"before "sesame street" was hosting the likes of katy perry, michelle obama and emma stone, the acclaimed children's television show was home to other more frequent guest stars -- breastfeeding moms." full article:
it thought this was interesting. i didn't know that they addressed the subject so casually on the show in the past. it is sad that they have to sign a petition to allow it now, nearly 40 years after it was first on the show.
Breast feeding is a beautiful and perfectly normal thing...I will make sure my children grow up comfortable with their bodies and in their knowledge of their sexuality and the responsibilities that come with it.
I know you believe this, and I know a lot of other people on this forum do, but not everyone (and probably the majority in the world) were not raised this way. Or have faced things that make them uncomfortable with that kind of thing.
I breastfed both of my kids until they self-weaned at around 1.5yo. When I was nursing my younger daughter, my 2yo son would carry his teddy bear around and "nurse" him too. Both of my kids fed their babydolls by nursing them, and discarded the play bottles that came with the toys. They didn't know what the bottles were for, since we hadn't had any around the house before. I explained that some babies are fed from a bottle, but my kids chose to nurse instead - hence the tossed bottles.
My kids don't think twice when they see a nursing mother - it's just a way that mothers feed their babies. They're more interested in looking at the baby than getting in the mother's "business."
There seems to be so much angst around breastfeeding, when in reality it's a basic mammalian maternal function. Why there's more comfort feeding babies "cow juice" vs. "human juice" I'll never know.
That's a really crappy thing to say to another person on here and I find it offensive that you would attack the parenting of someone you know NOTHING about based on one opinion.
As far as breastfeeding being on Sesame Street, I think the way it was shown in the clips was tastefully handled and age appropriate and I think kids DO need to learn at an early age that breastfeeding is natural and the way babies were intended to be fed.
I am pro-breastfeeding (as an OB and NICU nurse, and a breastfeeding mama, I think it is the way to go), but I DO understand that there are situations when it is not possible, not healthy, and not feasible to breastfeed a baby. I am not going to make ANY mother feel like less of a person because she chose--for WHATEVER reason--not to breastfeed.
Completely and utterly ignorant...you are the stereotypical parent who's 15 yr old will come home 7 mos pregnant and you will be completely surprised that they even knew about sex. Then you will kick them out on the street telling them they should be ashamed of themselves when it's not their fault that everything they learned about sex they learned not from you, but from watching Jersey Shore over at their friends house.
Breast feeding is a beautiful and perfectly normal thing...I will make sure my children grow up comfortable with their bodies and in their knowledge of their sexuality and the responsibilities that come with it.
Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).
i think that the 'sesame street age' is precisely when these children should be introduced to breast fdg.
it is at this time that their brain is vigorously developing...
and so, this rapid development combined with their coexisting innocence, would seemingly 'program' them into being tolerant, flexible, and less judgmental adults.
if they waited til the age for sex education, most of these kids have already been exposed to the societal depiction of a woman's sexuality.
at a very young age, is the ideal time to teach...through words and actions.
they're not going to know to be embarrassed by a breastfeeding woman.
i've always been a huge proponent of sesame street.
they educate our children appropriately, on many different levels.
i cannot find one legitimate reason not to bring back the breast...
and what they were truly created for.
and i'm pretty darned sure they weren't created as a means of exploitation.
leslie
Now, THIS is the post that deserves 10,000 "likes"!!
I know you believe this, and I know a lot of other people on this forum do, but not everyone (and probably the majority in the world) were not raised this way. Or have faced things that make them uncomfortable with that kind of thing.
I understand if someone doesn't want to breastfeed and I am fine if they don't. I'm the last person to get in someone's face for not breastfeeding.
But to my knowledge most cultures around the world view breastfeeding as normal. Most other places in the world don't bat an eyelash about public breastfeeding, either. It's just how you feed your baby. I've even patients from countries that we in the US would assume to be very conservative about public nudity tell me that they nursed their babies in public with no problems.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Not trying to be snarky, but just wondering if those who think it is inappropriate to teach preschoolers about breastfeeding also think it is inappropriate to teach them about bottle feeding too? They are just two different ways that babies can be feed. My 3 year old knows that babies get milk either from their mom or from a bottle. She sees me breastfeeding her younger sister and wanted to know why the baby was sucking on me. I told her babies get special milk from their mommies or from a bottle. I think explaining it to her that way was perfectly age appropriate.
I've never heard of anyone making a case for teaching young children about the merits of bottle feeding a baby.
I don't think it's inappropriate to give a basic explanation about breast-feeding to answer a young child's questions. I just think it's inappropriate to have "breastfeeding rights" on Sesame Street.
I think that breastfeeding has been stigmatized over the last few years and it is a refreshing change to see a program that treats it as a natural thing. On FB/movies/etc., there are so many pictures of women showing off their breasts in a sexual way. It would be a nice change of venue to have them show the woman's body as more than just a sexual tool. I am not proposing we whip out the breast for all the world to see, but that we take pride in a function that is as normal as breathing. There are some women that are unable to breastfeed, either by choice or due to physiological impairments. However, I do not see how this choice not to breastfeed should impact others who breastfeed.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I've never heard of anyone making a case for teaching young children about the merits of bottle feeding a baby.
I don't think it's inappropriate to give a basic explanation about breast-feeding to answer a young child's questions. I just think it's inappropriate to have "breastfeeding rights" on Sesame Street.
For that matter, I have an issue with SS having a character on the show (Lily) who doesn't get enough to eat and goes hungry. I can tell you, that would have been deeply distressing to me to see that when I was a young child. Kids get enough reality as it is.
I think it is unnecessary and we just need to let kids be kids and watch sesame street, learn their numbers, and letters and how to not bite your friends. We take youth away so fast by teaching and exposing them to things can't can't fully comprehend yet. I think it confuses them more. There are more age appropriate things to learn at 3-4 years old.
I don't think we need to be teaching our kids about bottle feeding either. They are little kids for Chrissakes!
Yo Gabba Gabba has there lessons right, Don't bite your friends, don't be scared of simple things, Try it and you'll like it, sharing is caring. All that is really necessary for preschoolers.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I think it is unnecessary and we just need to let kids be kids and watch sesame street, learn their numbers, and letters and how to not bite your friends. We take youth away so fast by teaching and exposing them to things can't can't fully comprehend yet. I think it confuses them more. There are more age appropriate things to learn at 3-4 years old.
I don't think we need to be teaching our kids about bottle feeding either. They are little kids for Chrissakes!
Yo Gabba Gabba has there lessons right, Don't bite your friends, don't be scared of simple things, Try it and you'll like it, sharing is caring. All that is really necessary for preschoolers.
Amen. Funny how some of the nastiest posts have come from the "breast-feeding rights" group.
I understand if someone doesn't want to breastfeed and I am fine if they don't. I'm the last person to get in someone's face for not breastfeeding.
But to my knowledge most cultures around the world view breastfeeding as normal. Most other places in the world don't bat an eyelash about public breastfeeding, either. It's just how you feed your baby. I've even patients from countries that we in the US would assume to be very conservative about public nudity tell me that they nursed their babies in public with no problems.
That was my first thought with regarding the post you quoted. In many other countries, I'd say the majority, nursing a baby in public, sometimes not even discreetly, is normal.
Some of the most beautiful photos that I took while in Vietnam show mothers sitting together in a group in the shade nursing their babies and talking, waiting to be seen at the clinic where I worked.
Our country is the one with the hang-up about nursing a baby.
I've never judged a woman for deciding to formula feed. That is her choice and I support it.
I also think making a mountain out of this molehill is sad.
.thumb.gif.5406a59d44f5c666e8ff3ebac639497a.gif){kind=avatar}
nohika
506 Posts
I know you believe this, and I know a lot of other people on this forum do, but not everyone (and probably the majority in the world) were not raised this way. Or have faced things that make them uncomfortable with that kind of thing.