Lactaphobia

lactation
1668, "process of suckling an infant," from Fr. lactation, from L. lactationem (nom. lactatio) "a suckling," from L. lactatus, pp. of lactare "suckle," from lac (gen. lactis) "milk," from PIE base *glact- (cf. Gk. gala, gen. galaktos "milk"). Meaning "process of secreting milk from the breasts" first recorded 1857; lactate (v.) in this sense is a back-formation from 1889. Lactic acid is from 1790; so called because it was obtained from sour milk. M.Ir. lacht, Welsh llaeth "milk" are loan words from Latin.

What I like about the original meaning of lactation, is that it was the process of suckling a child that was being described. The act of being suckled upon, was lactation lactationem. I know it's moved on from there, and is now used to describe the process of making milk, and that's not a bad thing. In the post-Industrial world, where women are re-finding their power and their babies, and wrenching both back from the profiteering reach of formula companies and factory owners alike... redefining lactation to be about the production of milk, and supporting mothers in that as a separate need, is A Good Thing.

A common rubric now, is that mothers lactate, and babies breastfeed. This is a neat reminder that babies are the active participants, the ones doing the suckling. A vital point to make, in this world that positions breastfeeding as a lifestyle choice on behalf of the mother, thus neatly removing the baby's needs and desires from the equation. So it's a phrase I like, even as I rue that the mother-baby symbiosis has disappeared from 'lactation' to some extent.

And that's not just because I'm a word geek. Or rather, it's because I'm a word geek I rue the changes. Because some language development is good, some less so. Words embody concepts, and those concepts have power when we use them. As we grow as a culture, and find new things about ourselves, or find we need new ways to describe how we feel about old things... we make new words. Breastfeeding, for instance, is a really new word. It's only been around for about a hundred years. You could argue, this is only since the rise of bottle, and formula, feeding. For up until then, there was no need to mention how you fed the baby other than to say you were feeding it!

Nursing, of course, is about the oldest we can track. We've always nursed babies at the breast. It's how we got the other type of nursing, the bandages and taking temperature type, as an extension of the original meaning - to nurse a child. The actual definition of breastfeeding in some dictionaries, is to nurse a baby. I like nursing as opposed to breastfeeding. Nursing brings with it warmth, and love, and caring, and snuggles. But it can get confusing to use nursing, and sometimes you have to stick to breastfeeding to be heard. But I do invite you to use nursing for one day, everytime you'd use the word breastfeeding, and see what happens! You might like it as much as I do! But, like I said, we sometimes have to use breastfeeding, to be clear and precise.
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For that reason, we didn't hold nursing picnics, or lactation picnics on July 21st, across the UK, we held breastfeeding picnics!

And great fun we had at them all, and very successful they were too. A great fun day out for all concerned, whether it was milling in the mobs at Bournemouth, or fighting off the traffic in Westminster, or waving your flags for the camera at Durham, all around the country, mothers and babies showed off their suckling skills.

And others showed off less attractive skills...
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Kenneth Gray wrote: Look Sorry but I dont want to see women getting their breasts out in public It needs to be done in private It makes people feel uncomfortable Not politically correct but TRUE

... which was, after all, only to be expected... but others, perhaps, were more forthright...

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Posted by: jpcm24 I'm sorry, but it is a 'restaurant' where people are eating. If I am in a restaurant I don't want to see that. I don't care how great you think it is that you have a kid and how great and special you think your kid is.
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Comments that most mothers have seen and heard during the past couple of years in the UK, when feeding babies is discussed. These sorts of comments are common, and mothers get pretty fed up of hearing them. And when we tell others that we get fed up with it, they tell us not to be so sensitive, it's not like people are meaning to be nasty....

Posted by: Tom I do not object to breastfeeding, i do object to seeing it when i am walking through a park though.What next..... Sex in public in front of children because it is a human right????

or offensive...

Posted by: women I think they are a bunch of perverted women who get turned on by a baby sucking on a tit in public and men watching and when they are still letting the baby suckle at 1 year plus should be classed as paedophilia

or just racist...

Posted by: Mr Britain Walking naked down the high street is also natural if you live in darkest timbuctoo - but in Oxford one would be locked up - why is it one law for the native and another for the law abbiding citizen , personally I think women should be allowed to breast feed in public , in the toilets of restaraunts , but not at the table sat next to me whilst i am tucking into my scoff- what about my rights to the enjoyment of my meal without some unwashed old baggaage feeding their spewing brat at the table

or simple misogyny...

Posted by: Hugh Breast feeding in public will involve ever increasing degrees of nudity from the aggressive mother who will use this power of public exposure to discomfort and drive away those who are not in their family group.

or just simply perverse...

Posted by: John Thomas What about my rights - I want to be able to have a swift one off the wrist on a bus - masterbation is a natural act so why am I discriminated agianst make you voice known vist wankingonthebus.com and vote to petition governemnt

All of which would be funny, if it wasn't so serious. Two of the Mums were harassed on their way home from the London picnic, for instance. Both on their own with a baby, both on the Tube. Emily Pulling, whilst feeding her son, was actually shouted at loudly by a male commuter, telling her he didn't want to see that sort of thing. She responded vigorously, but reports she was shaking like a leaf at the time. Others sat back in the carriage and let this man abuse her and her son.

It's no shock to us, of course, we who ran the picnics and organised the press coverage. we're used to this sort of lactaphobia. Daily, obscene and aggressive comments are made about breastfeeding babies and their mothers, particularly in the UK and the USA. I often feel that what they say isn't as shocking as the fact that they feel safe to say it. Would such comments be made about colour, race, religion or sexuality?

white Says All you pushy arrogant breastfeeders need to level with us and admit that nothing makes your crotch area tingle more than seeing a child sucking on a big swollen teet. It's a fetish and it's okay to admit that you nearly orgasm just seeing it in pictures or in person.This is why you are so passionate about it.Otherwise you wouldn't care about other people breastfeeding; you would only care about whether you do it.So quit handing us all your bull and admit that you are turned on by titty-sucking.That is why you have your ultra lezzy group breastfeeding sessions so you all can get your titties suked and watch each other having your titties sucked and moan and groan and come together. You sick homely broads.

Jake1479 you are a disgusting pervert and like to watch babies suck on breasts to get you off. your so gross

StarbucksAddict95 ok y the fuk do u ppl add videos on youtube breast feeding?..thats just wrong ..im not only telling u but 2 evry women who has their breast just poping out on youtube...god women r becoming more nd more "body showing" shame on urself lady nd have some pride rather than putting ur breasts on a public site....

In case you're wondering, we are now in the realm of how people talk to mothers who post breastfeeding support videos on the Internet. Videos by such lactation luminaries as Dr Jack Newman, showing how to latch a baby on and how to deal with breastfeeding problems. Videos designed to show how to breastfeed, and how normal breastfeeding is. Or, as many tell us each and every day... child pornography...

ASiReNiCLaMiA Ok, first, why are you recording babies breast feeding and posting it up? Why are there toddlers that you are teaching to say boobie and get excited about latching on to nipples? These kids are gonna be screwed up later in life from this crap. What are you doing? You do that with INFANTS! Not when they have a mouth full of teeth and can talk. What the hell. Second, the only people watching this are probably curious or just a horny dude who is into that sort of thing. What are you doing? Seriously. You should be placed in an correctional facility for kiddie porn cuz thats basically what this is. You freak.

Of course, some of the comments are directed at the babies...

McLOVININYOUROVEN Move over you greedy little bastard my turn my turn

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jacksnmnwlkr12345 That ugly baby doesn't know how to please you. Let a real man show you how it's done.

And the usual one, that just by mentioning breasfteeding, you are shamelessly attacking mothers in their other choices...

foxybliss boobie feeding
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Im bottle feeding my baby. Come on give me shit, make me feel like im a second mom. Thats what all you pro breastfeeders do. YOU MAKE SURE bottlefeeding mothers feel like shit. WHY CAN'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

YouEatTurds YOU SICK FUCKING BITCH

I HOPE YOU GET HIT BY A BUS YOU NASTY BITCH! NOBODY WANTS TO SEE BABIES SUCKING YOUR DISGUSTING TITS. GET THIS BULLSHIT OFF YOUTUBE YOU STUPID CUNT

And please don't think it's just the illiterate...
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diamondchild While I understand the nature of your videos to be educational I felt that I should let you know that I have reported all of your videos to youtube for nudity and I and friends plan on reporting them every day until they are taken down. This is a public forum for posting and if you do any research at all you will realize that there is a MAJOR underage following for both viewing and posting on this site and it is beyond me to understand how you think its ok to just let these videos be open to everyone to watch. Children do not need any help finding such an easy view of breasts exposed in video form. Whether or not you mean for them to be these videos are completely able to be called pornography and either you take them down or we will complain to youtube until they do!

I think I can say that it's people who think that seeing breastfeeding, will pervert children, that leaves most of us just truly flummoxed!