The news has been dismal lately. Every single day I see a new attack on breastfeeding. I haven’t addressed any so far because there have been plenty of other bloggers out there doing it for me. Today was my breaking point.
Attacking breastfeeding suddenly became the thing to do. Perhaps the attention that Kim Kardashian received for her tweet regarding nursing in public as “gross” made another “celebrity” think this was her chance to grab the spotlight for a moment.
But because this “celebrity” is Adrianne Curry (I use celebrity in quotes for a reason) she has to go further than the word gross. In fact, if you go through her tweets she compares breastfeeding to “pooping, peeing’ masturbating, and cunnilingus” She goes on to say “But to each their own” This qualifier doesn’t make what was said acceptable. That is like saying “I don’t like *insert ethnicity here*, but to each their own.”
She admitted she would get blasted for it on Twitter. And she got some comments, though due to her caliber of followers, most cheered her on and added their own graphic metaphors for what breastfeeding in public is like.
Adrianne also admits that she was not breastfed and was told by some doctor she can’t breastfeed because she has implants. Second opinion? Because most mothers with implants have gone on to successfully nurse their babies, including Kendra Wilkinson.
Obviously society failed Adrianne, who has had zero exposure to breastfeeding in her life. And her persona is based upon her appearance. Her life is wrapped up in looking good and having nice tits. If her audience saw her nursing her baby they might not associate those breasts with sexy so much as they see them for their intended purpose.
A part of me understands how some women like Adrianne, and the author of the hotly debated article “I Formula Fed. So What?'” have come to the conclusion that breastfeeding is “creepy.” I myself, as a teen’ swore I would never breastfeed because these knockers were for entertainment purposes only. Becoming an adult changed my mind. I realized that is what they are there for. I grew up. I didn’t need an ad campaign to show me breastfeeding is normal. But some people do and I am grateful for groups like Best for Babes because they will change things for the better.
I am still at a loss how a mother like Kathryn Blundell can still deny the maternal instinct to breastfeed. Even those who choose to formula for work/ supply/ etc issues usually try, and will admit breastfeeding is the thing they should do if they could. Adrianne, on the other hand, has not yet experienced motherhood or the way it can change you. While there is no excuse for blasting breastfeeding, especially in such a vile and public way, we can only hope she will change her mind one day and that her opinion doesn’t rub off on the impressionable youth.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you always wanted to breastfeed? Did you ever think it was “gross?” What changed your mind?
