i agree. i think, in an effort to get more moms to try breastfeeding, the bf culture has perpetuated a lot of myths about nursing that are actually harmful to us once you start. the idea that's it's intuitive, that it's never painful unless you're doing it wrong, that it's so much easier than formula and that i…

This is exactly what I say in my breastfeeding class. My class attendees are usually moms who really really want to breastfeed and usually are a little idealistic. So I like to lay it all out for them. I tell them some moms never have any issues and the baby latches beautifully from the start and angels sing and the…

I'm also tethered to my Ameda this morning:) For painful nipples I can not sing the praises of a nipple shield enough!

Well said. I encourage new mom's to at least give it a try, but know ahead of time that it can be very difficult and it's a big commitment.

I appreciate this video for putting black motherhood in a positive light. It's rare that black mothers are given their proper cred. So for that alone I salute this video.

Yup. I agree. And I say this hooked from a pump, with one nipple chewed raw, and pretty sure that nurse who squeezed my breasts and pointed at their dry tips saying "see, that's colostrum" was a little touched in the head.

Even when it was working well for me, nursing was always uncomfortable. I hated the feeling of constant tugging. I was never able to nurse very long, (my longest stretch between my three was around 7 months) and I have lots of negative feelings about my time nursing, but that was a catchy video! I wish I had had…

Ah, it's a personal anecdote war you want? Well, then it's a war ye shall have. First baby: born at 26 weeks. They sent me home the next day, without the kid. Every day that I went to work was torture because I was sure that I would miss a phone call about a milestone or worse, miss a phone call about a tragedy. So…

I don't know why it's so difficult for people to understand that CORPORATIONS ARE CREATIONS OF THE STATE. THEY ARE NOT BORN WITH INALIENABLE RIGHTS. THEY ARE WHATEVER THE LAW SAYS THEY ARE.

Well, the issue, which you've obviously pointed out, is that people focus on the physical and not the emotional. Physically, some women do "bounce back" pretty quickly, with vaginal birth at least. It took me a solid two months, but I had a section and was plagued with a stubborn fecal impaction (seriously, if anyone…

Dear Everybody, perhaps postpartum depression is a perfectly rational response to the giant FUCK YOU new mothers get handed directly after they stop being very special baby-making vessels. JUST, PERHAPS.

In all three continents you'll find some regions with very empowered women and some with not empowered women.

The thing is though is that if you gave women basic levels of help after birth it would be much harder to diminish their social and political capital and maintain the growing serf class.

This comes from the American fetishization of individuality, independence, and choice. You CHOSE to be a mother, you CHOSE this. No one chooses to be in mourning or to get cancer (unless you are a smoker or something, I guess). It's the same value system that refuses to help poor people or the homeless or the…

I think you've misunderstood my point. You clearly understand how these aesthetic ideals form and change over time, but you seem perfectly happy with this status quo. That is fine for you. It's not fine with everyone else. You derailed an article about female beauty standards and how they can negatively affect women…

I shouldn't be the exception to the rule. Feminist spaces use articles like to this help breakdown the already strongly held belief that the only value a woman has is her (toned and perfect) body. These articles aim to break down "women as a walking collection of parts" as entrenched in the public psyche to one of…

Yes but what my physical body is and what do I or do not do to it to make it "attractive" is between me and my husband, not society. Putting such focus (which is mainstream and expected) on a the physical aspect of "attraction" is short sighted.

Okay. Repeat after me.

Well, since the concept of a pension seems to be a thing of the past, people aren't really given raises or bonuses based on tenure or performance - who gives a shit about that company, really?