We're due for a breast feeding discussion

[Diemen]

It's not their business to be messing with my food choices.

You seem to be confusing information with legislation.

It's not in the U.S. Constitution to limit the salt in my oyster stew.

No one is trying to legislate the amount of salt you can put in your oyster stew. Creating an imaginary bad guy doesn't help your argument.

I'm still trying to understand why some seem to love giving a central government more and more power over our lives.

Again, information is not legislation. Claiming that the government is abusing its power by simply promoting healthy living choices would be like me saying that you're infringing on my rights by suggesting that exercise is good for me. It doesn't make sense. You're not forcing me to exercise, and the government is not forcing anyone to limit salt in their diet or eat healthier. So what exactly is the problem?

 

[maycocksean]

What's funny is he wouldn't have any problem the government forcing kids in public school to consume donuts, pizza, and whole milk. It's just the healthy food he has an issue with.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Michele Bachmann isn't even factually correct-the IRS would allow people to deduct certain breast feeding expenses if they itemize. Or use the pre-tax dollars in their medical savings accounts to pay for pumps. And the federal government is one of the biggest buyers of baby formula, through its nutritional programs for women and infant children. So giving a tax break for breast-feeding might actually help reduce government spending.

“No wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody, ‘You better breast-feed your baby,’ ” she said at a speech on Long Island. “Yeah, you’d better, because the price of milk is so high right now.”~Sarah Palin

That's just hilarious. She should get Bristol to Google info about breastfeeding after she finishes Googling the economy info for her.

 

[Irvine511]

Did I do that?

yes, you did do that.

 

[yolland]

Actually I do recall iron horse complaining once that their cafeteria almost never serves green vegetables, because menu plans are based solely on what they think kids want to eat which is pizzas, burgers, etc.

 

[maycocksean]

Actually I do recall iron horse complaining once that their cafeteria almost never serves green vegetables, because menu plans are based solely on what they think kids want to eat which is pizzas, burgers, etc.

A fair point.

It was low of me to pick on him that way.

 

[corianderstem]

Michele Bachmann isn't even factually correct-the IRS would allow people to deduct certain breast feeding expenses if they itemize. Or use the pre-tax dollars in their medical savings accounts to pay for pumps.

I was wondering about that. I knew about it being added to the list of things that qualify for an FSA reimbursement, but the "deducting from your taxes" just seemed ... well, wrong.

 

[AliEnvy]

What I can't really wrap my mind around is that if breastfeeding is that important (I'm personally inclined to believe that it is), or mothering for that matter, why not support working mothers with maternity leave benefits rather than obligatory nursing stations in the office...

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Giving people benefits for various reasons doesn't seem to be a favorable position among some people out there. If people cared about such things, Wisconsin wouldn't be in the uproar it is now.

I don't disagree with your idea, but good luck getting such a thing implemented here anytime soon.

Angela

 

[AliEnvy]

Ya think?

 

[yolland]

The US is just about the only country in the world that doesn't require some amount of paid maternity leave (see, e.g., Parental leave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This situation is basically a legacy of both the hyperindividualistic nature of American culture and in turn the uniquely individualistic, 'rights-not-privileges' character of the women's movement in the US. Americans do have broadly the same preoccupations with and hangups over how to raise children as other Western societies, but when it comes to the social and political significance of parenthood as a status, Americans of all political affiliations tend to perceive it as just another personal project individuals choose to pursue, like building a yacht or keeping a pony. If you encounter problems balancing work-related and child-related responsibilities off against each other, well, then that's your damn problem and your damn fault for having recklessly reproduced in the absence of certainty you'd be able to manage all the longterm economic consequences. The notion that society at large might have some interest in structurally protecting and assisting families is not really there.

 

[maycocksean]

^Keeping a pony. . .I like that. . .

 

[PhilsFan]

The US is just about the only country in the world that doesn't require some amount of paid maternity leave (see, e.g., Parental leave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This situation is basically a legacy of both the hyperindividualistic nature of American culture and in turn the uniquely individualistic, 'rights-not-privileges' character of the women's movement in the US. Americans do have broadly the same preoccupations with and hangups over how to raise children as other Western societies, but when it comes to the social and political significance of parenthood as a status, Americans of all political affiliations tend to perceive it as just another personal project individuals choose to pursue, like building a yacht or keeping a pony. If you encounter problems balancing work-related and child-related responsibilities off against each other, well, then that's your damn problem and your damn fault for having recklessly reproduced in the absence of certainty you'd be able to manage all the longterm economic consequences. The notion that society at large might have some interest in structurally protecting and assisting families is not really there.

Great post.

 

[AliEnvy]

The notion that society at large might have some interest in structurally protecting and assisting families is not really there.

Yes, I know. As I watch what's going on in WI in disbelief I had to remind myself of this in the context of which it makes more sense. When it comes right down to it, it's every man for himself.

 

[the iron horse]

Great post.

Yes!

Another concern, I think, is young kids not getting enough fat in their diet.

Why Whole Milk is the Healthiest Choice - Signs of Life

 

[BVS]

I'm not really interested in seeing someone's opinion, I would like to see the science she has to back up her opinion. So far I haven't seen any...

Kids not getting enough fat are probably the minority in this country.

 

[anitram]

the iron horse, you keep posting articles about whole milk - are you aware of the fact that most of the world's population is, in fact, lactose intolerant and that a good argument exists that humans were never meant to consume cow's milk and that doing so has caused a host of problems related to food allergies, food intolerance and that there is a clear link between juvenile diabetes and children who were given cow's milk as young babies/toddlers?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

The US is just about the only country in the world that doesn't require some amount of paid maternity leave (see, e.g., Parental leave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This situation is basically a legacy of both the hyperindividualistic nature of American culture and in turn the uniquely individualistic, 'rights-not-privileges' character of the women's movement in the US. Americans do have broadly the same preoccupations with and hangups over how to raise children as other Western societies, but when it comes to the social and political significance of parenthood as a status, Americans of all political affiliations tend to perceive it as just another personal project individuals choose to pursue, like building a yacht or keeping a pony. If you encounter problems balancing work-related and child-related responsibilities off against each other, well, then that's your damn problem and your damn fault for having recklessly reproduced in the absence of certainty you'd be able to manage all the longterm economic consequences. The notion that society at large might have some interest in structurally protecting and assisting families is not really there.

exactly. it's really sad. whenever i eventually have a child, i want to have it in america (mostly since that's where my parents are) but i'm not looking forward to getting two weeks off if i'm lucky, then being expected to just go back to work so my baby can bond more with a daycare provider than her own parents. i only hope once i start working i'm able to (successfully, obviously) freelance like i want to so i can work from home and at least balance career with motherhood a little better.

the iron horse, you keep posting articles about whole milk - are you aware of the fact that most of the world's population is, in fact, lactose intolerant and that a good argument exists that humans were never meant to consume cow's milk and that doing so has caused a host of problems related to food allergies, food intolerance and that there is a clear link between juvenile diabetes and children who were given cow's milk as young babies/toddlers?

seriously. like you said, those of us who can drink cow's milk are actually a minority in the world. i'm not even sure what salt and oyster stew has to do with breastfeeding.

personally, i grew up bottle-fed. it wasn't by choice, i guess i was allergic to breast milk or something as it made me colicky.

 

[coolian2]

The US is just about the only country in the world that doesn't require some amount of paid maternity leave (see, e.g., Parental leave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This situation is basically a legacy of both the hyperindividualistic nature of American culture and in turn the uniquely individualistic, 'rights-not-privileges' character of the women's movement in the US. Americans do have broadly the same preoccupations with and hangups over how to raise children as other Western societies, but when it comes to the social and political significance of parenthood as a status, Americans of all political affiliations tend to perceive it as just another personal project individuals choose to pursue, like building a yacht or keeping a pony. If you encounter problems balancing work-related and child-related responsibilities off against each other, well, then that's your damn problem and your damn fault for having recklessly reproduced in the absence of certainty you'd be able to manage all the longterm economic consequences. The notion that society at large might have some interest in structurally protecting and assisting families is not really there.

and this is exactly why the united states will never be a global super power again. an intrinsic lack of interest in empowering the future.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Shop to make breast milk ice cream
Thu, Feb 24 10:49 AM EST

LONDON (Reuters) - A specialist ice cream parlor plans to serve up breast milk ice cream and says people should think of it as an organic, free-range treat.

The breast milk concoction, called the "Baby Gaga," will be available from Friday at the Icecreamists restaurant in London's Covent Garden.

Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor was confident his take on the "miracle of motherhood" and priced at a hefty 14 pounds ($23) a serving will go down a treat with the paying public.

The breast milk was provided by mothers who answered an advertisement on online mothers' forum Mumsnet.

Victoria Hiley, 35, from London was one of 15 women who donated milk to the restaurant after seeing the advert.

Hiley works with women who have problems breast-feeding their babies. She said she believes that if adults realized how tasty breast milk actually is, then new mothers would be more willing to breast-feed their own newborns.

"What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream? And for me it's a recession beater too -- what's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash," Hiley said in a statement.

"I tried the product for the first time today -- it's very nice, it really melts in the mouth."

The Baby Gaga recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest, which is then churned into ice cream.

O'Connor said the Baby Gaga was just one of a dozen radical new flavors at the shop.

"Some people will hear about it and go, 'yuck' but actually it's pure, organic, free-range and totally natural," he said. "I had a Baby Gaga just this morning and I feel great."

 

[Pearl]

Eh, does that mean women are now cows?

OK, maybe not, but I just feel uneasy about using breast milk as everyday food.

 

[yolland]

A friend of ours who lives in London emailed us a photo from one of the papers there of their food critic trying "Baby Gaga." It's not the wide-eyed hippie marketing job you might expect--instead they have this statuesque blonde in, well, basically a Lady Gaga outfit (get it??) who ceremoniously pours the flavored breast milk into a martini glass then pours liquid nitrogen over it before handing it to you, flashy 'molecular gastronomy' stuff. Our friend said he couldn't wait to eagerly ask his rabbi whether it was kosher just so he could watch his head explode. (Killjoy that I am, I had to point out that Jewish law already resolved this question in the affirmative 500 years ago, strange health fads apparently being a fact of urban life even then.)

Personally, I find the thought of human's-milk ice cream quite...discomfiting, though at the same time some (small) part of my mind sneers at the irrationality of the taboo.

(Where's Dread when you need him?)

 

[Liesje]

Sorry, I won't pay $23 for a serving of anything.

 

[the iron horse]

the iron horse, you keep posting articles about whole milk - are you aware of the fact that most of the world's population is, in fact, lactose intolerant and that a good argument exists that humans were never meant to consume cow's milk and that doing so has caused a host of problems related to food allergies, food intolerance and that there is a clear link between juvenile diabetes and children who were given cow's milk as young babies/toddlers?

Are you aware that some might disagree?

It's another thread.

Please feel free to start one.

 

[anitram]

Are you aware that some might disagree?

You can disagree with the factual statement that most of the world is lactose intolerant all you want. You're still wrong.

 

[the iron horse]

You can disagree with the factual statement that most of the world is lactose intolerant all you want. You're still wrong.

It's not about me.

You did not answer the question.

So, your statement is entirely factual?


Here we go

 

[anitram]

Lactose intolerance is the inability to metabolize lactose, because of a lack of the required enzyme lactase in the digestive system. It is estimated that 75% of adults worldwide show some decrease in lactase activity during adulthood. The frequency of decreased lactase activity ranges from as little as 5% in northern Europe, up to 71% for Sicily, to more than 90% in some African and Asian countries.

Lactose intolerance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[anitram]

Lactose intolerance worldwide:

 

[the iron horse]

Lactose intolerance worldwide:

eScholarship: The Myth of Lactose Intolerance