Fashionable words!

Of course, bags - I thought that was too obvious to need pointing out!

Not obvious to some people or they wouldn't say breastfeeding makes them feel animal-like. They've clearly forgotten!

I wonder if evacuating their bowels makes them feel animal-like as well? Probably.

I also wonder what they think they are the rest of the time.

angels of course bags

A good friend and I had babies within a couple of months of each other. She sometimes had the opportunity to do a day or twos supply teaching when she was on maternity leave and I babysat her son and breast fed him alongside my daughter. I would have been just as happy for her to feed my baby, but the situation never arose. Many special care baby units are kept going on
donated breast milk.

I am very glad to see that all except one member agree that breast-feeding another's mother child is entirely natural, and, indeed, a generous act.

I once watched a young mother breast feeding her baby behind a wind break on a gorgeous, South Wales beach. She covered herself with a blanket, and struggled to maintain her privacy when she switched sides. Shy, little thing, I thought, with not an inch of flesh visible. When the feed was finished, though, she tucked the baby down, stood up, took off her TShirt, stretched languidly, and proceeded to cover herself in sun cream ready for her topless sunbathing, in full view of the entire beach. Sums up our confused attitude to breast feeding, I thought!

While feeding my 2nd baby I was supplying milk to the local neonatal unit. I had plenty to spare. I would not have had a problem feeding anyone else's baby. It would have probably been an automatic response if one had been put in my arms.

Same here, and when feeding twins I always had more to donate each time a feed was dropped. Years later, my daughter was very grateful to have her meagre supply for her premature twins supplemented by anonymous donors.

Greatnan - all those who responded to the breast-feeding issue agreed with you, yes. There may of course be others among our many members who had reservations but who didn't wish to invite the opprobium I seem to have attracted!

I'm no Mother Earth; first daughter was 7 weeks prem and I was attached to a milking machine to provide bank milk for ICU. I found it repulsive. I did breast feed my son for 9 months but not second daughter. The idea of breast feeding someone else's child has zero appeal to me. A bit like changing nappies, fine for my own but others make me gag. Each to their own.

Ooops, Earth Mother

Opprobrium - isn't that a trifle OTT?

Harsh criticism or censure? That was the general tone of some comments, certainly. But as long as most posters agreed with you, it doesn't really matter, does it?

I am totally mystified. There's no opprobrium. Just a little puzzlement at why you find it odd. Surely you can discuss the matter and explain why you find it odd without making snide comments about other members and not being agreed with.

Did you not expect people to disagree with you - you actually said you expected to get shouted down, so why post that comment, which I found offensive to my daughters? It could be argued that you simply wanted to cause dissent and now you have found only one supporter (so far) you are complaining.

Oh for goodness sake - right! I used the wrong word. Whatever the correct word is, I felt criticised and got-at.

To quote Greatnan: I am very glad to see that all except one member agree that breast-feeding another's mother child is entirely natural, and, indeed, a generous act.

Surely that's a snide comment about me? Or have I got that wrong too?

'It could be argued that you simply wanted to cause dissent'? So now my opinions and views are discounted because you've decided that?

No wonder so many members leave this forum.

Why do you think it odd to feed another woman's baby, ana?

Ana, when Greatnan commented that her daughters fed each other's babies, you felt the need to comment. I have no idea why. If that post had been a general question open to debate you could have explained your distaste, but you didn't. You just said that that practice was odd. And it was in response to another member, who, not surprisingly, found your comment unnecessary at best.

Is it a feeling of disgust, or just something you've never encountered, or what? Like miceelf, I'm genuinely curious and not 'having a go'. As someone who regards it completely natural isn't it also natural that I'd like to know why some people think it odd?

Do you really think I'm going to enter into any more 'discussion' on this subject, thatbags? You can draw your own conclusions from the fact that I'm not. And I'm sure you and others will.

Carry on....

Ana really doesn't have to justify her opinion. I've agreed with her that I too wouldn't have wanted to breast feed another woman's baby.

Some would be happy to do it, some wouldn't. For goodness sake.

I don't think anyone can draw conclusions from silence. It's a genuine question to which I , for one, would appreciate an answer. Since you raised it in the first place.

But breast feeding is a natural act, so wouldn't most people be expected to support it? Thank goodness for those women who can and do share their breast milk and offer to feed other women's babies in times of need. I particularly remember seeing a documentary about some very sick babies in an African country, in which a doctor breast fed a hungry baby whose mother was dying of AIDS. It's something most of us wouldn't think twice about.