Why is breastfeeding frowned upon?

[rivan]

The boss never told her she couldn't use a breast pump, but it did not make for a happy work environment.

He'd have had a lawsuit if he had.

...working mothers I think it would be best if they didn't breast feed.

Yeah, because a couple hours a day of lost productivity for 9 months (assuming they're out for 3 months, and stop around the 1 year mark) is worth the health of the child.

You're clearly not a parent.

 

[purbeast0]

i was not aware that breast feeding was frowned upon.

 

[Codewiz]

While I am certain there are many reasons why so many people frown on breastfeeding, I think the above reason is probably the MAIN reason.

We had a young woman at work who had a baby and she was breastfeeding. While at work she would have to go into the bathroom and use a breast pump several times each day. While she was using the breast pump she wasn't working, and the boss would get a bit irritated with the whole situation. The boss never told her she couldn't use a breast pump, but it did not make for a happy work environment.

Personally, I am not against breast feeding. In a lot of ways I think it is a good idea and many experts say that it is better for the child. So, my opinion is that for "stay at home moms" I think it is a wonderful idea, but for working mothers I think it would be best if they didn't breast feed.

Ummm my wife works and she pumped at work. She pumped twice a day. Since you typically get two 15 minute breaks per 8 hours, I am not sure where your issue is.

I guarantee my wife wasted less time pumping than smokers do with their smoke breaks. Not to mention, she just used the time that she is given in a work day.

 

[HumblePie]

I agree. Women complain about how "society" puts high expectations on them, but men are much more accepting of different body types than women. Men don't all expect women to be rail thin. Most like them to have more shape to them. Ask a man what the ideal woman looks like and more likely than not he'll want a woman with big boobs and big hips. Ask a woman and she'll just want to be thin.

We guys just have to do our part to get rid of these stereotypes and expectations.

That is correct. Studies have shown that men have fixations upon a few body parts, but very few care about the whole. This fixation term is labeled a "road map" for anyone wanting to google and find the study I'm referring to. Meaning men typically care less on the whole of person's body composition.

Guys are usually less ashamed of their bodies as well. Nor do we really compare our bodies sexually to other men. An average guy see's a man that is ripped walk by the average thinks, "Dude must work out a lot. I wonder how much he benches. I wonder how much time he has to spend to do that." That is if we think anything about it at all. Meaning we are not looking at the BODY of that ripped guy, but the effort that he put into accomplishing that feat. We don't think of how much more poon he might be getting or anything sexual at all. On the reverse, when the average woman sees an "attractive" female walk by their minds do think in sexual competitive terms.

 

[Texashiker]

I think it is a wonderful idea, but for working mothers I think it would be best if they didn't breast feed.

The long term benefits outweigh the short term problems.

Just one example - New analysis links breastfeeding to reduced risk of childhood leukemia

If that mother can help reduce her childs risk of developing childhood leukemia, then why not.

 

[ahenkel]

because women have breasts and women should be ashamed. Cover yourself and go pray for salvation. There's a reason God created cows so you can hide your shame.

 

[vi edit]

Yeah, because a couple hours a day of lost productivity for 9 months (assuming they're out for 3 months, and stop around the 1 year mark) is worth the health of the child. You're clearly not a parent.

There's a lot of factors at play that can make for some very difficult situations. In our situation, our daughter was a premi and too weak to latch initially. By the time she was strong enough she simply preferred the bottle because of the ease. There's not much going back. So my wife was forced to pump. Her production wasn't great so it was taking almost 45 minutes a session to get enough to feed our daughter. Then you factor in clean up of the machine & parts and it's a full hour. Take that times 5-8 times a day...it's not just a few hours. It was almost of a third of my wifes day for a while. And even with all of the balms/salves/creams/ect her poor nipples took a beating.

Factor all of that into a high stress work environment where you have an all male management that know they are required to allow you to pump but still hold the time away as a black cloud of resentment and it's just a miserable situation. Especially when a new mother is at work and already feeling guilty for not being at home.

It's just not an easy situation for some women and everyone seems to have an opinion that makes them feel like they are horrible mothers.

 

[jonks]

While it's probably true today that women exert pressure on other women to live up to a certain and mostly unrealistic ideal, to assert that women were the first cause of that ideal is incorrect. Women want to be thin because men want them thin. Strippers get implants because strippers with implants make more money. If natural boobs, which are all anyone on the internet claim to want, were actually preferred then strippers would not all have fakies.

Men can say whatever they want, but the true measure and expression of the majority of male desire as evidenced by what men spend money on indicates preference for that unrealistic barbie type. Women recognize that and then respond accordingly. There used to be a cycle of full figure to waify and back again every 30-40 years or so. With the advent of plastic surgery and other technology, that cycle has been broken. Big boobs have been in since the 80s and show no signs of going anywhere.

As to breastfeeding, it's natural and preferred in my book.

 

[vi edit]

Ummm my wife works and she pumped at work. She pumped twice a day. Since you typically get two 15 minute breaks per 8 hours, I am not sure where your issue is.

It's just not that straightforward for everyone. I went into more detail below but in my wife's case she had a 5 minute walk just to get to the lactation room. And there was absolutely no way she could have ever finished in 5 minutes, cleaned up, and walked back to her office in that time.

 

[Wyndru]

I didn't know it was frowned upon.

Although my wife does block out a conference room in her job each day so she has a private place to pump. By law they are required to provide her with a location, but her coworkers might frown upon the fact that for an hour a day she gets the room to herself.

 

[rudder]

I think it's a perception that it's something poor people do because they can't afford formula. Plus there's a vanity and convenience thing...some women don't want to do it because they don't want their tits to get saggy or their nipples to look like silver dollars. And with more women working the ability to dedicate multiple hours a day to pumping while they are trying to work 8 hours a day + take care of a family is a chore.

poor people can get WIC and can buy formula. If anything poor people are typically less educated about breastfeeding benefits and more likely have to have to go back to work...so more likely to use formula.

I have heard many women say they think it is gross. My wife was not to keen on breastfeeding but after the first time she realized the bond she was forming with our baby.

Formula is getting close to the constitution of breast milk... but children lose out on the bonding and antibodies. And I bet it get's a woman's body back to pre-pregnancy shape faster.

 

[vi edit]

poor people can get WIC and can buy formula. If anything poor people are typically less educated about breastfeeding benefits and more likely have to have to go back to work...so more likely to use formula.

Poor wasn't the proper choice there...3rd world is probably more what I was meaning. And yes, more "poor" people actually do use formula than breast feed. Sad reality is that it's probably for the better given the heath and life style choices of many of them.

 

[Codewiz]

It's just not that straightforward for everyone. I went into more detail below but in my wife's case she had a 5 minute walk just to get to the lactation room. And there was absolutely no way she could have ever finished in 5 minutes, cleaned up, and walked back to her office in that time.

My comment was to the general idea that working women shouldn't breastfeed. I think that is retarded as a general concept.

Technically, my wife didn't breastfed, after 4 weeks, she went to exclusive pumping. She had an allergic reaction to morphine while having her c-section. They had to give her antihistamines via IV as she broke out in hives all over here body. That made her VERY slow to generate milk and my son was large and in charge. He tore her nipples up completely trying to suck even though he had excellent latches. He just wanted more milk. So for the first few weeks, we had to supplement.

She eventually got her supply going by pumping about 16 times a day for the first 8 weeks. My wife busted her ass. She was constantly pumping. She would have much rather just breastfed normally.

My point is that every situation is different and one size does not fit all. You do the best you can and make the best of the situation. My wife felt like a failure those first 4 weeks trying to breastfeed even though it was not her fault.

 

[Texashiker]

She had an allergic reaction to morphine while having her c-section.

Did she have an epidural?

Some studies show that having an epidural can increase c-section rates, and reduce a womans chance of being able to breastfeed by 75%.

If you talk to women that had an epidural and tried to breastfeed, a lot of them will say "the baby did not latch on", or something like "I was not producing enough milk."

 

[Macamus Prime]

American society has turned breasts into an object of sex.

They serve a natural and functional purpose; feed and nuture your child.

 

[Codewiz]

Did she have an epidural?

Some studies show that having an epidural can increase c-section rates, and reduce a womans chance of being able to breastfeed by 75%.

If you talk to women that had an epidural and tried to breastfeed, a lot of them will say "the baby did not latch on", or something like "I was not producing enough milk."

It was a complicated situation. Our son had no issues with latch or suction power. My wife went about 7 hours into labor before getting an epidural but there was already issues with heart rate. They attached an internal heart rate monitor at about 4 hours. The epidural was almost dual purpose, she was in pain and stalled at about 5cm. Combined with heart rate issues of the baby, we went ahead with the epidural.

Let me say, it was an EPIC BORK by the anesthesiologist putting it in. They placed it in and she could still feel on one side. After about 30 minutes, they pulled it back out and redid it. This time, she had hot spots. The doctor really didn't believe her.

Ended up with an emergency c-section. They realized she could damn well feel in certain areas when she almost jumped off the table when cutting her open. At that point, they just pumped her full of morphine and finished up. It didn't take too long before she broke out in hives.

We still believe the root cause of the lack of milk was the antihistamines because if you are breastfeeding you should avoid those anyways because they will cause a drop in milk supply. In this case, she just never got started.

That all combined with other factors, my son ended up being jaundice. We had to take a billy blanket home with us and get him tested every other day for the first week. The jaundice was another primary driver in supplementation during the first month until she got a supply going.

EDIT: And the reason for the heart rate drop. He did have the cord around his neck. They attempted to float it out about 3 times during the labor but were unsuccessful

 

[Mxylplyx]

Comparing the overall health of our 2 bottle fed kids and our 2 breastfed kids, the breastfed are healthier, and have less social issues in their teenage years.

This statement makes you appear just as radical on the other side of the debate. I personally dont care what a mother does, but I think you are just seeing what you want to see by making this statement. My son was mostly bottle fed, while my 3 nieces and nephews were exclusively breast fed. My son is considerably healthier and less prone to illness than his cousins, but I'm not about to chalk that up to him being bottle fed.

I mean...less social issues....really? You could just as easily chalk it up to them maybe being born on a sunnier day.

 

[vi edit]

Did she have an epidural?

Some studies show that having an epidural can increase c-section rates, and reduce a womans chance of being able to breastfeed by 75%.

If you talk to women that had an epidural and tried to breastfeed, a lot of them will say "the baby did not latch on", or something like "I was not producing enough milk."

There was one study in Australia that came back with that and it was a flawed study. By most in the medical community and anyone who understands how research should be performed it's been written off and bunk.

 

[gophins72]

it's frowned upon because females are offended by seeing good looking female's boobs in public and males are offended by seeing ugly female's boobs in public. this makes for alot of offended people at all times.

 

[Texashiker]

I mean...less social issues....really? You could just as easily chalk it up to them maybe being born on a sunnier day.

Its the skin-to-skin contact that the breastfeeding mothers have that helps improve parent-child bonding.

There are all kinds of studies that show early bonding affects a childs behavior later in life.

 

[ShawnD1]

I mean...less social issues....really? You could just as easily chalk it up to them maybe being born on a sunnier day.

baby formula from china probably contains cadmium from recycled batteries and this makes it more expensive when sold by weight. cadmium is extremely toxic.


(i'm making this up, but it does sound like something china would do)

 

[Texashiker]

There was one study in Australia that came back with that and it was a flawed study. By most in the medical community and anyone who understands how research should be performed it's been written off and bunk.

Besides the studies that medical professionals publish, preform your own study.

My step-daughter is 23 years old, and has several friends that have kids. When I meet her friends, we talk about the labor, whether they had an epidural, c-section, breastfeeding,,,,,.

Its amazing how many women these days get an epidural, have to have an emergency c-section, and can not breastfeed. Its the same reasons over and over- baby would not latch on, or the mom was not producing milk.

Up until recently getting an epidural was rare, and so were c-sections and problems breastfeeding. Its like there is an epidemic of c-sections these days, and there has to be a reason for that.

If we took these same rates of c-sections and breastfeeding problems back 10,000 years ago, mankind would have died out thousands of years ago.

 

[CrazyAznDriver]

I don't think its frowned upon. I've seen it the other way around actually. When we had our kids there were quite a few people that tried to make my wife feel guilty about not breast feeding. Ever heard of la leche league? Boob nazi's imo.

 

[CycloWizard]

The stigma is due to the simple fact that people are idiots. People who are breastfed have higher IQs, healthier immune systems, lower incidence of obesity, and more money in their wallets.

 

[Nik]

I don't see why women can't pump breast milk to feed their children when they're in public. I don't understand why there can't be some sort of compromise made for public decency sake.