed at some point in your life.
You have seen boobs in person.
You have seen boobs on the television or print ads or art.
You have seen boobs in porn.

Boobs are not a big deal, and neither is breastfeeding.

I hope the petition goes through!

Tanya · 04-07-08, 10:21 PM

Thank you Anorah!
And Awwww, Eloise has 8 teeth now too!
Still barely got an inch of hair though, poor girl! Need to find a way to make her cast look girlier too, it's a horrid off white and got food stains on already! lol! Why does all baby food end up orange?!!

Lenore · 05-07-08, 12:03 AM

marius is 13 months and were still bfing were doing baby led weaning aside this so hes been on whatever we eat for a while now a and his diet consists of pretty much whatever he can eat his grubby little hands on. however hes still feeding at least twice a day and then through the night. I am starting to get odd looks and surprised comments from other mums at school not that i feed in public any more though it is a huge source of comfort to him im not sure what i would do if he was moving around a bit more and fell over while we were at the park i would probably feed him there. So i guess you could call me gross.
two years is the optimum feeding age and i aim to meet that its what the world health organisation recomend so we should have laws put in place to protect those that try to follow whos recomendations. I believe as long as breastfeeding is providing some nutritional and psycological benifit to baby or in this case child you should be allowed to carry on with out people going eeew yuck and theres always the option if you dont want to see it avert your eyes

Ebony&Markus · 05-07-08, 10:34 AM

I breastfed both mine up to one year, but they started solids around 4mths. Slowly weaned from a milky semolina like sludge (Lol that's what it looks like ) onto pureed vegs and meats etc... The breastmilk simply was not enough after 4 months, they were constantly hungry. Funny thing was none of them would accept bottled milk ever, so always only had breastmilk, and I noticed it was easier to get them to drink from a cup compared to my friends who bottle fed. Did anyone else notice that?

Going back to the petition. They want to charge women with indecency? that is a bit over the top or? I like the bit about a starched fart. That was quite funny. I will sign the petition as charging women with indecency, that is terrible.

Meiko · 05-07-08, 01:33 PM

My partner's sister began giving her son solids from about 3 months, the same with his cousin's missus. They look on it as give the baby what it wants or needs and bugger any guidelines. Though I admit I'm there like a middle aged midwife with a slight scowl, feeling of shock and an odd comment here and there. Trying to explain to them that the baby's internal organs aren't developed enough for that, and I nearly flew off my seat when his cousin said he'd given the baby a bit of honey (something they shouldn't have for at least a year) and vimto!
Basically what I'm saying is people will always have their own views on what is best for their child regardless of legislation, women will find a way around this breastfeeding thing.
On the topic of breastfeeding, I'm annoyed to find in a town the size of mine the only counselling group is the other side of town to me, a good 4 miles away, there are some in neighbouring towns/villages but nothing local or even practical for me to get to. (Oh and 12 weeks to go

)

Henry Winter · 05-07-08, 04:49 PM

From a dads/guys point of view breastfeeding after a year old is just wrong, especially in public. It also reeks of being over attached. Think of the kind of mom that hovers over her child, never gives it time alone and folds to it every time its naughty and you're about on the right train of thought. I'd guess breastfeeding for women is some kind of bonding thing, along that train of thought, over bonding leads to over dependency, which in turn leads to the kid being a wimp later in life. Sorry if my views offend anyone, but you folks are putting this stuff up on a public forum.

Anorah · 05-07-08, 05:33 PM

You are of course entitled to your own opinion.. And it is also the opinion that breastfed children can tend to be more overly bonded than non-breastfed children. That however does not mean the child is wimpy or whatever.

And the thought of an infant being overly dependent is sort of silly.... They are completely dependent.. Now a breastfed 4 year old, yeah that is a massive problem in my opinion. That is overly dependent, that is a weird attachment sort of issue.. A child under 2, not so much. They are still babies after all. And if you are concerned that it is the comfort that breastfeeding gives, that makes a child wimpy... Well Ive got news for you, they will if not in breastfeeding, find it elsewhere. Sucking their thumb, pacifiers, a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.. Its all the same concept really..

But there are many many positives linked to breastfeeding that do not involve attachment issues. And I think it is unfair to basically that a woman who breast feeds past a year is in a sense, automatically an overbearing Mother. The two are not linked. And if you were to ask me why I plan to keep breastfeeding past a year it has absolutely nothing to do with me "giving in" to my daughters every whim, or that I want to form this weird bond, or anything hinky. It is because it is comforting to her, she feels safe and warm (which is something every parent I am sure wants for their child, to find comfort in them) and it is for the health aspect. I have a child who has barely had more than 2-3 small colds, that lasted for less than 2-3 days. Whereas I have friends who have children all around the same age as mine, and have chosen not to breastfeed, and had sick kids all last winter. From ear infections, to the flu, to RSV, and so on, that would leave their little ones sick for weeks at a time.

Ive also seen "wimpy" children and I don't always think or assume it has to do with the parents 100%. Children do very much have their own personalities that I believe for some part, they are just born with. In fact we have a niece, who has an extremely overbearing Mother, who was not breastfed at all.

All that being said... My fella would LOVE for me to stop breastfeeding at a year old... Would love love love it. Not because he thinks it is inappropriate, or gross or anything of that nature, but because he would love to have my boobs back to being his... haha.. In his words.. But he also appreciates the health aspects, and the security it gives my daughter.

But don't get me wrong, you didn't offend me with your opinion. I just don't agree with your basis that it is breastfeeding that purely and only leads to being overly dependent. There are many factors.

Tanya · 05-07-08, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry Winter

From a dads/guys point of view breastfeeding after a year old is just wrong, especially in public. It also reeks of being over attached. Think of the kind of mom that hovers over her child, never gives it time alone and folds to it every time its naughty and you're about on the right train of thought. I'd guess breastfeeding for women is some kind of bonding thing, along that train of thought, over bonding leads to over dependency, which in turn leads to the kid being a wimp later in life. Sorry if my views offend anyone, but you folks are putting this stuff up on a public forum.

Your views don't offend me. I personally wouldn't b-feed until my daughter was two (I stopped at 8 months but that's beside the point).
Government and health officials RECOMMEND breastfeeding until the child is TWO. Personally, I hated b-feeding, especially at first, it had nothing to do with 'bonding' for me. I did it because it is best for my daughter. I know a lot of women that do the same. Any child, whether bottle fed or breast fed is dependant on their parents, I don't see what breastfeeding has to do with it?

Also, it has been proven that breast-fed children especially those breastfed past a year typically have higher IQ's, better health and social skills than bottle-fed children. Surely they're more likely to be independent than their piers?

Not all breastfeeding mums are grass-skirt wearing hippy chicks

I certainly won't be stopping her doing anything she likes (within reason!) Life is for experimenting!

I just don't think that the mothers who choose to follow government guidelines should be penalised by the same government for doing the very thing they recommend! If a mother chooses to b-feed in public they should be able to do it where-ever they please! It isn't as though you see any breast anyway!

Ebony&Markus · 05-07-08, 06:10 PM

I stopped at one year and to be honest longer than that is too much, but that is just my opinion. Also when babies have teeth... well I do not need to tell you about that!

Both my kids are independant and I noticed their immune systems seem to be pretty strong (touch wood). Longer than a year though... hmm... think that is too much but again is just my opinion.

Lenore · 05-07-08, 10:47 PM

There is a train of thought and indeed some evidence i'll go through and get some links tomorow that says the more time you spend with a child bonding and showing them that you are always there for them when needed and its pretty hard to bf without doing this provides a stable background of trust giving a child the confidence to go out and be independent secure in the knowledge that your there for them

Meiko · 05-07-08, 11:01 PM

Thats true Lenore and has been proven through the teenage years that children who have more of a caring and bonded relationship with their parents are less likely to go out looking for relationships elsewhere, because they're not finding the love they need at home.
I truely hope I manage to feed baby Alex when he arrives because I know the benefits, but probably only till I feel comfortable with doing so, being short and small myself I'll probably find it very awkward having a bigger baby attached to my breast.