so, my dearest husband went to bed and forgot to hand me the remote control, and I was working on a comic and the ad for the supernanny -coming up next!- included a baby that was still ‘gasp’ breastfeeding and sleeping with its mother. At 14 months. Seriously. So I had to watch, it was like a train wreck. The family was completely out of control, screaming, hitting, just really really miserable. But weaning from the breast to a bottle, and making the baby cry it out to sleep in its own bed, were top of the agenda.

Granted the mother was trapped sitting down and breastfeeding a LOT during the day (been there, huh?) and was having trouble sleeping. But it wasn’t anything that a sling and a bigger bed would have solved! I mean really, the family was packed onto a little bed.

Why can’t supernanny see that the helpful help that she gives these tormented families would be so much better if it included helping them attach to each other more, instead of promoting detachment? Oh, that’s right, because she’s a NANNY. Nannies aren’t supposed to attach to their charges, silly me. It’s a sad day that the culture is taking parenting advice from nannies, and really sad that the mothers are listening.

Love,
Heather

You heard me, we are now the oppressors. We’re the ‘nazis’, the ‘jack boot thugs’ and the ‘gestapo’. We’re constantly keeping the formula feeding mamas down. This is the new talking point and you’ll be hearing it a LOT in the news from here on out. The good news: It’s a sure sign that we’ve got the formula peddlers nervous. the bad news: there’s a possiblity that the meme could spread and new mamas will be turned off from breastfeeding because of what they’ve heard about us. We need to spread our own memes, quickly.

The interesting part of all this is the name-calling. It seems you can’t read a article about breastfeeding in the mainstream press without it being liberally sprinkled with the kind of names that the newspaper would never consider printing about any other constituency. Mothers are called ‘hysterical’, ’screechy’ and as noted above every version of World War 2 era evil doer. Including Fascist. Last I checked the Fascists were the ones that wanted corporate hierarchy. So not only are the names insulting, they don’t even make sense. But here’s the rub, I bear witness to a debate in which the proponent of breastfeeding is accused over and over of name calling, because of terms and phrases that aren’t name calling at all. So, it is that the rules of debate are sullied and muddied, and the old memes such as ‘breast is best’ are useless now, where to begin, again?

My first reaction is that the polite rules of debate and discourse should be thrown out the windows, you want names? We can give you names! You want mud slinging debate? Bring it on! But you know me, I’m a reactionary. So I’m open to ideas from the more calm and respectful of you…We need to spread a new meme. we aren’t the oppressors. Formula isn’t about freedom of choice. And… and… brainstormers invited!

Here’s another article: (thanks Yvette!) Enough Already with the “Breast is Best”!
Here’s the debate: (thanks Emily T!) read the comments

And, yesterday was my wee one’s anaesthesia appointment at the Dentist. It was terrifying, and so ordinary at the same time I thought I would go crazy. But everything’s fine and she only lost one tooth. And for that we are very grateful!

Love,
Heather

I love the reactions (in the comments and also sent to my e-mails) to the article - see post the Story of the Zoops! below and think you’re all right on. Absolutely. Amy P made some good points suggesting that the ’shrink’ that Peyser quotes as an expert might, just might, not be idiocy on Ms. Peyser’s part (why in the world would the colleagues of a Psychiatrist have any opinion worth mentioning?) unless! The pharmaceutical companies (and their cohorts the drug-pushing doctors) are behind the story. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. food for thought, and yes, it would explain a LOT. And the fact that the formula companies are sponsoring attacks just like this is very well documented by Mama Bear here: The New York City Formula Media Lies

So what do you learn from all this? beware the Squeemers! Long Live the Zoops!

Love,
Heather

Hi All,
Have you perchance read this? Breastfeed Gestapo in Milk ‘Bilk’ Sigh. There’s just so much to say. So, it seems like a good time to digress…and tell the story of the Zoops. (in 10 parts, give or take a few ;o)

Hope you enjoy!
Love,
Heather

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