More progressive to bottle-feed?? - Page 4

[hypatia]

Yes. According to Wikipedia, "Marxist feminism is a sub-type of feminist theory which focuses on the dismantling of capitalism as a way to liberate women. Marxist feminism states that capitalism, which gives rise to economic inequality, dependence, political confusion and ultimately unhealthy social relations between men and women, is the root of women's oppression."

I think we've seen lots of fodder in this thread to support the idea that capitalism gets in the way of breastfeeding. First, in the formula companies' manipulation and exploitation of women in order to earn more profits, and second in unhealthy structures of workplaces.

[loraxc]

I'm a feminist and I know a lot of feminists, many of them pretty radical. I have never known any who think bottlefeeding is more feminist than BFing. Working outside the home, yes; bottle-feeding, no.

[thismama]

Yay Marxist Feminism!!! *rah rah rah*

[spughy]

Hey cool, I think I'm a Marxist feminist. Who knew?

I kinda didn't think I was a marxist though. Oh well. I think I'm having a political identity crisis.

[cjuniverse]

I'm a radical feminist. Way radical. You might even say I'm a hetero-lesbian-separatist sympathizer.

Breastfeeding my son, in defiance of this unnatural and un-valuing of women's natural bodies and natural bodies' abilities (apart from the sexual connotations assigned them by the dominant, patriarchal, classist, heterosexist, white male gaze), has been and continues to be one of the most radical, feminist things I've ever done.

Usurp the patriarchy! BREASTFEED!

[emma_goldman]

Originally Posted by spughy

Hey cool, I think I'm a Marxist feminist. Who knew?

I kinda didn't think I was a marxist though. Oh well. I think I'm having a political identity crisis.

Marxism has a lot of baggage that it doesn't really deserve since it was co-opted by Stalin and Lenin.

So, no need to worry about being a Marxist feminist. Marxism simply describes a way of seeing the world.

Love the power I'm feeling on this thread. Shout outs to all our breastfeeder mama mighties!

[siobhang]

what I always throw back at the anti-bfing feminists (I have come across a few online - usually childless women) is "what about the medical costs to women of not breastfeeding?"

Breastfeeding is not only the biological norm for children, it is also the biological norm for women. Higher breast cancer rates are testiment to this fact.

[gcgirl]

This is my main beef with feminism. I am a feminist, and I understand why feminism is needed, but where we went wrong is in making baby-raising and home-making a dubious accomplishment and only celebrating women who pursue typically "male" tasks, i.e. working outside the home. What we need to concentrate on now is earning respect for family work.

Bottlefeeding is no longer progressive.

[Beckula]

I always thought i was a feminist but when i decided that all's i wanted to do was to have babies and knit, I felt like I was a turn-coat though I really couldn't imagine anything more important than raising my kids in the best most wholesome way possible (i.e. breastfeeding). Now I have found out that I am in fact a Marxist Feminist and I feel so grateful that I now have a label to describe my point of view. Thanks MDC lactivist board, I feel like I've come home.

My issue is that if you don't use your breasts for feeding babies which is why Women have them, than instead you are only giving them their sexual function whether you are trying to or not and that is decidedly not feminist. I think the ability to create babies and feed them is our primal feminism and its the Male fear of our inherent magical power of reproduction that caused our repression in the first place, and the only reason they kept it is because they brainwashed our fellow females into thinking we were some weak incapable things. By refusing our reproductive rights they take our power as Women away, not give us freedom like we think.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I don't have much to add except that I love this thread.

Giving birth and breastfeeding feel like the most feminist things I have done in my life. I have never felt so empowered.

Yay, women!

[Momtwice]

Originally Posted by siobhang

what I always throw back at the anti-bfing feminists (I have come across a few online - usually childless women) is "what about the medical costs to women of not breastfeeding?"

Breastfeeding is not only the biological norm for children, it is also the biological norm for women. Higher breast cancer rates are testiment to this fact.

Cervical, uterine, and endometrial too. More anemia after birth.

[AllieFaye]

Judith Warner is an example of a feminist who written against breastfeeding expectations. Here's a link to a critique of her work, with an embedded link to her article (which requires a subscription.) http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/...ing/index.html

Most of the feminists that I come into contact with outside of this forum are equality feminists. I think they are more common than just childless women.

For marxism and feminism (and Mary Wollestonecraft specifically addressing breastfeeding): http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/index.htm

[Momtwice]

Found a link of health reasons for women themselves to breastfeed (not just health related reasons for the child, health related reasons for the MOM)

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextende...ts.html#mother

[siobhang]

I recommend that everyone read "Mother Nature" - a sociobiological book about motherhood. It is fascinating - about how women have evolved a variety of strategies to improve the viability of themselves and their offspring - but that women are not passive martyers nor solely nurturing.

The book gave me great insight on how women, as women (i.e. biologically different than men) can be powerful and independent and agents of their own destinies.

The irony about equality feminism is that they are still taking male culture, nature, and perspective as the norm to which women need to somehow fit - no wonder we fall short much of the time. How is this feminism?