A few years ago, I was your typical office-worker: stressed out, uneven energy, overweight, and inconsistent complexion. Now I'm just your typical 28-year old urban hunter-gatherer on a quest to be healthy, and having a few adventures along the way. See my full bio.
Finally, a reason to write a post about Gisele. Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has been stirring up controversy -- in a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Gisele spoke about being a new mother, and made a strong statement in favor of breastfeeding:
"Some people [in the United States] think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think 'Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?' I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months."
Apparently, the "worldwide law" piece struck some women as a bit smug coming from a wealthy supermodel.
My reaction? Puh-lease. Here are 10 reasons why Gisele is in the right.
Now that I have found a way to post about Gisele (and her breasts), I've accomplished all of the goals I had for this blog. So I will be shutting down the site. Thank you for coming.
Comments
Lynn is totally spot-on. As
Lynn is totally spot-on. As a man, I'm an advocate of breast-feeding children until lactation stops. However, many women are single with no support and working more than one job to make ends meet. Thus, we shouldn' t be so quick to tell them how easy nursing is. (Unfortunately with most other detriments of civilization, the support of grandmothers, etc. is apparently absent in many modern societies. ) Especially, if we aren't walking a mile in their shoes. Then again, though... I am of the mind that if one already has things that hard that one should possibly not be having children to begin with if one can help it. That's a whole other debate though.
The problem I have with
The problem I have with Giselle's statement is that she only nursed her child for 3 weeks! Breastfeeding is very important (I nursed my son for 13 months - he NEVER had formula) but why would she want a law that she herself wouldn't follow?
Jeez, people. Don't get
Jeez, people. Don't get pissed at Gisele. Get pissed at evolution! I've read some of the comments and it seems the biggest issue is that some women aren't able to produce milk. I'd love to see the diets of those women who can't produce! No one is complaining about any lack of milk production in third world countries or, apparently, in Brazil. If the percentage of women who claim now that they aren't able to breastfeed more than a few weeks held true in the wild, humans would have gone extinct tens of thousands of years ago!Gisele isn't "lucky" to be able to produce enough milk for her child. She is normal. Sorry, ladies, but that's what breasts are made for. If your air conditioner wasn't pumping out cold air you'd try to figure out what was wrong with it and fix it!
As long as the mother is
As long as the mother is healthy of course... I wouldn't want the addicts of the world feeding their babies with tainted milk, in those cases the store bought milk is probably well recommended.
As long as the mother is
As long as the mother is healthy of course... I wouldn't want the addicts of the world feeding their babies with tainted milk, in those cases the store bought milk is probably well recommended.
And she's absolutely right.
And she's absolutely right. Breast feeding is THAT important.
Breastfeeding is that easy.
Breastfeeding is that easy. I worked full time with my first kid -- pumped 2-4 times a day -- and I did it for over a year. She got her Mommy's liquid gold. I'm a SAHM now -- and it is much easier to nurse when you aren't working - as I'm doing with my second baby. It only takes the commitment to feed your child the best.Breastfeeding is hard and exhausting for the mom. You have to eat a ton of really good food. It means getting up every 2-4 fours for the first several weeks. Most people (men & women included) can't handle the sleep deprivation. Not to mention, the wear and tear on your breasts. Most post-breastfeeding boobs look like stretched water balloons (for a visual - squeeze your nipple between your forefinger & thumb -- stretch it out 2 or more inches). Breastfeeding moms -- including Gisele --really do give up a lot for their kids. It is inspiring that someone can look that hot & have such round taut breasts after breastfeeding. I'll have whatever she's having!!
The fact that you are a SAHM
The fact that you are a SAHM now indicates you have some amount of economic privilege, like Giselle. Which isn't a bad thing, it's quite awesome to be able to devote oneself full-time to one's children (I did for over 10 years).But it's really a whole different ballgame for less well-off women who may lack the support and resources to breastfeed. It's not like the old days when the knowledge was passed down from mother to daughter and there were all sorts of extended family women like aunties and cousins and grandmothers around to help out and get one started. Lots of women get zero time off from work after giving birth, or they may have to quit their job completely if they can't afford/get adequate childcare. That brings in economic stressors. Not everyone can pay a lactation consultant $60 an hour for their services (that was the going price in 1996 when I had my son). Not everyone knows there are such things as lactation consultants. Or the new mother may lack a car to get to a La Leche League meeting. If the baby fails to latch in the first few days and there is no one there to help her figure that stuff out, the mother may just give up, go the store and get formula for her child who is crying for food. The mother may work full-time someplace where pumping is discouraged or unsanitary or lacking in privacy. She may be a single mom dealing with the day-to-day running of the household, her job and other young children at home, with no one to help her. It's also quite likely that she may not know anyone who breastfeeds, period. While it's great that Giselle is using her celebrity to promote breastfeeding to the masses, her not mentioning these very critical obstacles to women who are less well off than herself, makes her come off as a bit of a douchebag, when really she is probably just clueless with good intentions. And John, I love your blog, but I gotta say, your ignoring these issues to focus on Giselle's hotness kind of makes you come off as a douchebag as well, or at the very least someone who is immature with very little (if any) first-hand experience with the subject. It's a serious health issue. If Giselle really wants to help, she could put her money where her mouth is and maybe use some of her millions to address some of these accessibility problems. Sorry about the big block of text, in preview mode it doesn't seem to be breaking up into paragraphs.
Of course all the issues you
Of course all the issues you raise are real and do prevent some women from breastfeeding. But let's not ignore the fact that most women do not exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, as recommended, and that includes plenty of affluent or middle-class women who simply don't bother because of vanity or laziness or wanting to preserve their "lifestyle." Some are career women who could pump 2-3 times per day, but choose not to "rock the boat" by standing up for their right to do so. Or they dont' really want to breastfeed and when they have a rought start (often due to poor choices that lead to an intervention-filled, complicated, and difficult birth), they give themselves a pass and don't take the steps to make it work. When women of privilege take a pass on breastfeeding, they make it harder for the women who really do face obstacles in our society. Those who can, should. And one day, maybe we'll have a breastfeeding society, and women at every level of society will be able to do what's right for their babies.
I love the idea of a
I love the idea of a breastfeeding society and wish we were "there" already. One thing that really saddened me when I was nursing my son was that people seemed to think I was the weird one for not just filling up a bottle with Enfamil. Children were extremely curious about how the baby was eating without a bottle. My daughter explained it to them though, lol. My hope is that by the time my children are parents they will live in a society that truly values healthy behaviors such as breastfeeding.
Here is something else to
Here is something else to think about from a much bigger viewpoint and I may come off as a douchebag! There are too many humans on this earth right now....it's obvious because of all the hunger an famin. In the next 40 years its supposed to almost double. This just won't work!!!! Nateure will take care of itself and if humans can not take care of themselves....good luck. If a mother can't find a way to breastfeed the child it may be a part of a larger plan...and I don't mean GOD....a higher power, nature yes.
Relax. Writing has to be
Relax. Writing has to be intrinsically rewarding. John puts a lot of time into this blog and he should be able to add levity as he sees fit. He's a young, healthy, straight guy; with that comes a heady zest of adolesence. You'll find the same type of semi-lockerroom humor on the Paleolithic Solution Podcast with Robb Wolf & Andy Deas. It by no means creates a hostile environment.P.S. Most moderators would ban you for accusing them of being "douchebags"--- be glad John has a libertarian streak.
Dude I am relaxed. I didn't
Dude I am relaxed. I didn't call John a douchebag, I said he "comes off " as one in this post and obviously knows little about the topic at hand. So did Giselle and that's why she got the reaction she did. So I thought I would point out the reasons why since John did not address them.Yeah John's a strapping 20-something paleo guy who swims outside in the winter and goes barefoot and I LOVE that energy he brings to this blog. Doesn't mean he's above all schooling on this issue after all he broached the topic. Remember the original paleos respected all members of the tribe including the elders.
It's okay, Lynn brings up
It's okay, Lynn brings up great points. There are all sorts of obstacles to breastfeeding that new mothers face that have nothing to do with their willingness to breastfeed or desire to do what's best for their children. In terms of education, institutions, and incentives, we need to make it easier to make the right decision. Agreed.
But there is a role to play for social mores too. We should not condone formula use. I look down upon giving Coca Cola to my little nieces, and I'm going to take a stand against feeding formula to babies. I can understand another person's perspective and that their circumstances that might make breastfeeding more difficult, but that in no way changes my opinion that breastfeeding is the best option. Full stop.
As for the Gisele photos...I plead no contest to having some fun.
Thanks for the thoughtful commentary, folks!