Category Archives: Breastfeeding & Lactivism

What Would the Virgin Mary Do?

I’m currently trying to revise and expand Lady Madonna for publication as part of an essay collection, and I just had this thought. Noting the similarities between me and a classical image of Madonna and Child is harmless enough. Concluding … Continue reading

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Boobs Kick Breasts Off Plane; Nation Saved

The boobs at Delta, that is.1 See that photo, to the right? That’s Emily Gillette breastfeeding her child (as you can see, she’s virtually dancing topless!). And that sight is apparently sooo offensive that it can’t be allowed on planes. … Continue reading

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Breastfeeding And The Class System

From a New York Times article about breastfeeding, class and jobs: Doctors firmly believe that breast milk is something of a magic elixir for babies, sharply reducing the rate of infection, and quite possibly reducing the risk of allergies, obesity, … Continue reading

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Breast Feeding Cover Causes Controversy

It seems that about 1/4 of the readers of this magazine were offended by this cover. I can’t even feign any sort of objectivity on this subject. I usually try to be the semi-neutral academic blogger, but I can’t figure … Continue reading

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Screw You Fred Meyers: The Story of the Reluctant Lactivist

Many discussions on Alas have boiled down to the idea that much would be solved if people would just begin to trust women. Trust in their intentions, trust in their motivations and trust in their decisions. The simple phrase ‘trust … Continue reading

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Lady Madonna, baby at your breast…

This is an edited version of an essay that first appeared on The Iron-On Line Although my baby’s still a few months away from eating anything other than amniotic fluid, my midwife has already asked whether I’ve decided how I’m … Continue reading

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Why YOU Should Unconditionally Support Breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding and the need for strong societal support is a topic that was discussed at length in a prior post of mine, dealing with comments made by media maven Barbara Walters on her women’s talk show, The View. In the … Continue reading

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Breastfeeding Activists Target Barbara Walters and "˜The View'

A new group of activists have joined the fray of fighting for women’s rights; their goal to nurse without shame or scorn where and when they choose or need. Cleverly touting themselves as ‘lactivists’, they’ve put Barbara Walters under fire … Continue reading

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The Mother Drive-By

Getupgrrl at Chez Miscarriage has been doing an amazing series of posts on what she terms “mother drive-bys.” It began with this post, a totally excellent, kick-ass feminist critique of Judith Warner’s are-we-mothering-too-much book Perfect Madness. That post generated a … Continue reading

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Breast-feeding at a business meeting

Someone emailed me asking about this situation. A friend of hers – who works, I believe, in academia – has a colleague on maternity leave, “but insisted on attending the interviews of job candidates for a position in their department.” … Continue reading

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