Kathryn Blundell, deputy editor of Mother & Baby, sparked outrage this week after branding breastfeeding as 'creepy'. In this month's issue of the mag, she stated that she bottle-fed her baby because 'I wanted my body back (and some wine)... I also wanted to give my boobs at least a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling around my stomach.' 

 

The NHS recommends breastfeeding during the first sixth months of a baby's life for the best possible nourishment and long-term health benefits. Breastfeeding is an individual choice, but is it socially and morally acceptable to go against mother nature to salvage your sexuality?

 

In her article, Blundell said she didn't 'fancy' breastfeeding, opting to go straight to the bottle and formula arguing that 'only 52% of mums still breastfeed after six weeks... I often wonder whether many of these women, like me, just couldn't be fagged or felt like getting tipsy once in a while.'

 

Her comments have attracted criticism from many parenting websites (www.mumsnet.com, www.babycentre.co.uk) and a raft of newspapers. There's a Facebook campaign urging Blundell to apologise, and the Press Complaints Commission has received six complaints. Much of the backlash objects to the tone of Blundell's article, claiming it's unsupportive of breastfeeding, warns vulnerable mothers off the practice and contributes to the body-conscious, youth-obsessed culture surrounding women.

 

Although Blundell acknowledges the health benefits of breastfeeding, she goes onto argue, 'even the convenience and supposed health benefits of breast milk couldn't induce me to stick my nipple in a bawling baby's mouth.' She asserts that her breasts or 'fun bags' are part of her sexuality, and 'seeing your baby latching on where only a lover has been before feels, well, a little creepy.'

 

Editor of Mother & Baby, Miranda Levy, has said that her magazine does support breastfeeding, that the article mirrored Blundell's own personal experiences and that she has received emails 'applauding [Blundell's] "refreshing" point of view: we have made readers feel 'normal' and less of a 'failure' for not managing to breastfeed.'

 

Here at at home, we believe that breastfeeding is a personal choice each mother must make, and one that she should not be pressured into. Although Blundell branding breastfeeding as 'creepy' could be considered an extreme perspective to what is often regarded as 'the most natural thing in the world', what is ultimately important is, no matter what your stance in the breastfeeding vs bottle debate, that women have the right and the freedom to choose how to feed their baby.

Picture kindly from here