Oh Myriam - I can feel your frustration and disappointment. Putting on your LLL hat you could feel empathy for this author - something bad has happened in her past and she is a very angry woman, lashing out at the most basic, least harmful action a human being could ever take - breastfeeding their infant.

She has major personal problems and I hope she will receive counselling so she can make peace with herself.

It is extremely sad that she has taken the path she has to fight her demons. She will hurt many mothers and babies by her actions. However, have faith in human nature. I believe that when mothers are supported and helped with barriers they encounter that their natural instincts are to breastfeed, and they will do it regardless. It's only the ones who choose not to breastfeed who will use tools such as this person has given them to justify their position.

You really do have the moral high ground. Stand on it.

Denise

Hihi, yes, I think so too, that this author has some kind of trauma. It's just a pity that she writes a book of that caliber every 5 years or so. I fear that writing is her way of dealing with her issues....

But hey, you are right about the human nature. And that is what I do for LLL: give mothers that ask for it the support they need to follow their heart.

What I was wondering, I understoof that right, about what Prof. Hartmann & Dr. Seller said, did I?
After a while I start doubting myself. But that's what I worte down in my GOLD09 notes....

See you soon on GOLD

Myriam

I love these discussions. There is a wonderful one going on on Lactnet at the moment, a predominantly UK group, about the prevention paradox and choices that are notchoices. All contributors are breastfeeding supporters with many years experience under their belt.
However their attitudes often vary, and the ydisagree a lot - in a civilised fashion.
Now my take on this lady, for what it's worth, is that feminism has missed a trick. The 60s (I think) brought us "Of Woman Born" by Adrienne Rich. The theme of that was reclaiming labour and birth from a patriarchal society. A womn-centred birth was more, well, woman-centred.

However the discourses stopped at birth. Feminism (it seems from my limited reading - please correct me) had nothing to say about being a mother. while pregnancy and birth were reclaimed, motherhod wasn't, as the focus of feminism was on gaining equailty with men in the workplace. Perhaps motherhood was seen to get in the way of that.

Indeed it's only a couple of years ago that my wonderful fellow countrywoman, Mary Robinson, lamented that the modern high-powered woman (I'm thiking she meant the Silicon Valley mothers) were choosing to stay at home with their children. to her, it seemed that these modern wome nwere throwing away the gains that her generation, and she in particular had worked so hard to make.

We now need a new feminism to reclaim motherhood and celebrate it, not with religious pieties and lip service, but with a more concrete social recogniton of its importance.

Any takers?

Eithne Murray,
Carlow, Ireland

I'm on you with that, Eithne!

Badinter is a 68er feminist. But it seems that she hasn't adapted her views to the times of today.
Breastfeeding, co-sleeping, natural childbirth etc are things she sees as regressive, as a dangerous new trend that wants to lock women up in their kitchen with an infant at the nipple.
Yes, her feminism has missed a trick, as you put it so well
Fortunately, there are many categories of feminism and some of them are very much pro natural parenting with all that that involves.

So there is hope, and the good thing is that whatever you choose, you will find people who will support you.
Live and let live, that's my motto.

I haven't found my way on lactnet yet. But I think I should make work of that...

Cheers,
Myriam Toubeau
Antwerp, Belgium