BlogHer - breastfeeding - Comments

What are the next steps?

juliryan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:48:33 -0500

I agree with you, Jill, that the problem is what to do now, after the Ohio Supreme Court's decision. It is definitely a case of gender discrimination. If a legal defense fund were created, I wonder if the breastfeeding mother LaNisa Allen would appeal? For example, it has come out that employees at Totes/Isotoner took unauthorised smoke breaks and bathroom breaks (and those employees were not fired). And I'm confused and saddened about by the response from Totes (eg, there were "other issues" that led to Allen's termination). It sounds like Allen did approach her boss before taking her "unauthorised breaks". Totes/Isotoner insisted that she take her break at 11, instead of at 10 (when she needed it). Protections clearly need to put in place in all states for our breastfeeding mothers. More protections are also needed for temporary employees like Allen (eg, paid maternal leave for temporary workers).

Agreed

Jill Miller Zimon — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:35:30 -0500

The only part of the idea of boycotting that is slightly tough is that it is really the Ohio Supremes per curiam opinion, in addition to the stance totes' attorneys took, that sealed this ridiculous outcome. We do vote them in and out, but they are TOUGH to unseat.

Jill Writes Like She Talks

I like that! 911

Morra Aarons Mele — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:18:02 -0500

I also want to think of a great bumper sticker- anyone seen any? Hang up and drive is ok- but the cell phone is an old design....

Morra Aarons-Mele
www.womenandwork.org

Pretend to Call 911

cluelesscrafter — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:41:26 -0500

I too have seen so many near accidents from texting. It's nearly impossible to do while sitting still, so why do people think they can do it when operating heavy machinery at highway speeds? I have actually held my phone up to these drivers and suggested that I was calling them in for reckless, erratic driving!

http://www.thecluelesscrafter.com/

Wow. Sounds like a good reason to boycott Isotoner to me....

LawyerMama — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:05:37 -0500

Reading the blurb from the court's decision, "Breastfeeding discrimination does not constitute gender discrimination," my husband said "Only a man would write that."

Enuf said.

Lawyer Mama

http://lawyermama.com

http://momocrats.typepad.com

http://dcmetromoms.com

Don't see the need, boob juice is pretty easy to pretend

confusedhomemaker — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:30:20 -0500

I would not buy it because it isn't necessary for my kids. I am a breastfeeding mother, I don't hide it, they know where "momma's milk" (or boob juice as Hubby & I like to call it) comes from (well most of them do, Mamacita whose 3 still thinks her stomach can produce it but she's got time to figure it out). I guess I don't see a need because if my kids want to pretend to breastfeed they can with the dolls that they already have & I have caught my sons all try it (only to realize they don't have the right equipment, LOL).

At the same time the critics seem to have a bug up their butts about this for no good reason. If people want to buy it then let them, nothing wrong with the doll.

beth aka confusedhomemaker

http://theconfusedhomemaker.com/

No point.

JulieF — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:58:04 -0500

My girls 'nursed' their dolls because they saw me feed their brother(s). No big deal, but I don't see a point to a doll just for that.

Unnecessary

Jennifer J — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:43:30 -0500

My oldest was 18 months when her baby sister was born. I had no trouble sitting on my couch to breastfeed the new baby. Big sister, who was at the age where she was starting to imitate, grabbed her favorite Cabbage Patch, sat down next to me with a pillow on her lap, and held the doll to her chest. (She chose to keep her shirt down.) I did nothing to encorage or discourage her behavior.

My line of thinking was this: She knows that some babies (including herself) drink from a bottle. Now she knows that some drink from the breast. This way, if we were ever in a situation when a mom was breastfeeding, there wouldn't be any questions to answer. She would know what was going on, and I wouldn't be embarrassed trying to quietly explain (to a noisy toddler/parrot) what the mommy was doing.

Would I buy this for my child? No. Do I see anything wrong with it? No. I just don't see the point in spending MORE money on a doll that doesn't do anything more than a regular old doll does.

Oh yes, the accessories!

Amy Gates — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:22:48 -0500

Perhaps there will be nursing tops for the kiddos too. ;)

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

Next Up....

khall — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:12:14 -0500

By the Holidays we'll all be out scanning the shelves for a toy breast pump and bottle sterilization kit!

Not for me, but cool anyways

AmberS — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:53:00 -0500

I think the petals are a little weird, honestly. But I like the idea behind the doll, to promote breastfeeding over formula feeding. My own daughter has certainly 'nursed' her baby dolls. Like you, I would prefer not to buy a battery-operated doll like this in the first place, especially because it's really not necessary. But whatever floats your boat, and if your child enjoys this doll that's great.

And I can't believe the critics. Really, the whole idea of a baby doll is to allow a child to pretend to care for a baby. There's nothing sexual about that, or untoward, regardless of how the 'baby' is 'fed'. Geesh!

~ Amber

www.strocel.com

that's surprising

Amy Gates — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:48:46 -0500

I am pleasantly surprised to hear about a daycare that doesn't allow bottles for the dolls. That's especially surprising considering all of the babies there have to take bottles (either of breastmilk or formula). Good for them for doing what they can to promote breastfeeding. :)

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

Exactly!

Amy Gates — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:27:33 -0500

Just because American adults are hung up on breasts as sexual objects, does not mean children are. I don't think they (children) even think about the breast aspect of breastfeeding. They just think of it as feeding a baby - plain and simple - just as a child feeding a doll a bottle would.

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

I love how critics assume children think like we do

LucindaA — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:19:58 -0500

Pretending to breastfeed a doll will lead to the desire to have sex???? Really? If that's the case, then feeding a doll a bottle will also lead to the desire to have a child and sex, right? I mean that's essentially the argument.

The flaw is assuming a child associates breasts with sex like adults do, which they don't. My daughter saw me breastfeeding her brother and pretended to nurse her stuffed animals. She simply saw it as feeding the baby. Food. Nothing else.

I don't know if the doll is a good idea or not. But it is not going to lead to abuse, sex, and every other sin in the world. Sheesh! Let's take on Bratz dolls for that. Please!

Interesting

AJsMomma — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:28:10 -0500

I think a breastfeeding doll is a good idea...not so sure if the flower petals are necessary. I agree with the comment above, that as long as the doll could make the noise while on it's side, regardless of what you are putting near it's mouth, would be fine.

In my daughter's daycare they do NOT have bottles for the baby dolls. They do as much as they can to promote breastfeeding while at the same time realizing that all of the infants there are using bottles of either formula or pumped milk.