Breastfeeding on Weeds- good or bad?

[GreenGranolaMama]

DH and I don't have cable or anything like that but we did indulge and rent Weeds season 5. I was a little shocked to see in episode 9 (aptly entitled Suck and Spit) to see Nancy ask Andy to relieve her engorged breasts for her in a bathroom at a restaurant.

Ok so the show is a little risque anyways, so maybe I wasn't that shocked but.... what do you think- Weeds = good lactivism (in a later episode she defends breastfeeding against others who want her to formula feed) or bad lactivism?

[karika]

I am not familiar with the episode. I do not understand exactly what happened in your story. I firmly believe it should be made public and a campaign formed to tell women it is ok to smoke cannabis and breastfeed. It is safer than drinking alcohol and breastfeeding. It is safer than smoking cigarettes and breastfeeding. It is way safer than using the legal drug caffeine and breastfeeding. I believe it is much safer than giving formula to a human. There are a few studies available now that show us that there is no effect on a baby if the mother is a habitual cannabis smoker. I looked for an hour. I can't find them now. I have a different computer. One appeared through Mothering Magazine and cited a study in Canada done on over 12000 women with babies. There was no difference between the babies of the mothers that smoked cannabis and those that didn't. The only thing I recommend for cannabis smokers is to quit as soon as they know, for the first trimester of pregnancy. If necessary, use it for nausea. Then I recommend quitting one month prior to due date if delivering in a hospital, if you mind coming up positive on a screen, because screens are routinely done in many places (but if you don't care about a positive result, it can really help with the pains of third trimester and help with delivery too I have read). Also, do not use cannabis in the first month while breastfeeding. This gives you a chance to get used to having a baby around, and the only negative thing I read in the past was delayed speech in babies if cannabis was used while breastfeeding in the first month. But, as I said, formula is way worse IMO. I think the most dangerous drugs to ingest while breastfeeding (or pregnant) are caffeine, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals (including the kind used in 'food'). So if there is a tv show promoting breastfeeding by a cannabis smoking mother- I think that is great! I believe many women think it will harm their baby and decide not to breastfeed, when as an alternative, formula is much more detrimental (IMO).

[SallyN]

We're not up to season 5 yet but...

I'd chalk it up to how the show pushes comfort limits. I mean really, a lot of stuff/behavior they show is pretty... um... well, y'know.

Other than that scene, I think what the show does is what we'd all love... presents breastfeeding as the normal way to feed a baby.

[HappyMommy2]

I agree that I like to see it on any show in any context. It just needs to be viewed as the normal way to feed a baby, and I think putting it in all different kinds of shows reaches a lot of different kinds of people.

[GreenGranolaMama]

Originally Posted by HappyMommy2

I agree that I like to see it on any show in any context. It just needs to be viewed as the normal way to feed a baby, and I think putting it in all different kinds of shows reaches a lot of different kinds of people.

This is where I'm at. I've been almost 6 years TV free so I am happily completely out of the 'mainstream' TV loop (but I am guessing breastfeeding probably isn't any more the 'norm' on TV than it was 6 years ago...) DH worked at a video store when we were in college and got me hooked on Weeds

We don't do too many movies, but watched Ponyo and noticed some breastfeeding love in that movie as well

[Drummer's Wife]

Yes, I think the show weeds is good for lactivism. There are quite a few mentions of breastfeeding, including her defending it - and of course the engorgment scene (cracked me up so much!). While the show is extreme and shockng in many ways, they could have bottlefed the baby from the start and not referenced breastfeeding at all - like many other TV series/movies.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

Yes, I think the show weeds is good for lactivism. There are quite a few mentions of breastfeeding, including her defending it - and of course the engorgment scene (cracked me up so much!). While the show is extreme and shockng in many ways, they could have bottlefed the baby from the start and not referenced breastfeeding at all - like many other TV series/movies.

This. I related to the bathroom moment SO MUCH because it was only a few months ago DS had a day long nursing strike and I was without my pump.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by AFWife

This. I related to the bathroom moment SO MUCH because it was only a few months ago DS had a day long nursing strike and I was without my pump.

I could relate, too! Plenty of times I had been out at a bar or venue for my DH's gigs - and knew it was time to go when I started feeling engorged. I recall trying to manually express just a bit in the sink of a dirty bathroom to get a little relief. That scene had me saying to DH, "hey, why didn't I think of that!"

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

I could relate, too! Plenty of times I had been out at a bar or venue for my DH's gigs - and knew it was time to go when I started feeling engorged. I recall trying to manually express just a bit in the sink of a dirty bathroom to get a little relief. That scene had me saying to DH, "hey, why didn't I think of that!"

I'll admit to doing it before...like, DS is sleeping and I'm in pain and begging DH to help me kind of situation. So yeah, quite realistic

[rhiOrion]

this is too funny- dh and i watched this episode today! we're watching season five on netflix. i did think it was funny that she was pumping and making andy go feed the babt, instead of feeding the baby herself.

also interesting since my baby is 10 days old and i felt for her on the engorgement thing

[zensven42]

I do remember one episode where the father of the babe told her to just use formula because only poor people nurse their babes, and the maid/nanny was always trying to feed the babe formula but it pissed Nancy off (and me). Nancy kept defending herself saying she would breastfeed no matter what and stop giving the baby formula. Later in the show the father stated he did some research and he supported her nursing the babe because it is better. I wanted to applaud him!

I remember in the earlier seasons how her friend who was the daughter of her dealer breastfed her child. I liked how they treated breastfeeding as the norm.

I love Weeds!

Oh, here is a link that one of the posters was looking for: http://www.mothering.com/pregnancy-b...ical-marijuana

[kriket]

Originally Posted by SallyN

We're not up to season 5 yet but...

Yeah, thanks for the spoiler
You should post a spoiler alert in the title

[~Boudicca~]

That episode was hysterical! "What will it taste like?" "Rum and milk just do it!"

I don't know if that was the actual dialogue but it is pretty close

Yeah, I think it is good for lactivism. The more mainstream it becomes in the media, even if it is wacky and awkward (which sometimes it can be), the more normal people will think it is.

BTW, I Andy. He is my T.V. crush