ENRAGED at Babytalk!

[mrsdocmartin]

Why do I read this stupid magazine!! The last page of this month's issue is the "Laugh it off" section. It is all about how moms deserve gifts for occasions other than Mother's Day. The first one is: You produce your tenth quart of breastmilk. It says the gift should be a suede jacket because "hey if you are goinna be milked like a dairy cow, you might as well get the snazzy coat". WTF? Cows are apparantly the only mammal to produce milk. I just love being compared to a cow. Way to make a new mom feel attractive. I am so offended by that statement, "laugh it off" section or not. I am off to write a letter that will never be acknowleged or printed.

[TattooedMommy]

Interesting.

[llamalluv]

What an odd thing to compare a mammal to....

Also? WTH likes suede since the 90's?

[rmzbm]

"milked like a dairy cow" hu? Yeah, rubs me the wrong way. I don't even really see the "humor." Sounds like it was penned by someone anti-BF.

[mrsdocmartin]

Originally Posted by rmzbm

"milked like a dairy cow" hu? Yeah, rubs me the wrong way. I don't even really see the "humor." Sounds like it was penned by someone anti-BF.

That's what I thought too. Like "Oh I'm glad I didn't do that. How gross to be milked like a cow".

[Inspired007]

Isn't it sad that it never became "milked like a human" when they show dairy cows.

[MamaVolpe]

So do Cows get suede coats once they milk their 10qt? That just sound crazy

[owensmybaby]

yuck! I am so sick of people saying things like that to me. Good Luck with your letter!

[spughy]

: I think that's actually kind of funny. I always said "moo" every time I hooked myself up to my double breastpump. But I also think that we as a culture are a little disrespectful to cows, too. They are lovely creatures, and after struggling with low supply in the beginning, I was quite envious of their bountiful udders. Of course, wearing a suede jacket would maybe not be an entirely appropriate way to celebrate one's affinity with the cows...

[laohaire]

I agree it's offensive. I'm always trying to look under the surface of things, though, so here goes. I think the statement is not about breastfeeding per se but about pumping. And pumping with machinery is as unnatural as humans (or, rather, their machines) milking a cow (whicih we also do with machines, almost always). In other words, "milking" or "being milked" is distinct from "nursing" which all mammals do (or should!).

So I guess it's not disparaging BFing as much as pumping. But the bottom line is, the line was stupid and not helpful at all.

[acannon]

I can kind of see how it could be funny once or twice when it's said between two people who are close and understand each other. DP and I will sometimes joke about it like that, but I know that he is glad that I breastfeed Jamie. He has expressed those feelings to me and he says that more than he jokes about how I'm being milked like a cow. I wouldn't want to read about it in a magazine and I certainly wouldn't tell that to a pregnant or already breastfeeding woman. She can think of breastfeeding however she likes. I don't want to put any ideas in her head, and I certainly wouldn't want to compare her to a cow. People don't like to be compared to animals and definitely not bigger animals like cows.

[KBinSATX]

I don't think Babytalk is a real magazine. They are just using fillers to fill the space between the ads. It's more a baby-related ad collection. That's why everybody and their dog receive this magazine for free (Who'd subscribe to it anyway?!?).

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by spughy

But I also think that we as a culture are a little disrespectful to cows, too. They are lovely creatures, and after struggling with low supply in the beginning, I was quite envious of their bountiful udders.

I think we're more than a little disrespectful; the torture we subject them to is inhumane (but entirely human, it seems...). Don't be envious of their bountiful udders. They have been subjected to hormones and procedures to force them to produce "freakish" amounts of milk. Cows are like us - they normally produce just the right amount of milk to feed their CALFS, and I'm sure a few have low supply. The difference is, we feed our babies, not some other species' babies and adults, and if we have low supply, we don't get slaughtered.

[VijayOwens]

How do you know when you've produced your tenth quart?

I guess I should be happy they even mentioned bf?

-Vijay

[franklinmarxmom]

My first week back at work after maternity leave, I was in a gathering of female colleagues (a rare treat, since I work in a male dominated profession) and someone asked about whether I was BFing. I proudly said yes, and then the subject of pumping came up. An older woman (over 70) said, "Oh, so you're a good cow, then? I could never keep up enough milk...blah, blah, blah"

I felt so shamed and embarassed and humiliated. With postpartum hormones still crazy, I actually cried later on over it. It took BF from a beautiful, intimate thing to something gross and filthy that belonged in a barnyard. I'm still pissed.

Shame on Babytalk. They'll be getting a letter from me too. Thanks for the alert.

[turtlewomyn]

Originally Posted by MamaVolpe

So do Cows get suede coats once they milk their 10qt? That just sound crazy

Ewww.... pretty canniballistic.

Originally Posted by KBinSATX

I don't think Babytalk is a real magazine. They are just using fillers to fill the space between the ads. It's more a baby-related ad collection. That's why everybody and their dog receive this magazine for free (Who'd subscribe to it anyway?!?).

: I actually did subscribe to it during my pregnancy. I was a first time mom excited about everything (I even signed up for formula samples, yikes!) Won't do that next time, but I did just pick up a free issue when I was out hunting magazines for my Treasure Map.

I used to milk dairy cows in High School. I spent two summers doing it and actually went vegan for a bit after the first farm I worked at. I cannot compare breastfeeding to dairy farms or milking cows. A good comparison would be if we took a woman's child away from her after it was born, and then forced her to use a breast pump multiple times a day (with cows it is only twice though, I don't know why they seem to have a fine supply with just two milkings. Perhaps years of breeding that way???) and then take her milk and feed it to another species.

That being said, I have joked about being a cow (esp. when pumping at work).

[mrsdocmartin]

Originally Posted by franklinmarxmom

I felt so shamed and embarassed and humiliated. With postpartum hormones still crazy, I actually cried later on over it. It took BF from a beautiful, intimate thing to something gross and filthy that belonged in a barnyard.

I wish I'd thought to put it this way, because this is how it makes me feel too. I'm glad you are writing a letter, and I hope you word it that way!! At least we all know it is a beautiful, special thing.

[acannon]

I'm sorry that happened to you. That's exactly how it shouldn't be said. I'm glad it didn't deter you, though.

[DreamsInDigital]

I loathe breastfeeding and human milk being compared to cows. They aren't the only other species that produces milk for its young!

[mytwogirls]

MOOOOOOOO! I guess I am a cow then. Screw that magazine, they suck! (Sorry, I am kinda crabby today in case you have not noticed...maybe because I did not receive my new suede coat yet!)