Resurrecting an old thread- candidates and breastfeeding? - Page 2

[Swan3]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

OK, mamas, either we discuss the OP's topic or this gets booted to Politics. Thanks!

I couldn't find the politics link, is there one here on MDC?

[annettemarie]

Politics is a sub-forum of News and Current Events, which is a restricted forum. You need to be a member for 60 days and have at least 50 posts to see it.

[Swan3]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Politics is a sub-forum of News and Current Events, which is a restricted forum. You need to be a member for 60 days and have at least 50 posts to see it.

Thanks, guess I'll have to wait then.

[Mama Poot]

Originally Posted by christyc

I think judging her for returning to work is a bit of the AP discrimination against working mothers coming through...

Can we dump the discrimination around here please? Seriously, this is the 21st century. Women have fought long and hard for a lot of rights and dumping on Palin for exercising those rights is just unbelievably outdated and uncalled for. Isn't that what all the feminists wanted was "freedom of choice"? I don't limit that freedom to the "A" word. That should include ALL freedoms that ALL women should be able to access and enjoy.


Rant over.....

I think its wonderful that Sarah Palin is breastfeeding AND running for VP. Lots of us breastfeed and do other things. (maybe not quite as important as being the veep candidate! but still...)

Oh and I heard something very interesting yesterday on Rush. A woman called in and said "I hope Sarah Palin gets caught breastfeeding in public". Rush laughed, I guess he isn't up to speed on the public harrassment of nursing moms, but this woman filled him in. What this woman really meant was she hoped a photog gets a picture of her nursing her baby because she thinks that would make a beautiful and strong statement to women and girls in this country.

[mommaknowsbest]

Keeping to the Op's topic,and thinking about the article that Annettemarie brought to light, I am curious if anyone knows whether Michelle Obama breastfed her girls?

[AmyC]

Originally Posted by georgiegirl1974

I haven't heard one way or the other. BUT she did go back to work 3 days after the baby was born, so I don't see how she could successfully BF a baby (and a baby with downs syndrome much less) going back to work so early. And even if she somehow managed it, it would be exceedingly difficult to do it while campaigning as potential VP.

I know I'm being a bit judgmental here, but who goes back to work 3 days after their baby was born? I feel like she isn't being a very good mother. But I don't know anything about her circumstances, so I could be wrong.

I know this is off-topic but I just started reading through this thread. I do think you're wrong, at least in the conclusions you drew, because according to statements (available online) she returned to work with no maternity leave but she brought Trig with her, and she breastfed him.

I agree with others who've said there's lots of assumptions that she's "breastfeeding her baby" (and since he's only 4 months old, it's likely that she still is doing so and I hope she is), but there seems only to be evidence that after he was born, she was breastfeeding him. I have not seen evidence to support that she currently is breastfeeding, though people are making that assumption left and right.

Cool that she could be the second lactating VP candidate (I think Winona LaDuke was the first), I guess. But it's possible she is planning to wean at some point (i.e., wouldn't plan to step into her potential VP role as a lactating mom.) Or maybe she's no longer breastfeeding even now. It's not certain, and from what I've read, the claims that "she is breastfeeding" are making assumptions based on the original statement after her baby's birth. Which was:

Trig joins siblings Track, 18, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7. Sarah said she does not plan to take a maternity leave, but is breastfeeding, will bring her son to work with her, and plans to take some days off for his pediatrician appointments.

At first I assumed that meant she was taking that baby to work with her and that's been the status quo ever since, and I was wondering how that might reflect her expectations of how the VP thing might work....but it seems more likely to me that it was something she arranged in lieu of maternity leave (to have the baby there in the state house, probably with another caregiver---her husband, a nanny?---onhand....I'm assuming she had an arrangement like that, at least, rather than being sole caregiver AND trying to govern) and it wasn't a "taking the baby to work" policy thing that was to go on indefinitely. (Which, also, is what some bloggers seem to be assuming.)

Anyway, I know people had responded to some of the points (such as how could she breastfeed if she took no postpartum time) but I just wanted to add some details.

[AmyC]

I didn't see Annettemarie's post until after I responded previously.

Originally Posted by meganmarie

Joe Biden has spoken about his experiences as a single father and how that made him understand better how much need there is for parents to get better support - higher quality childcare, longer paid leaves etc. The fact that he commuted 4 hrs/day to and from Delaware in order to be home with his little boys every night (as opposed to most in congress who only see their kids on the weekends) seems like the sign of a devoted parent who would be open to supporting other parents. That's not directly breastfeeding related, obviously, but hopefully in the right direction.

I don't know really if any of the candidates have participated in legislative activities that in any way touched on lactivist issues during their past experiences. Would be very interested to know.

I thought this info really was interesting.

I guess in part his particular state affiliation made the commute possible or do-able for him, nightly. (Not that it's easy or anything to dismiss....obviously, he was committed.) But I guess a lot of members of Congress don't exactly have the option of being home nightly (unless an airplane is involved?) in that same way.

But yeah, it sounds like Biden has been open about issues that could relate or dovetail with breastfeeding.

[moderngal]

In People, she mentions pumping.
http://www.people.com/people/article...222685,00.html
She also mentions that she has a lot of support to help with the baby.

[Mama Poot]

Originally Posted by moderngal

In People, she mentions pumping.
http://www.people.com/people/article...222685,00.html
She also mentions that she has a lot of support to help with the baby.

Awesome!!! That is something I hate doing, never have worked full time and had to pump a lot. I really admire moms who do this!

And about going back to work 3 days after having a baby, I felt fantastic 3 days pp after my homebirths. I went out and weeded the garden in the hot sun for 2 hours 3 days after I had Fleur! So I guess that doesn't shock me that she felt able to do that.

[meowee]

Politics aside I am just blown away by her crunchiness (given that she is a politician)... she babywears also, I love this picture:

http://gov.state.ak.us/photos/sb265_...illsigning.jpg

[annettemarie]

Last chance to stick to Lactivism before it's closed.

[annettemarie]

I've removed the last post and this one is now closed as well.