I can’t believe you’d compare sex or masterbation to breast feeding.

Aydo, Danny D is right.
The question is, why do you separate them? They are all natural tasks. Heck, if you don’t have sex you can’t breast feed.

I’m not offended by pics of a mate breastfeeding a child
I’d be offended if a mate stuck up a pic of them beating the meat

Aydo – but that’s your own opinion. As far as I’m concerned anyone can have whatever they’re pleased on their facebook pages – i don’t see issue at all.

Breastfeeding is a baby having its lunch. It’s as entitled to eat its lunch as you are. And if you are somehow embarrassed or offended or turned on by the container said baby’s lunch comes in, you really should examine your hang ups. If you don’t like it, don’t look. Would you object to seeing a baby bottle fed? Don’t expect babies to go without just because you have a weird sense of what is sexual or obscene and what is normal.

I have absolutely no problem with women who breastfeed in public but I can’t understand their need to share these photos on Facebook.

But then again there’s alot to women I don’t and probably won’t ever know!

Alan.. There’s no one shearing.. Except perhaps sheep farmers.

Thing is, you can set your profile to be private, so that only you or only your friends can see what you post.. So why shouldn’t a mother post these pics if she wants to? Personally I don’t think I would, but not being a mother I am not really qualified to make that statement.

It’s not like they are posting pictures of themselves breast feeding on other peoples walls or joining random groups just to share pictures of them feeding their babies, so what exactly is the problem?

Sure, but that implies that Facebook are arsed making a good service, they already have what they want from the average punter.

I see your point B but Facebook has changed the way people put up photo’s.
I used to see people put their entire lives on it every week in photos.
No one covers their house is photo’s of their lives as it’s not practical in physical form.

But I do see your point.

Because it’s a nice picture of you and your baby, maybe?
Because you don’t think it’s something to be hidden or ashamed of?
Because you happened to be feeding your kid when that group shot was taken?
Because 90% of the time all that’s visible is the back of an infant’s head, so what is there to get worked up over?

Who said anything about sex, Alan?

LOL whats wrong Matthew!!!!
Its the truth. I’m sick of all this, ram it in your face political correctness, we all have to suffer because some fool read a book and now we all have to accept THERE way of doing things.

Some people are offended by breast feeding …… we all have to accept and understand the feeling of others.
Me, I don’t give a shit what you take out in front of me.

Yeah but… Jeez.

It’s stare, not stair – Alan.
Stairs are for walking from one floor in a building to another, just like breasts are for breastfeeding – not just for sexual gratification…

Good man gerard, I was tempted to do that myself.

@Alan Vickery
I’m afraid the scientific literature would disagree with your statement that
“It’s all lies when they say breathing feeding is best for your baby”
For a start, what the hell is breathing feeding? Surely you mean breastfeeding?

Although, judging by the rest of your statement perhaps you had difficulty typing the word as it may cause you to get aroused..

If you get so distracted by breasts that you feel the need to stare at them, then you are a prime example of why many Muslim women choose to wear the hijab. Because in Islam it is implied that men are really sex obsessed animals incapable of controlling their urges when faced with the natural form of a woman.. And they do not deserve to objectify women like that unless they plan on providing for her.

The only reason anyone has an issue with breast feeding in public is because of the Church playing the shame game, and why should we ever have taken a lead from those hypocrites?

As for the “hippies” comment, what on earth is wrong with you? When a breast feeding mother is out and her child gets hungry her breasts start expressing milk whether there’s a baby hooked on or not. They are encouraged to breast feed by the healthcare professionals in the maternity hospital. Are you saying they should suspend the laws of nature to avoid making you take responsibility for your boner?

Why Thank you Alan for your ad hominem attacks which I recieved in email but appear to have been deleted from here..
So insulting me personally makes your argument for you does it?

FYI I know all about the issues surrounding medical research, which is why I would be more inclined to refer to the meta analyses and epidemiological research rather than marketing from the dairy council, but hey.. Make all the assumptions you like!

And if a woman is deficient yes – so too will her breast milk be (although most mothers do make an effort when pregnant to make sure they don’t end up deficient but I see your point).. The formula on the other hand is devoid of antibodies, and is most frequently made using synthetic nutrients which the body cant utilise and soy which is fast becoming one of the worlds biggest allergens next to cows milk and wheat..

I’m within my rights to take offence to what you said to me, but there’s no point.. You are a stranger and your opinion of me is really of no consequence. And me being offended makes no difference to you or anyone else..
Let this chap explain it for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cycXuYzmzNg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Don’t take offence, Shanti Om. Alan is obviously a troll, and spouting nonsense merely to get a rise. Hopefully he’s hiding back under his bridge.

Cheers Conor, and believe me I won’t.. As I said here already, what’s the point in taking offence? Let him say whatever he wants, let him call me names and make juvenile statements all he likes.. He has the right to freedom of speech after all :)

Jeez Alan. What are you on? What’s breast-feeding got to do with sex? Or political correctness. It’s just someone feeding their baby. Usually discretely. Do you know how bizarre this issue can get? A woman in the US (Florida, I think) was breast-feeding in her car outside a strip joint. She was told to stop by police…

First of all Shanti
With relation to the insults, I was responding to insults already sent in my direction by you. If your going to dish it out you have to also be able to take it.

My point with breast feeding is quite simple. you can put pics up on facebook if you want, you can breast feed anywhere you want. BUT and its a big BUT. If you are offending people in the process then you need to take there feeling on the issue into consideration. If you don’t then your not breast feeding because the baby is hungry, your doing it to rise a reaction. Its as simple as that.

Conor Farrell,
Your comments are typical of the small minded people making comments every day on the internet. If I disagree with you then I’m a fool, if I keep disagreeing with you then I’m trolling. As for hiding back under the bridge. Sorry but that’s impossible as you are already occupying that spot.

Still trolling. Keep it up, you clearly need practice.

Alan. Those sensitive souls you so passionately advocate for could always “Ram” their faces elsewhere. Eh?

Mmmmm. Breast milk. Nom nom…

Michael,
I am not speaking for or advocating for anyone.
If you are offending others while out in public then you need to take there feeling into consideration. If on the other hand you are in private then the other person can leave.

The same applies to your FB account. If you don’t like the picture then don’t look at it.

Why some people have a problem with that is beyond me.

Alan ur original post was offensive and sexist. A woman has a right to feed her child whenever and wherever is necessary. She is protected by law from.harassment from the public and from being asked to stop, leave or move by anyone. If you post offensive remarks then expect a response. A tip for future, before you get offended by a woman with her boob out and a child stuck onto it, get informed. She has a right to do it BY LAW.

http://www.thebreastway.com/index.php/how-to-do-it/breastfeeding-in-public

Well, Alan. If it’s a principled stance you’re taking, what if the breast-feeding woman and the ten friends in her company are offended by those who are offended by breast-feeding in public?

Also, Alan. If you live in a town or city, you can be sure you walk past a woman breastfeeding her child a couple of times a day. But do you notice? No. Believe it or not, mothers don’t go around topless with babies hanging off them. It’s done pretty discretely. So don’t worry your little head about it.

Niamh,
As I have said before, which you have not noticed, I have no problem with a women breast feeding. I do have a problem with making a statement while breast feeding. This seems to have gone over the head of a lot of people on this topic. They are way to busy to pick out words and focus on them rather then the overall view, which I might add I’m entitled to have.

You mentioned they have a right to breast feed without harassment and your right. But other people also have a right to enjoy there environment without harassment.

If you are breast feeding discretely in public then most people will have no problem with that. If you are screaming look at me (metaphorically speaking) while you are doing it then expect people to be offended.

So its babies stuck onto visible boobies that freak you out? Is it that the boobs are visible? Bet ya if it was a woman sitting having a cup coffee with her boobs out you wouldnt be offended, bet you would think….thats great, fair play to her, wish more women would get their tits out! Snigger, and you would probably have a good stair (sic). But because the boob is doing what nature intended it suddenly
offends you. as I said, you will have to keep ur mouth shut if you are ever in the situation where heaven forfend a woman gets her boob out to feed her child because if you tell her ur offended and ask her to stop you will be breaking the law.

Wow.

Alan, I know you think you’re trying to make some kind of a point but, if you’re actually being serious, it’s getting a bit embarrassing now.

Niamh,
You might want to read my previous post again as you clearly haven’t read it all. You have just highlighted my point about not reading the post’s but grabbing at words.

Deirdre,
I agree, the fact that the posts are not being read is quite embarrassing.

Now now alan, you starred.quitte clearly that boobs are fine as long as they are there fire what.they.are meant for….in ur mind ur own sexual gratification. You als dispute the FACT that breast feeding is best for both mother and baby. You state that these hippies think they can whip their tits out whever they like. Now.it sounds to me that you have a multitude of issues that you need to worth through primarily that you are sexist and you have a problem putting boobs together with feeding.

Niamh,
First of all,
Point out on my post where I said I think they are only for sexual gratification.
I dispute the fact that breast feeding is best for baby, and for very good reason.
OK lets change the word hippy to Militant?

As for my multitude of issues….. I think you’ve been watching to much Jeremy Kyle. Now on to the sexist issue. I can give you 10 reasons why you are more sexist then I am. That’s for another topic.

And finally if you can’t comprehended a simple topic post in its entirety then please stop replying to them.

Have you been harrassed much by statement making breastfeeding women? LOL

The other day there was an article about women protesting with their boobs out at Davos. These women were very angry and making a big statement yet no one seemed to be offended by them. In fact a lot of the posters agreed that there needed to be more pictures. Why then do women who breastfeed need to defend themselves so much. And they do, Alan.. posts like yours make that clear.

I’ve read your posts. You feel the sensibilities of people who are offended by breastfeeding need to be protected over those of the mother and child. You believe that boobs are primarily a means of titillation and people should be protected from being aroused by them.

I thinks that’s funny.

Deirdre,
Spot on Deirdre, you got it in one…. its like your inside my head…. wow!!!!
You should be a psychologist or some kind of ologist.

Alan..
I made comments in reference to what you SAID, that were obviously related to your comments – this might explain why my comment was not removed, and yours was.
My comments were made in jest, making jokes about you not being able to control yourself – see above, none of it was definitive, all based on the “if this is the case” whereas “Shiti Om
Your now a certified ass hole.” Is very much direct to me, and a deliberate attempt to offend.
I asked questions, whereas you made direct attacks.. I’m afraid that’s just how the English language works, I didn’t set out to offend you, just point out the lunacy of your comment.

You also made some inflammatory remarks about a religious belief system or two that may have forced the Journal to delete your longer comment. I am not foolish enough to attempt to repeat them.

Why should I “take” anything, I didn’t “dish it out” to start with, you just got a tad defensive.. Like offence, it’s all in your head..

And back to that point about offence..
What does offence DO? Does it hurt? Cause car accidents? Cancer? Death?
No. It’s all in the person who is taking offences head. And as such, it’s their problem and their problem alone. There’s nothing that says you have a right not to be offended, it would be too difficult to legislate.. You do have a right not to suffer persecution because of your beliefs – but that doesn’t cover taking offence to things, it’s quite different. As pointed out already – one person may be offended by breastfeeding while the next may be offended by people who object to breast feeding..
It’s totally subjective, it only exists in your head. Ergo, if you are offended, the only person who can fix it is you, not the big bad nanny state.. Note, I said I didn’t mind your statement, nor did I report it, I think you have a right to say whatever you want. I’m an adult, I realise that in the grand scheme of things to take offence is just letting you have more control over my emotions than you deserve. That and to resort to name calling really only makes one look childish.

Lastly, how can one “make a statement” by breast feeding, please explain.. Do they loudly announce “Right everyone, I’m about to hook on if you’d like to take your seats – it’s feeding time at the teat!”, perhaps they do it in the middle of the road holding up traffic? I honestly don’t know what you mean by this statement, so please, set me straight..

Thanks!

Glad to help.

Alan.the more I think about ur original post the more I get the creeps. I won’t be responding to you any more. Hope you don’t get offended (or aroused) by some woman sticking her boob in ur face any time soon.
Deidre lol. ;)

my reply to you 3 ………. people ……… is at the bottom of this page.

LOL! @Páid, I inhaled some of my tea when I read your comment! @Keith, your comment is bang on the money!!

@keith: or mammary issue ;) and paid….hee hee, well said.

Well said !
Im not offended by breast feeding
But I don’t see the point of wanting to post photos of it on Facebook
But if people do post them that’s their choice

I think what they are missing is that Facebook have rules regarding photo content I don’t think Facebook are against breast feeding, and when they joined Facebook they would have seen these rules

@EMD ” I can assure you some of my best friends breast feed” and to think I thought you were boring when in fact you are hilarious! ( you are being funny I hope).As for ” vitriol” I think you are a little dramatic there or else still confused and finally my apologies for my use of obscenities such as ” chakras ” and ” chamomile tea” there was no intent to offend your sensibilites.

alison why do you keep replying to me? You remind me of a secondary school teacher I once had. Emd comment is below.

Jim do you think eating and defecation are the same thing? Because I will tel you in case you are confused, they aren’t. The clue is in the word breast FEEDING.

Have a cup of chamomile tea ! Cheers, enjoyed our spot of verbal riposte but I have to go and realign my chakras now.

@Alison, you come across as incredibly patronising, negative and ill-informed in your comments on this story. Why are you so against a woman’s choice to breastfeed her baby, take a picture (as one does of ones infant) because you think it is cute and share it with friends/family on Facebook? Also why all the negative and derogatory comments about women who chose to breastfeed?

As for the majority of others who seem to have a problem with someone feeding their child, what the fook is wrong with you? Topless on the beach is fine but producing milk for human young suddenly means exposure is disgusting? The woman on the Luas @Diego, did she wave her boob about and flash signs saying look at me I’m feeding my baby or perhaps she latched her baby on and you were aware she was feeding and saw some exposed flesh? I mean seriously people you need to grow up and get over this, worse body parts are seen regularly in public (muffin top anyone?) daily and do you feel you have the right to tell them to put it away? At least breast feeding is healthy for mum and baby while muffin top is an indicator that more healthy eating and activity is required. I cannot bear this attitude to breastfeeding in Ireland, anyway it is a legal right in Ireland for women to be allowed to breastfeed in any public place without being asked to stop http://www.breastfeeding.ie/breastfeeding_out_and_about

@EMD , how dare you? As I have stated previously I have no issue with breast feeding in public or private and I have made no comments regarding any woman’s choice to do so and I have NOT commented on anybody’s right to post photos of this if they wish to do so.I think you are the person who is ill informed or confused and in fact you come across as someone I have no wish to have no further exchanges with so pick someone else to bore!

What is with you? You have lambasted everyone who has dared to query your responses to this story.You say haven’t commented on someone’s right to post a breastfeeding picture, if not then why not? This story is not about breast vs bottle but about breastfeeding women protesting their right to post pictures of themselves feeding their children. You also have referred to people as being patronising, breastappo etc. made comments about chakras and chamomile tea in a patronising manner so why on earth shouldn’t I dare to question your reasons for such unnecessary negativity. I can assure you that I am perfectly well informed on this subject having breastfed three children and I am as entitled to my opinion on this subject as you are so if you are bored I suggest you don’t read my posts.

Truly no need for such vitriol at all to me or to other posters on here. I can assure you some of my best friends bottlefeed ;-)

Allison maybe you need a cup of chamomile tea and to realign ur chakras. ;)

I hear ya. Fair play to ya missus. Have you used that breastfeeding blanket? I would be the same with privacy.and I found it great.

@Briewee you have a sensible approach towards breastfeeding as you consider it a private act but some women take a very militant approach hence the emergence of the term ” breastappo” !

@alison,
Why does it need to be private to be sensible?
Do you think before the church came and “civilised” us it was considered shameful to breast feed? Do you think a woman should not breast feed in public? If you went out and hung around with indigenous tribes people not only would they breast feed with no shame many of them would walk around all day with their breasts hanging out – it would only be considered “offensive” in our part of the world because these supposed societal norms were inflicted upon us by a gang of religious zealots.

Please fill me in, I am having difficulty understanding your resentment for a woman’s right to feed her child as nature intended when and where the need arises.

Allison, statements like that are unhelpful and counterproductive, and its disappointing that it came from a woman. Some people just feel strongly about it and it its always going to new one of the issues that is controversial but we should be together on it rather than get at one another. Mutual respect. In saying that I would definitely advocate breastfeeding but I respect each womans choice. The problem is the stigma attached to breastfeeding in public.

@Shanti, wow you got all that out of my comment,I am glad you used the word “zealot” because that’s exactly I was thinking about your input on this topic.If you can bring the church into this that is entirely your own issue, I think you need to relax and chill out a little, I am exhausted from reading your rant , imagine what all that negativity is doing to you!

What negativity Alison? I am merely putting forth a logical argument..

You are the one using terms like “breastappo” and inferring that somehow to breast feed in public is not “sensible”.
I merely broke your “sensibilities” down to their origins. There should be no shame in breast feeding, no need for it to be hidden away, these ideals come from the church, if you take issue with me bringing facts into the debate then I am afraid that is your issue and not mine.

@Niamh, so disappointed that you’re disappointed! I have no problem with anybody who breast feeds in public or private but I do think people are coming across as very militant and sanctimonious with their comments re the whole topic and also more than a tad patronising.However, all that aside have a nice evening!

Funnily enough Alison, I’d have thought that last comment there about the disappointment was rather patronising, but as its in text, and devoid of tone, Ill refrain from impressing my assumptions on you :)

@Shanti, there’s no fear of you ” impressing” me at all but it would be great to see you use an apostrophe every now and then !

Ah now, is there really any need for you to go making a hypocrite of yourself by trying to pick holes in my grammar (and ignoring that it may be as a result of autocorrect)?

And who said anything about trying to impress you? I said I would not impress on you, which means something else altogether..

Louise you are very lucky that expressing works for you, not everyone is so lucky and secondly why on earth would you express if you have visitors coming?? Its ur house. But mostly why would you feel embarrassed…you are only feeding ur child?

Louise I hate to sound negative but I think it is madness to go to all that effort when you can just feed the baby using your breast. No bottles/pump to clean and sterilise, I hated pumping myself because it took ages, required a lot of fuss and seemed pointless if I was with the baby anyway. I would expect people to just deal with it if I was feeding, how do they deal with bottlefeeding then? It can’t be ok to feed your baby in public with a bottle but not with a breast.Just my opinion of course and each to their own but I certainly don’t think discussing the need for promotion of breastfeeding is tiresome and while the Facebook photo thing is not that important to me in the greater scheme of things it does irk me that bare breast for feeding is equated to inappropriate nudity shots. Big difference between the two!

Very well said Louise.

How many abnormal breastffeding mams have you met joanne? why do some women who bottle feed get so defensive about breastfeeding, don’t want to cast aspersions on you joanne but I think.that a lot of it is resentment and guilt. As I said I dont think this is a breast versus bottle debate, I respect choice but I support brestfeeding. There is too much stigma associated with using ur boobs to feed ur child. But breastfeeding in public use protected by law so a woman is entitled to feed her child without harassment from the public, without being asked to stop, leave or move. It is exactly because of the attitude that oooh that woman is using her boob to feed her child that women are made to feel there is something wrong with it’s do you think there a cow iis ramming it diwn ur thriat when she feeds her calf in front of you? this prudish attitude is engrained in ireland. Get informed.

http://www.thebreastway.com/index.php/how-to-do-it/breastfeeding-in-public

Respect for who??? Its not for your child anyways. You are infringing on my right to breastfeed in public by making it seem like I dont have respect for others by merely partaking in the act of feeding my child. Grow up.

Had you been aware that synthetic vitamin isolates and sodium bound minerals were not as nutritious for your baby, would you have chose the formula?

Regardless of the breast v bottle debate, this is something most people don’t know..
There’s the form of vitamin you find in food (food form) and there’s the chemical copy that was tweaked just enough for the drug company to secure a patent. They might call it a vitamin, but in reality it’s a man made chemical pretending to be a vitamin..
Your body isn’t that stupid.. It cannot utilise it effectively.

For example – vitamin E.
D-alpha tocopherol is what you get from olive oil, nuts, seeds etc. It keeps blood viscous, protects the hormones, helps the immune system, muscle elasticity, skin etc.
DL-alpha tocopherol is man made, it is not absorbed as well, and has been linked to health problems including prostate cancer, this is what’s in baby formulas.

So, had you had that information available to you, would you have made the same choice?