25 Historical Images That Normalize Breastfeeding [via Buzzfeed]

1. A Mother Feeding Her Baby at a Chattanooga Bus Stop - 1943

Via thederangedhousewifeonline.blogspot.com

Look at her…doesn’t she know to “cover up” if she’s going to be doing something so shameful in public?

2. A Mother Feeding Her Baby at the Beach - 1930s

Via thederangedhousewifeonline.blogspot.com

Um…excuse me, lady, the beach is NO place to flaunt your boobs.

3. Depression-era Breastfeeding

Via thederangedhousewifeonline.blogspot.com

She’s just trying to be sexy so she can get her farm back.

4. French Mothers in a Paris Doctors Office Waiting Room - 1946

Via thederangedhousewifeonline.blogspot.com

5. Breastfeeding in Church - 1871

Via rixarixa.blogspot.com

She isn’t even “covered up!” Just look at all of those people condemning her for being so indecent! Oh…wait…no, they’re just passing the sacrament.

6. Mother and Baby - c.1900

Via livelovesimple.com

She looks so embarrassed.

7. Breastfeeding on Sesame Street - 1977

Via thestir.cafemom.com

Big Bird! For crying out loud…don’t you know CHILDREN watch this show?

8. Leonardo Da Vinci Painting of Mary and Jesus

Via doublethink.us.com

There are literally hundreds of paintings like this.

9. Breastfeeding at an Outdoor Meeting

Via theleakyboob.com

Look at all those men…they’re having a hard time controlling themselves.

10. Japanese Art Depicting Breastfeeding - 1700s

Via artic.edu

Depravity in Japan that reaches back at least three centuries.

11. “Hi Mom!” Vintage Postcard

Via Flickr: 82329524@N00

Postcard. As in, floating through the mail system without an envelope. Scandalous.

12. Children’s Book Depicting Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding

Via sianuska.blogspot.com

Both are normal, both are ok, both are appropriate for children’s literature…or at least they were.

13. Nursing Outside

Via Flickr: lloydboy52

Nursing Right outside in the middle of nature. I’m pretty sure that baby could have controlled her hunger long enough to make it into a bathroom stall or a back bedroom or something. All moms have to say is, “Shh…calm down, sweetie. You can eat when we find somewhere private to go. It makes people uncomfortable when you eat - it’s much easier for you to just be patient.” Babies are reasonable beings - they quiet right down. You should try it. Let me know how it works for you.

14. Breastfeeding in the 1950s

Via vavoomvintageblog.com

Breastfeeding during a time when Western mothers were being discouraged from breastfeeding. This woman has rebel written all over her porcelain face, doesn’t she?

15. 1920s

Via vavoomvintageblog.com

I bet she was a flapper, too.

16. Victorian Era Mother and Baby

Via antique-passion.blogspot.com

Couldn’t she have thought of a more family-friendly way to have herself portrayed in this painting?

17. Front Porch - 1898

Via pinterest.com

Just look at this mom. She is not nearly concerned enough about what I think about her feeding her baby.

18. French Royal Family - 19th Century

Via commons.wikimedia.org

Seriously - you people are royals. Doesn’t your royal baby know how to sit for a portrait without having to eat?

19. 1891

Via commons.wikimedia.org

She’s just begging for attention. Oh…and feeding her hungry baby.

20. Wyspiański - Breastfeeding Painting - 1905

Via en.wikipedia.org

Artists are just outrageous with their depictions of mothers feeding their children. In front of other children, no less. What if these little girls grow up learning that breasts are for more than just being pretty

21. Part of the Family

Via en.wikipedia.org

The little boy on the right looks scandalized, but considering his dad, his brothers, and his sisters all look nonchalant, I’m betting the baby just passed gas or something.

22. WPA Breastfeeding Advocacy Poster - 1930s

Via southerndisposition.blogspot.com

NURSE THE BABY! Aaaaand…even the government was in on the lewdness.

23. AND WHAT ABOUT…

Via pinterest.com

Oh, no wait…this one’s fine. She’s using her breasts so that people will think she’s “hot.” See image #2.

24. But this…

Via parentdish.com

Well, that’s just indecent, people.

25. So Now You Know…

Via huffingtonpost.com

Discretion is everything, girls.

Love ruining your day with tits!

I laughed. I tapped my foot. I may have had the unbridled urge to whip my tits out (but I politely kept them to myself -- sorry, y'all).

And I blame this song.


Thanks, Sparrow-Folk!

A discussion on creationism versus evolution and its impact on the world of science (and on young questioners)

My husband the scientist is the perfect balance to my... well, not-science. He’s articulate and intelligent, can debate the merits of space travel, and holds fervent views on the study of science in public schools (while planning to teach Tycho why the sky is really blue before the poor babe has the chance to understand). His background, career, and views on life are all thanks to the impact science has had on him.

And, despite my scientific knowledge being but a fraction of his, both of us are concerned with how young people are being taught science nowadays.

We’re not talking just about safety in classrooms, class time limitations, or even how standardized testing is pushing science out the door in favor of math and English, though those are all valid issues and concerns surrounding science in public schools. What we’re more concerned with are the dealings of controversial topics, and one is at the forefront of our minds, especially since we won’t be raising Tycho to hold any esteem in it.

I’m talking about creationism.


A Gallup poll on evolution in mid-2012 noted: 46% of respondents are creationists (“God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last ten thousand years or so”), 32% believe in “theistic evolution” (“Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process”), and only 15% said humans evolved with God playing no part in the process.

It’s true that Americans are rather infamous for being ignorant on so many things, but we’re still here, we’re still managing. So why does it matter that almost half the country rejects the overwhelming evidence of evolution, corralling instead for evidence out of a not-comparatively-ancient text?

Because the belief in creationism expresses an inability to think critically. Creationists assert that teaching “both sides” of a scientific controversy (an imaginary one, at that) would benefit students by training them in critical thinking. What I see, though, is heavy-handed reliance on a book written by men with no scientific background and on preachers with degrees not in scientific fields but in religion, and assertions that “it’s in the Bible” as if that was a definitive, not debatable, statement of truth.

Pseudoscience at its best (worst...?).

The debate between Nye and Ham above (viewable for, I imagine, a limited time) highlights this. As Bill Nye said in the video above, “I challenge the young people here to investigate [the question of consciousness from matter or origins before the Big Bang Theory]”, noting that some things in the world are mysteries and that there is so much yet to discover about the universe, the world, and us.

Ken Ham, on the other hand, spouts that “I just want to say that there is a book out there that does document [where consciousness came from or where matter came from]”. His assertion, based on pseudoscience of Biblical proportions (see what I did there?), is that God created everything, that God is the answer to everything, and you would know all this if you read the damn book.

Well, can I just say... bullshit.

Absolute bullshit.

There is no critical thinking at all behind the assertion that the answers can be found in a book, especially one written by infallible humans with no scientific backgrounds to speak of. There is no wondering whether it could be wrong, no investigation into the truth of that, no trials or experiments or even questions about how to test the “theories” in the Bible.

WHAT...?!

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m a diehard anti-creationist, and it angers me that there is a push to have the senseless, inane “theory” of creationism taught in our schools, that there is a large group of supposedly educated individuals (including college graduates!) who believe in such crap. I agree with Nye when he states that the Bible should be doomed to the dustbin of history in favor of the modern religion of reason, science, and “discovery”.

For if we continue along this path? A path which eschews reason in the name of religion and “faith”?

Then I fear for the future of science, of ingenuity, of progress. I fear that there will be no scientists of our future, no questioning of the world around us and how it works, no discovery of those things that are truly a mystery and that can possibly be explained not by a religious conviction, but sound scientific method.

It may be true that you can’t convince someone with a closed mind to examine other options or listen to reason. But while my son’s mind, and the minds of several thousand students, is malleable and in the hands of those who dedicate their lives to educate, I’ll be damned if I ever allow such garbage as creationism be taught as “fact”.

And I’ll encourage him to always, without fail, question everything around him.

Yes, even us at times. Even if I live to regret it. ;)

I Chose to Go Back

I learned how to do laundry when I was pretty young. I wasn’t too interested in that or other chores at the time; instead, I was much more intent on playing Doctor, researching diseases thoroughly beforehand and turning a playdate into an episode of House. I mean, what other six-year-old regularly diagnoses her friends with brain cancer or polio or arrhythmia (and forces them to have the symptoms of those diseases). But I still did my laundry, albeit begrudgingly, thinking all the while that I was destined for better.

My mom was a SAHM, and a damn good one, I might add. I saw firsthand how hard she worked: My sister and I are 11 months apart, and when we were able to give her hell (read: When we were born), we made it our life mission to do just that. She cooked, cleaned, kept us kids in line, added a third baby to the mix seven years after my sister, and was sure to greet my dad when he came in from a day of work.

But I never saw myself doing the same.

Instead, I was the mom who counted down the days until her maternity leave was over, who checked her work emails on her iPhone while putting her baby down for a nap. I was raised by a SAHM, and after I got a taste of it during leave, I knew it was a job for which I was not cut out.

I was told that it would be hard. Perhaps one of the hardest things in my entire life. But despite knowing that I wasn’t made to be a SAHM, I still didn’t anticipate just how difficult going back to work would really be. When I went to drop him off at daycare for the first time, maternity leave suddenly felt like forever that passed in the blink of an eye.

Did I miss being at home? Absolutely! There’s a small part of me that nags almost daily about how I should be at home, raising my son and keeping house while my husband goes off to work (hello, 1950s mindset, where did you come from?). We’ve even discussed the possibility of me staying home after Tycho and a possible second baby went off to elementary school and we didn’t need to pay for daycare, a conversation that went like this:

Matt: *looks with disdain around the house* “I’m starting to see the merits of a stay-at-home wife.”

Me: *snorts* “Yeah, if I didn’t have any kids to wrangle.”

(I saw my mom’s life. That shit was HARD, yo, keeping house while two tyrants chased after you, destroying any progress you might have made.)

But for now, I’m completely content being a working mama, and I know that my son is well cared for, too, which certainly helps. Like every other aspect of parenting, there’s no right way to approach the question of whether a mom should stay home or head back to work; me working just happens to be best for our family (and my sanity – to enjoy that one cup of coffee on my own, no distractions? Heaven!). Ultimately, it makes me a better mom.

We all make sacrifices regardless of the path we choose, and sometimes it’s about the sacrifices we’re willing (or need) to make. I’m fortunate that I have the ability to return to work, both financially and emotionally, and I’m equally as fortunate to know that, if I ever wanted to become a SAHM, we could make that happen, too.

Are or were you a SAHM? WOHM? What sacrifices did you make to make that happen?

Life Beyond Mama

Over six months ago, I gave up my baby boy during the day to a daycare just around the corner from work, so I could return to my life as a career woman. Career mama, now. How strange.

While Tycho had no anxiety over what was going on, I was wracked with fear: Fear of the unknown, of these caretakers who were going to enjoy my son for the day, that he would do nothing but cry all day.

In the end, I was the one doing the crying, right outside his door after I gave him a final kiss goodbye. I was sure not to be in front of the door’s window so Tycho would be shielded from my tears, but just about everyone else knew I was dropping off for the first time. They knew those tears, they had once lived those tears.

When I got to work, awesome attorney-boss asked how I was managing. I honestly said that I missed him, but it felt good to be back (seriously, it did). But I left out the part when I cried in the car, and on the phone with my husband, and maybe a couple times in the bathroom while at work. I figured he was there twice already, so he knew and expected that drill. I didn’t need to rehash it.

Daycare made his first day a breeze. I received texts and photos throughout the day, little updates that assured me that he was fine. Happy, even. It helped the almost uncontrollable need to bolt out the door and run in to daycare.

It sucked, but it got better. A lot better.

I thought about Tycho all day, then as the weeks went by, I found myself more and more engrossed in my work and checking the cameras less and less. While many were happy to see me get my independence back and learn to separate myself from my son, which we both needed (after all, I see the merits of getting him socialized and used to other trustworthy adults), I was more surprised with myself for refusing to give in to that need to be with him.

Eventually, I came to the point where I was happy to drop him off, eager to see his face break out into a huge smile as his favorite daycare provider, Ms. Heidi, takes him from my arms and playfully asks, “You wanna go play, Twouble?” He’d squeal a bit, start gabbing away, and as he was put down, start to explore his surroundings and play with toys that have become familiar over the months. I’m proud to say that he’s eager to go, too.

But today starts the process all over again. Complete with tears brimming over my eyelashes.

This morning, as I went to take off my shoes before walking into the Infant 1 room, I noticed that his cubbyhole was already taken over with some other baby’s diapers, wipes, and food for the day. His name? Replaced. His picture? Sat on the counter across the room. Ms. Heidi broke the news as soon as I walked in: “He’s not even on my roster anymore!”

Today, Tycho graduates to the Infant 2 room.

I know the ladies in that room. They’re right next door, and at the end of the day when the kids start to disperse with their parents, they often come to Infant 1 with the remaining kids and hang out until they’ve all left. They’re wonderful providers, and I know he’ll be just as cared for and loved as he was in Infant 1.

So why do I keep asking these questions...
Will they know his eating patterns?
Will he sleep okay?
How will he get along with the other kids?
What if he misses Ms. Heidi?
What if he misses me? All over again?

But I know. I just know. His smile won’t disappear, his sense of adventure will not abate. He’ll army-crawl with confidence around his new space and will blossom among kids who are months older than him. Shit, maybe he’ll even start walking soon with all that encouragement! I just had to build that same confidence, as I go through yet another hurdle and realize yet again that he’s not only happy, he’s thriving.

Self-reflection has been a big theme since becoming a mother, more so than I could ever have imagined. I often ask myself why this and other parts are so difficult, what I could have done to make it better. And he’s not even ten months old yet! There are still so many years ahead of me where I can ask myself, “How can I make this the best situation for him... and myself?” Just the thought that this is the beginning is a bit daunting.

I’ve realized that this is not only about Tycho’s personal growth, but about how I respond to it and turn each of these experiences into a learning one. While there are millions of ways to raise a child, there are just as many millions of ways to raise a mother, and as I teach him more about independence, respect, kindness, confidence, intelligence, and other facts of life, I know I must learn the same.

What a challenge to ask of us as parents! No matter how old our children are when they go to daycare or to school, we’re asked to go beyond ourselves so they may learn to find themselves. They have to learn about their own independence and sense of self, which can only be when we learn to let go.

As Tycho enters Infant 2 today, I’m finding it hard to realize that my little boy is growing up, moving on, and thriving all the time.

He’ll be fine. Great, even.

And so will I.