Monday 28 June 2010

"This surely cannot be allowed..."

What can't?

Bear baiting? Dwarf tossing? The rendering down for spare parts of the entire England football team?*

No. It appears that expressing an opinion that contradicts perceived wisdom can't be allowed:
On the pro-breastfeeding website Lactivist, one woman wrote: "This surely cannot be allowed, for a woman in her position to be so unapologetically negative regarding breastfeeding and generally spreading misinformation."
Poor Kathryn Blundell, deputy editor of 'Mother & Baby' magazine, thought this was a free country.

Many vested interests now seem intent on showing her how wrong she is.
Blundell's piece has electrified parenting websites and six people have complained to the PCC. Many are furious at the anti-breastfeeding message being sent out by a journalist in a senior position at a magazine read by new mothers. Others are more angry at the tone of the article and the reasons the author cites for not breastfeeding, rather than the fact that it is pro-bottle feeding.
Luckily, she has an editor who isn't (so far) backing down:
Miranda Levy, the magazine's editor, said: "Mother & Baby is a constant and vocal supporter of breastfeeding."

Of Blundell's article, she said: "This was her personal experience, and has a place in the debate. We have been inundated by emails applauding her 'refreshing' point of view: we have made readers feel 'normal' and less of a 'failure' for not managing to breastfeed – a situation which is incredibly common.

"The way you feed your baby is not a moral issue and at Mother & Baby we seek to support all new parents in what is a glorious, but often difficult and emotional, time."
Which, I suspect, will not go down too well with the harridens and 'lactivists'...

*OK, I'll give you that last one probably should be allowed...

10 comments:

Timdog said...

Spot on, I posted something similar, as if parents don't have enough to think about, free speech really is a complete mystery to a lot of people it seems.

staybryte said...

On the subject of rendering the England team, the Daily Mash is on fire today.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

Angry Exile said...

"Lactivists", brilliant term.

Mark Wadsworth said...

I dunno. Two of my favourite things in the whole worlds are small babies and women's boobs. Plus breast-feeding appears to be genuinely the healthier option.

What's not to like about it?

That said, some women don't like doing it, which is fine by me, it's their decision not mine.

nbc said...

Well I wouldn't wish to have an eight pound leech attached to my nipple, that's for sure.

staybryte said...

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/cameron-to-wear-strap%11on-tits-in-tory-breastfeeding-drive-20080204698/

Actually the Mashers seem to have the breastfeeding issue, er, licked as well.

JuliaM said...

"...as if parents don't have enough to think about..."

I think the less new parents listen to 'the experts' and the more they listen to their grown relatives, the better!

"...the Daily Mash is on fire today. "

Heh! Superb!

""Lactivists", brilliant term."

It seems to be their own, believe it or not!

"...it's their decision not mine."

That attitude won't get you far, Mark. Not these days!

"Actually the Mashers seem to have the breastfeeding issue, er, licked as well."

*chuckle*

Squander Two said...

Interestingly enough, the best riposte to this nastiness is in The Guardian.

JuliaM said...

"Interestingly enough, the best riposte to this nastiness is in The Guardian."

Ah, yes! I saw this yesterday. A very good article for once.

Libby said...

Fine don't breastfeed, but calling the baby a "leech"? or your breasts "fun bags"? is just juvenile. Grow up. They can be both.