Today I attended a La Leche League meeting as part of a homework assignment for my birthing class. While I respect the work La Leche has done to educate the community about the benefits of breastfeeding, there was a lot about this meeting I found it difficult to respect. I was hoping to learn something new about breastfeeding, but instead I was pummeled with the politics of public breastfeeding. The women at the meeting shared "battle stories" about breastfeeding in public without covering up, quite proud of the political statement they were making.
It seemed to me, based on the women's words and actions with their children also in attendance, that they had much greater interest in "defying social norms" than nurturing their children. Many admitted to being "lazy parents" who used breastfeeding as distraction when they were too tired to parent their misbehaving children. They acted like modesty was a social cancer! Definitely a far cry from my own beliefs about modesty.
It was also rather disconcerting to witness children, who were the same age I was when I started taking public transportation by myself in San Francisco, climbing into their mother's laps to be breastfed! I also did not appreciate their continual remarks that were completely intolerant of other childrearing practices and their disbelief and disdain for some mothers who are physically unable to breastfeed!
Another observation was that there seemed to be a uniform worn by the regular attenders of this meeting. I counted no less than 90% adeherence to this dress code among the 20 women in attendance: birkenstock brand sandals - the traditional "brown" ones.
I'm glad I sat patiently through the whole meeting and glad I never need to return. I look forward to the possibility of breastfeeding our baby boy, but will do so with modesty and discretion. And I won't be wearing birkenstocks.
You are going to be such a great momma! I hope that I get to see you in action (not breastfeeding necessarily, that sounds creepy). Love and miss you SO MUCH!
ReplyDeleteJust because you started taking public transportation by yourself when you were 18 months old, there is no reason to put down the less advanced child. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, not that you asked for opinions, I think LLL is a great resource for information about breastfeeding on their website, but I don't think I'd ever attend a meeting either. Let me know if you have any questions (because I'm sure you can't get them answered anywhere else, ha!)I'd be happy to share my discreet and not always so discreet experiences. Also the looks you get from people sometimes and the comments which are rather interesting(though I didn't here any discouraging ones). Love you sista!