Strollerderby : breasts

What Should A Man Do While A Woman Breastfeeds

Brett Singer — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Scene: a toddler's birthday party. A father is chatting with a woman that he knows from the kids' pre-school. The woman is holding a baby.

The baby stirs. Opens her tiny mouth. Starts... what was the word again?

Oh! Right. Rooting. When they're hungry. That's it.

The woman starts to undo her shirt. Then her bra. She takes out her breast and the baby eagerly starts to eat.

OK dude. Now what?

I'm a fan of breastfeeding in general. I don't think anyone should be pressured into doing it but I believe that it's healthy for the baby, and if the mother is able to do it, that's great. I also believe that women should be able to breastfeed wherever they want. (Maybe not on a Broadway stage while the show is going on, or even in the audience of the theater while the show is going on. But the lower lobby? Sure.) So this isn't about that.

The question is, which is more offensive? Looking? Or looking away?

I don't have an answer, so I'm curious what our readers think. In general it seems rude to head for ze hills as soon as the little one starts her liquid lunch. On the other hand, if I'm standing and the woman is seated, it's difficult to talk to her without seeing her breast. Which in any other situation is considered quite rude. This isn't a sexual thing. I don't think breastfeeding is hot, or inappropriate, or anything of that sort. At the same time I don't know how a woman feels about being on display like that. Or even if they feel on display at all.

So. Help me out here! What's the right thing to do?

(Public) Breastfeeding Now Legal in Massachusetts!

Nursing Mom Calls for Breastpump Ban

Jamie Foxx Jokes Miley Cyrus Should Make A Sex Tape

Did Sarah Palin Know That Bristol Was Sleeping With Levi?

Girl Scouts Use Cookie Money For Soldier's Care Package

They Say: Early Pacifier Use Can Undermine Breastfeeding

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:31:00 GMT

Some parents swear by them, some swear at them, but pacifiers are a nearly universal symbol of babyhood. Now a new study by Danish researchers suggests what many have warned, that early use of pacifiers can be associated with shorter duration of breastfeeding. The study looked at data from visiting nurses who assess and assist all new mothers in Denmark, typically in the family's home around eight days after birth. The health visitors, specially trained in breastfeeding issues, specifically noted whether the baby was being offered a pacifier; two-thirds were.

Published reports about the study are notably light on details. But apparently the Danish study authors noted that early pacifier use correlated with shorter breastfeeding duration, and have advised that mothers wishing to nurse their babies should hold off on offering the pacifier in the first few weeks after birth.

At most U.S. hospitals, nurses still use pacifiers -- without parental notification or consent -- in the earliest hours and days of a baby's life. I'm fairly certain this was the case where my children were born (although nobody ever mentioned it to me one way or the other, the tiny green newborn Soothie was always right there in the bassinet). My kids were both massive nursers and refused the pacifier at home (they also refused bottles), so I don't believe their early introduction interrupted our nursing relationship; that said, it would be interesting to see a study of this sort in the U.S. Some lactation consultants here warn against their use, citing nipple confusion issues, but others hail them as a way for a baby to get its suck on while your nipples rest.

What do you say? Do pacifiers help or hinder the nursing cause?

More by this author:

Boomer Grandmothers: Out Of Control?

Move Over, Booties! Here Come Knitted Boobies

Think Your Baby's Car Seat Is Safe? Think Again

California Daycare Closed; Worker Was Mocking Kids' Genitals

Move Over Booties! Here Come Knitted Boobies!

Kate Tuttle — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:30:00 GMT

From England, a new and crafty way to promote breastfeeding: a competition in which knitters create faux breasts. The contest is called Tit-Bit for Knitters, and is a project of the Trading Standards, a government agency that oversees trade, consumer, and food issues, in the town of Wigan, just outside Manchester.

Part of a larger governmental push to get more British moms breastfeeding, the Tit-Bit contest has already attracted some attention, according to Julie Middlehurst, a spokesperson for the Wigan Trading Standards. From the article:

"It's a bit of a joke but there's a serious message behind it. There isn't a huge up-take of breastfeeding nationally and it's the same in Wigan. Around 15% of mothers in Wigan who start breastfeeding stop after a few weeks.

"We're hoping to get people talking about the issue. We've had quite a few entries already, which are all different shape, sizes and colours."

Any Babble readers who find themselves in or around Wigan can still submit their knitted boobies, up to the April 3 deadline. Winners will be chosen, according to the news article, for qualities such as "most eye-catching, the most realistic and the largest number knitted."

More by this author:

Think Your Baby's Car Seat Is Safe? Think Again

California Daycare Closed; Worker Was Mocking Kids' Genitals

"Angels in Waiting" Apparently Still Waiting

Bad Science: How The Autism Vaccine Scare Snowballed

Did Salma Hayek’s Breastfeeding an African Child Mean the End of Man’s Inhumanity to Man?

Cole Gamble — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

If you’ve read The Grapes of Wrath, you’ll remember the book ends with Rose of Sharon Joad, still grieving her stillborn baby, breastfeeding a starving man. Any English teacher will tell you by having Rose of Sharon give of her most valuable gift after all the tragedy she’d endured, Steinbeck is commenting on man’s capacity to extend humanity to his fellow man in even the bleakest of circumstances and how collective sharing is the only way out of despair.

So here’s my question, is Salma Hayek much of a reader?

Much has been made about Hayek’s breastfeeding of a starving African child, an action that seemed more impulsive than premeditated. The lovely Ada wrote a piece at Time noting Hayek’s action might bring about a change of perception about breastfeeding in Africa, where men denounce it because it interferes with their sex life.

Could Hayek’s action also be the first symbolic salvo in America’s commitment to Africa’s future? (Yes, I am aware Hayek is not American, whatever) Many critics accuse our country of doing too little to help the depressed people of Africa, and those critics are likely right. One of my favorite examples is how the Bush administration planned to tackle the AIDs epidemic in Africa by giving the people abstinence training (guess no one told Bush a big source of AIDS spreading in Africa is rape. Why won’t those darn rapists just abstain?) Forgive me for making a somewhat stretch literary analogy, but the Salma Hayek BFing incident conjured The Grapes of Wrath to my mind and made me think that perhaps in the new administration we will take a more active role in helping Africans out of the horrors they face every day.

Too much of a stretch??

Salma Hayek Shines Spotlight on Breastfeeding Taboos

More by this Author:

6 Reasons My Toddler is a Total Buttwipe

10 (Dumb) Ways to Get Pregnant

14-Year-Old Pregnant Girl Arrested for Drunk Driving

They Say: More Abuse, Neglect Among Bottle-Feeding Mothers

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:01:00 GMT

The nutritional and health benefits of breastfeeding are, of course, well-known, as is the general medical recommendation that nursing is the overall best method of feeding one's baby. Most research on breast versus bottle focuses on physical health and wellbeing, from allergies to asthma to obesity -- but what if the choice has ramifications beyond the actual realm of feeding?

A new study out of Australia reports that failure to breastfeed one's baby is associated with higher levels of infant maltreatment, including neglect, emotional and physical abuse, and sexual molestation. Researchers looking at a longitudinal study of nealry 6,000 mothers and their children found that mothers who did not nurse were 3.8 times more likely to mistreat their children than those who did, and that the duration of breastfeeding had an effect on those numbers.

From the article:

They found that of the 1421 women who did not breastfeed their children in the group, 102 women - or 7.2 per cent - neglected or abused their child in some way. This compared with 4.8 per cent of the 2584 women who breastfed for less than four months and 1.6 per cent of the 2616 women who breastfed for more than four months.

What are we to make of this? Does the very act of nursing a baby elicit feelings that would tend to mitigate against any otherwise present urges to hurt or neglect her? Is the bonding that takes place over a Boppy really that powerful? Or is it a case of correlation, not caustion, with mothers in the groups least likely to breastfeed -- poor, young, less well-educated -- also at risk for abuse and neglect for environmental reasons?

I'm as big a proponent of nursing as anyone I know, but even I have a hard time believing that breastfeeding alone is the decisive factor in whether or not one mistreats a child. And while I'd like to see data from studies like this used to help promote breastfeeding among populations where strong advocacy is useful, I'm worried it will be used, instead, to further alienate or villify those mothers who are most in need of hearing positive reasons to breastfeed. What do you think? Is there a way to read this that doesn't feel judgmental and divisive?

More by this author:

Does Obama's Election Mean Black Kids Now Have "No Excuses"?

Would You Toilet-Train Your Child On National TV?

Biracial Twins -- Is One "Black" and One "White"?

Death by Peanut: Epidemic or Urban Myth?

Is This Baby Obese? Aussie Mom Says No

Are Facebook Breastfeeding Advocates Being Too Prudish?

Miriam Axel-Lute — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:35:00 GMT

I participated in the whole "Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene" event. And I'll admit that even though I tend to think it's a good sign when people who disagree on other things can unite around some common ground, I was still deeply creeped out by the supporters who posted things like "I mean, I wouldn't want my kids to see those icky Facebook ads where two girls kiss, but breastfeeding is natural and God-approved so that should be OK."

Marty Klein takes that a step further, arguing that the Facebook campaign organizers are shooting themselves in the foot by trying to position breastfeeding pictures as "good nudity" as opposed to those pictures that really are obscene, rather than taking a more broad anti-censorship stance. He writes: "Your right to watch South Park ultimately depends on someone else’s right to go to a strip club. Your right to breast-feed in public ultimately depends on someone else’s right to buy a vibrator. MILC [Mothers International Lactation Campaign] may be willing to sacrifice 'real' obscenity like CSI or swing clubs to keep its own photos acceptable, but this short-sighted strategy has never worked."

I have a mixed reaction to this. In a general way, I understand and support Klein's philosophy. I believe freedom of speech for those I disagree with so we all have it and all that. I don't find nudity to be dangerous and while there's plenty of stuff out there I have no interest in seeing or having my kids see, I don't like anyone else drawing the line about what is "obscene" for me. Far too much of that goes on. And unless you're going to limit your cause to fully-latched-on photos (which they weren't), it does start to be a little silly to say "That same breast would be obscene if there weren't an infant somewhere in the shot."

On the other hand, I think there is a value in fighting against the ideas that breastfeeding is somehow sexual and that it ought to be kept private, and I think that's not entirely the same discussion as who should get to draw lines about the publicness of things that many/most find to be sexual.

And, as even Klein notes, Facebook is a private company that can do what it wants to do. I think it's perfectly reasonable for a group of consumers to call it on its hypocritical set of standards about what it considers acceptable in its pictures, without deciding to engage in a larger free-speech fight.

I also note that on the group's official petition, while they do refer to there being photos on Facebook that are "really obscene," they don't explicitly call on Facebook to step up policing them instead, as Klein implies (even if plenty of the commenters do).

What do you think? Should breastfeeding advocates set themselves up as "special case" nudity or fight for our right to bare our chests?

Photo from the Journal de Montréal.

Facebook Mothers Fight Breastfeeding Ban

More by this author:

Uncover Your Nipples! 7 Gems from the Mouths of Nursing Toddlers

Miriam Axel-Lute — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Every mother who has nursed past a year has heard someone's opinion that "Once they're old enough to ask for it, they're too old." This is, from health and evolution standpoints, absurd.

But especially in a culture that's still a little iffy on being made too aware of breastfeeding at all, the fact remains that having a verbal nursing kid can lead to some, ahem, interesting moments. They fall into a few key categories:

Baby Talk: Too Much or Too Little

1. "Num-nums!" "Oobies!" "Boob!" "Nu-nu!" There's no better way to realize that you have, despite your pre-parental protestations, incorporated sickeningly cutesy baby talk into your everyday vocabulary than to have it shouted at you in public and realize you're going to have to respond as if those words were language, and possibly even speak them yourself.

2. "Mama snacks!" "Hello nipple!" "Where's your breast?" Or the gourmet who says "Yum!" whenever he passes by the bras at Target. Some toddlers don't just nurse, they are vocal and articulate nursing enthusiasts. Some times so pointed that it's verbal equivalent of saying "damn the discreet cover-up." Which is fine. Except of course it was your kid's choice, not yours.

Your Words Out of Their Mouths

3. Version A: The politeness backfire. "Ask, nurse, please?" says one kid. "Hi. Milk. Smile," said mine for a while, betraying our attempts to explain what, beyond the technical words, constituted asking nicely.
4. Version B: Crossed wires. One mother reports that after training her son out of bad nursing behavior (oh, the dreaded twiddling) by repeatedly telling him he was all done with that, now he asks to nurse by saying hopefully "All done? All done?" (Bet she gets the "He wants to wean and you're not letting him!" treatment.)

The "Other Side" Confusion

4. "Side! I want side!" I thought it was a funny fluke that my daughter's younger friend picked up on her saying "other side" and began calling nursing "side." But apparently he's far from alone. That doesn't mean that anyone hearing will think it makes any sense though.

Parenting Shortcuts Exposed

5. Many of us have tried the squirting-breastmilk-on-an-oozing-eye trick. Whether or not it works, it gave my daughter the idea that she wanted milk squirted on her every injury. Once she got this in her head, a symbolic waving of a bare nipple across the offended limb was placebo enough to make almost anything instantly all better, so I played along out of laziness. Until, that is, I was on the sidewalk with a kid with a scrape who was screaming "Mommmmy! Milk on my knee! No! Milk on my knee!"

The Mini-Domme

6. "I'm going to open you up!" It's one thing to have a kid determinedly lifting your shirt before you've said it's OK. It's another when it comes with a declaration worthy of a TV surgeon. Of course that's better than . . .

7. "Uncover your nipples!" It's not as bad as it sounds, as she usually means it as a contrast to my having drawn the covers up over us in bed for a falling-asleep nurse, but I admit that I'm not-so-secretly hoping this one never leaves the house.

I'm sure I and mothers I heard these from are not alone. What has your nursing Baby Einstein come out with?

(Images were submissions to the Mothering breastfeeding icon contest.)

More by this author:

Related articles:

UK Schools To Teach About Breastfeeding in Kindergarten

Kate Tuttle — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:31:00 GMT

Facing falling rates of women who even attempt to nurse their newborns, local officials in Liverpool, England, are launching an educational program to introduce students, some as young as five years old, to the idea of breastfeeding. Early lessons would use diagrams and include the material in "general discussions about growing up," while students in high school would be visited by actual nursing mothers. Boys will be part of the curriculum because school officials acknowlege that male opposition is a factor in women's rejection of breastfeeding.

Two things shock me about this idea. One, that it's possible to go forward with this kind of endeavor in England, while in the US you'd face rampant objections from all sides. And two, that a breastfeeding rate of "just one third" is considered particularly low. The current US rate is something like 70% upon leaving the hospital, but less than a third at three months. It's too bad our culture wouldn't allow such a program here; we could use it.

More by this author:

Is This Baby Obese? Aussie Mom Says No
Baby Nearly Starves to Death, Diluted Formula to Blame
Grandmother’s Right? Or Totally Obnoxious?
Health Scam: Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Mama’s Got a Brand New Bag

Best of FameCrawler: Week of November 7th

Whit Honea — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Obama Elected 44th President of the United States!

Brooke Burke Says She's Married...More Kids, Please!

Sarah Palin Gets Crank Pranked But Good (Video! And Palin Response! GOD THIS IS FUN!)

Jemaine Clement Has A Son

Rahm Emanuel is Now Part of Barack Obama's Entourage (Photos)

Colbert, Stewart and Obama: The Tears of a Clown(s)

Brad Pitt's Parents Don't Want to See Angelina's Boobs

Is Taylor Swift Pregnant?

Salma Hayek Is A Thief

Did A Celebrity Convince You To Vote?

Michelle Obama is a Work of Art

Baby Brother For Suri Cruise?

Father and Daughter Battle Breast Cancer Together

JeanneSager — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Usually the doc wants to know about mom and grandma when they ask for any history of breast cancer in the family. But men can get breast cancer too - a statistic that's rare, but not rare enough for Arnaldo Silva. The 58-year-old New Yorker found a lump in late 2006. A few months later, his daughter got the news that she, too, had breast cancer.

Vanessa Silva and her dad went through masectomies together after a blood test showed he had the breast cancer "gene." That's when Vanessa went for her own tests, which came back positive. They went through chemotherapy together. In late 2007, Vanessa, 32, was finished with treatment and declared "in remission." Her father got similar news in early 2008.

Like most of the nearly 1,800 men diagnosed with breast cancer every year, Arnaldo didn't think he could get breast cancer - because he doesn't have breasts. "That's the way I took it, I have no breasts," he told ABC News. But as one popular 2005 book reminded us, men have nipples . . . and that means they have breasts too.

And as the ABC News doc points out, man boobs have nothing to do with it (although if you have them, we have one solution). "It doesn't matter how skinny you are. It doesn't matter how heavy you are," Dr. Sharon Rosenbaum Smith said. "All men have breast tissue and can develop a breast cancer."

So Dads, it's time to join your partners in feeling yourself up once a month. Do it for your daughters. And your sons.

Image: ABC News

What Won't Men Do With a Diaper?

Students Suspended for Hair Dyed Pink in Honor of School Nurse's Battle with Breast Cancer

Losing Your Hair? Blame Mom . . . and Dad

Saggy Mom Boobs Get a Lift! Carry It Off with the Cleavage Caddy

Students Suspended for Hair Dyed Pink in Honor of School Nurse's Battle with Breast Cancer

JeanneSager — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:27:00 GMT

It was a rare show of selflessness for a bunch of middle school students, but showing up with strips of pink in their hair last week earned a dozen Indiana pre-teens suspension. The kids said they were doing it in honor of the school nurse who recently passed away after a battle with breast cancer.

Their parents are refusing to make the kids wash the pink out of their hair, but the school is firm. Dyed hair, says the principal, is distracting.

No doubt the kids went about their impromptu remembrance - which for some kids was also a tribute to moms who've fought the battle and won - the wrong way. If you know hair dye is against the rules, why not slip on pink armbands or wear pink ribbons in your hair? Maybe approaching administration with the plan to begin with would have enabled a school-wide dispensation for the day to honor a faculty member who teachers must be mourning as well. Interviewed on camera, the principal expressed his regret for having to stick to the rules - he thinks it's a good idea. But the rules are the rules - no dyed hair.

You can't fault a principal for requiring every kid follow the same rules. But you can fault the rule.

It's just hair. Is it distracting in the morning when a kid shows up with blue hair? Yes. But show me something that won't get a bunch of hormonal pre-teens riled up. Exactly. Do we have to worry about kids flashing gang colors in schools today? Unfortunately, yes. But tell me how it's any different to have it in a hair streak than a barrette. It's just hair, which I'd rather kids were talking about then picking on the fat kid or spreading rumors that turn a girl into the class slut. It's just hair, which I'd rather my kid were playing with than drugs, booze or guns to get my attention.

When kids want to get attention, I'd like to see them doing it in positive ways - like joining up to dye their hair pink for breast cancer awareness. So maybe we could stop telling kids what they can't do and start telling them what they can do?

Image: WSBT

Teenager Arrested For Kiddie Porn - The Pictures Were of Herself

Gym Teacher Likes Girls A Little Too Much

Part II: Why Parents of Boys Have It Better (And Why They Don't)

Halloween Costume Confession: Why it Pays to be the Cheapskate Mom

Saggy Mom Boobs Get a Lift! Carry It Off with the Cleavage Caddy

Morning News: Despite Damning Report, Palin Says 'See, I've Been Cleared!'

Saggy Mom Boobs Get a Lift! Carry It Off with the Cleavage Caddy

JeanneSager — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:29:00 GMT

Do your nipples hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Have heart Mom, the baby bra size drop means you're just a better candidate to tote stuff in your tatas! Thanks to the folks at Lemondrop, I have found the seasons hot new tote - and those eco-friendly grocery bags have got nothing on this mama.

Having handed the girls over to our kids during the breastfeeding days, who knows better than Mom that we've got to put the fun in functional? The Cleavage Caddy offers extra space to stow your valuables, and maybe make Mom look boobylicious once again?

At the very least, the lace on the top of the bra insert is 100 percent sexier than the diaper bag where you're used to storing your credit card these days. At the worst? When you're reaching down to snatch some cash to pay for your coffee, you know the clerk won't be staring at the puke stain on your shoulder.

Image: Mazantri Creations

Mother's Milk - Good Enough for Ben, but What About Jerry?

Stuff Parents Dream About: Life Without Play-Doh

Gender's Up to Five-Year-Old Hermaphrodite, Not Parents

Palin and Biden's Love Child - Take a Look

Mob Mol Who Smuggled Sperm Says Prison System Hates Her Child for Being Born

Five-Year-Old Catches STD From Dad's Towel?

They Say: Dads Cheat, but Not for Sex

The Etiquette of Boobs

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Chow.com's Helena Echlin is the internet's answer to Emily Post. There is no topic too sacred for Echlin to tackle. Is it OK to eat on the subway? She can tell you. Can you ask friends to bring their own cups (the drinking kind, that is)? She's got you covered. Her advice is always well reasoned and sensible, which means that she is almost always ticking someone off.

Recently, Echlin took on breastfeeding at a restaurant. Her stance is that if the kid is hungry, mom should feed it. If the sight of a bared breast makes diners uncomfortable, then that is their problem, not the mom's.

In the comments, of course, is where all of the boobs come out. Some stop short of suggesting that moms always stay home. Some just can't handle seeing a breast with a baby on it. Some are more ticked off when mom give her baby a bottle of formula, rather than doing it the old fashioned way.

Which just goes to show you that moms -- especially new moms -- can't do much of anything "right" because no one can agree on what "right" actually is. Try to look at it as liberating.

The bra for your butt

Brett Singer — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Remember the manzier aka "The Bro" from Seinfeld? That was a joke. But the Brum, a bra for the female heiny, is real.

Yahoo! Shine covers (no pun intended) this latest trend in undergarments. As Jennifer Romolini puts it, "Butt is the new boobs. In fact, the hottest look in lingerie is actually something let's call butt cleavage and the best way to show off your butt cleavage is with a Brum."

BlackBook magazine offers further insight: "Anal cleavage has gained popularity this century with the rise of low-cut jeans (or should I say descent), the emergence of the whale tale, and most recently, posterior-revealing lingerie."

One of the two times I've been lucky enough to fly first class (frequent flier miles people – save them) I shared the flight with Victoria's Secret uber-model Adriana Lima. When we arrived in New York, Lima stood up and pulled her jeans down so that they revealed a little bit of what, on a fat guy, would be called Plumber Butt. On her, it was, well, something else. As far as I can recall she wasn't wearing ass-enhancing undies, but this was a few years ago so who knows. (And before someone says, "why were you looking at her butt?" it was first class, it was a small cabin, and she looked at me first! OK, no she didn't.) The point of the story is that there are indeed women who like to show off a little of what they've got going on back there (especially in New York, I guess), but is there a need for a specific piece of clothing to help them do it? I always thought that the thong was the preferred garment for showing your nether-cheeks. In fact, the Brum seems to cover more rear acreage than the traditional thong, although that could be in order to push out certain areas.

One commenter on Shine says that this is no different from the Miracle Bra, but to my male eyes it seems a little different. This also isn't the first product to act as a tush-pusher; Shine also covered Booty Pop panties, which are designed to make your booty POP(!).

So. IS this any different from a Miracle Bra? And would you wear a Brum?

image: BlackBook via Shine

Ohh, Baby - Orgasmic Birth Video

The Bro from Seinfeld (Daddytips.com)

Attack of the Strippers

Mrs. And Mrs. DeGeneres, and a male perspective on the name game

They Say: Incest Is Best?

Childfree and B*tchy. Why Yes You Are

Greenhouse: Harnessing the Awesome Power of Boobs

Amy Kuras — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:02:00 GMT

We know boobs are powerful. In my younger days I never had to wait for a drink while at the bar (my less endowed friends would have me make the drink runs) and now, well, I have two pudgy, well-nourished babies to my credit.

But the idea that boobs can actually generate power? Like, electricity? That never occurred to me, until I saw this article from Slate blogged all over the place today. Writer Adrienne So spoke with a sports bra expert, nanotechnology guy and someone who made a backpack that uses kinetic energy to power itself to see if the bouncy-bouncy of reasonably good sized breasts during vigorous exercise could generate enough power to, say, keep your iPod charged through a workout.

It's possible, just not easy, it turns out. A D-cup in a low support bra can move 35 inches – that’s right, almost THREE FEET – up and down during vigorous excise, and breasts also move side to side and back and forth. There's a lot of, um, jiggle there –but harnessing it with a sports bra, which has to be comfortable and washable, proved a challenge. Plus, you have to hit the right balance of a bra that controls motion enough to be comfortable but allows enough to generate power.

I have no idea how much power a iPod actually takes to charge, so I have no idea if such a device would make much of a dent in sustainability. But if it would make some of these women I see at the gym harness those ladies already (seriously, it's all I can do to not march over and just wordlessly hand them a Title 9 catalogue) it would be all to the good.

Pregcellent: Are Breastfeeding Extremists Endangering Babies?

Kelly Mills — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:03:00 GMT

The Daily Mail has this typically hysterical and annoying headline for a recent story: "No, breast ISN'T always best for baby...whatever the extremists tell you". Ba ba buuuum. That's right, lactation consultants pose major threats to infant health and welfare! Talk about selling a story. But then the article goes on to cover the views of Clare Byam-Cook, a retired midwife who has helped loads of people (including Kate Winslet and Helena Bonham-Carter--celebrity nipple alert!) learn to breastfeed. And frankly, I think she has some good things to say.

Byam-Cook says some midwives are so dogmatic that they simply push breastfeeding, meaning moms with problems doing so end up with underfed and dehydrated. She also believes not all women can breastfeed or produce sufficient milk, and that in some cases a bottle of formula is not equal to giving your baby poison. And she notes that in addition to teaching women proper breastfeeding technique, we ought to give some instruction in how to bottle-feed and properly prepare formula, just in case.

I'm somewhat suspicious of the idea that there's a zealous conspiracy of midwives, and I don't particularly love many formula makers either. But as someone who spent twelve hours in the hospital with a wailing infant, waiting for my milk to come in, I was saved by a nurse who helped me rig a breastfeeding tube on my boobs to deliver, yes, formula. My kid went on to breastfeed for two years (which was one year longer than I wanted, honestly, but hey, we do what we do.) And while I think it's more the media than the midwives who paint breastfeeding as the only option for a mother who loves her baby, I'd love to see more respect for people's choices. Sure, breastfeeding should be encouraged and taught and we ought to be able to do it in public. But some people try and just can't do it, for any number of reasons. It isn't always feasible, and you shouldn't have to reap massive judgment from others for pulling out a bottle. Oh, and while we are at it, could we get some bottles that are free from plastic chemical freakiness?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of May 16th

Whit Honea — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Angelina Jolie is a Big, Fat Liar!!

You Can Spot A Pregnant Britney By The Size Of Her Handbag

Five Hottest Pregnant Celebrities

Beyoncé Is Pregnant and Packing On The Pounds

Claudia Schiffer Topless!

Angelina's Pregnant Bikini Bod - Can We Hate Her?

Survivor Finale: Baby Scandal!

Let's Talk About Ashlee Simpson's Boobs!

Best of FameCrawler: Week of May 9th

Whit Honea — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Hello, Harlow!

Sheyla Hershey's Got Big (Size FFF) Dreams

Nicole Kidman: DUMPED

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Post Baby Bikini Bod!

Secrets of How Celebrity Moms Lost Their Baby Weight

Britney Finally Gets Her Boys

Oh My God That Britney's Shameless: Oops, She Did It AGAIN?

Pregnant Posh! Beckham Baby on the Way!

Sarah Jessica Parker's Pregnancy News!

Laura Fay Is N.Y. Rep. Vito Fossella's Baby Mama

Best of FameCrawler: Week of May 2nd

Whit Honea — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair Photos: Annie Leibovitz Speaks

Oprah Reveals Scoop On Tom Cruise Interview

Jessica Alba- A Bra Would Only Slow Her Down

Lourdes Looks Like A Young Angelina Jolie?

Claudia Shiffer and Daughter Clementine

Melissa Joan Hart Has Her Pre-Baby Body Back

Kate Hudson Tops People's Most Beautiful People List

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Married...and Expecting?

Courteney Cox Getting Baby Help from Friend

More Halle Berry Post Baby Body Pics!

Padded Bras for Eight-Year-Olds

Kelly Mills — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:31:00 GMT

You remember Tesco: The people who brought you the pole dancing kit for kids (later pulled following protestations from many groups,) and the onesies for babies who need to be anxious about their weight. Now Tesco is getting flack for a new item: Padded bras for kids. The plunge cup bra is being sold next to undershirts for seven- and eight-year olds, and when they say "pre-teen" they apparently mean "pre-pre-teen". After all, bras for kids that young would have to be padded because the majority of those children don't even have boobs yet. Teachers and kids' rights groups are criticizing the bra, saying it's inappropriate and adds to the pressure girls have to be sexually alluring, even in childhood. Ya think?

And how does Tesco defend the controversial bra? A spokesperson says it's actually designed for "girls at that self-conscious age when they are just developing. It is designed to cover up, not flatter... It is described as a padded bra for trade description reasons." I'm guessing they mean the bra is supposed to keep budding girl breasts from showing--this is the best design they could come up with for that? Gawd, how depressing is it that we even have to discuss this. My favorite quote though is from the fashion guy who oposes the bra, and says, "The bra is modelled on a plunge style--it has a very low bridge connecting the cups. It means the shape and position is lower to expose the breast tissue." Expose the breast tissue? Uh huh. Remind me to throw all my demi-cup bras away immediately.

Strollerderby Playdate: Boobies and Blood

Adrienne Martini — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:00:00 GMT

I've just returned from a lovely playdate with Heather at Oh My Stinkin Heck. We had coffee. We played with Play-Doh and Webkinz. But, mostly, we griped about the video store.

What's wrong with getting a couple of flicks to watch with the kids on family night? Plenty. Once you manage to pass the gauntlet of candy near the registers, you have to explain all of the DVD cases that feature headless women with enormous breasts or horrified women covered in blood. Now that's entertainment.

It's not that the questions that your kids will ask are hard to answer -- it's just that so many times the older kids take video boxes as illustrations of how the world is and don't ask questions. While the pictures alone won't force the tweens into a Girl's Gone Wild gig, they do add to the climate.

But Heather is a mom after my own heart. Not a prude, just aware of how powerful images can be. I do have just one word of advice, however: Netflix.

Once Upon a Time, Boobies Weren't Bad

Kelly Mills — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:34:00 GMT

Apparently when Facebook banned photos of breastfeeding women, they were just following a grand old tradition. Utne reports that late medieval and Renaissance art often showed the Virgin Mary nursing the baby Jesus. Perhaps as long as nipple wasn't visible, it was okay. Oh, and the breast was supposed to represent God's love, and the milk salvation. Nowadays we are "enlightened" enough to know that the boob is porno and any milk transactions better happen under a big nursing cover, only son of God or not.

So what happened? Oh you know, by 1750 breasts were taboo, and the crucifixion scene became the more dominant symbol in art. Hey, at least you know when someone tries to sell you a holy relic--the blanket Mary used to cover Jesus when she nursed--it's probably bogus. And nice to think that we are more prudish in some ways than medieval folks.

Via the ever-wonderful Jezebel.

Boobies! Boobies! Boobies! Bouncing Back!

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Here at Strollederby, we're all about the boobs. No, not that way, pervs.

Our boob love is directed at those who know how to support them. No, still not that way, pervs.

Our hearts go out to those who do research about how a woman's chestular area moves during exercise, those who are designing super strong fabric for sports bras and even to the highly bizarre bounce-o-meter.

But for sheer hypnotic pleasure, the Bounce Test Sports Bra Videos are a sight to behold - and I thank Leslie at iVillage for pointing them out. Not only have I learned quite a bit about how different brands lift and separate, I feel like the running woman has become a close girlfriend.

I've never seen her face. Her boobs, however, I could pick out of a line-up.

Photo credit: AP

3-Year-Olds Getting Their Periods?

Madeline Holler — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:27:00 GMT

Here’s something you thought you’d never have to deal with: your 3-year-old going through puberty. Yet it’s a little more common than you think (though, mercifully, still pretty rare).

And it looks like something that doctors might overlook at the well-baby check ups. Somehow, the mothers in this story figured out that their daughters -- their preschoolers! -- we're thiiiiiis close to getting their periods, and then spent a good bit of time and energy convincing their pediatricians.

The average age of puberty for both boys and girls has lowered by two years over the past century.

From the Daily Mail: "In fact, a recent study showed that British girls today start their periods at an average age of ten years and three months, compared to 11 years nine months for their mothers and 12 years for their grandmothers."

But for an untold number, it's happening much earlier than that -- like around 8 years old. And still earlier for a tiny number of those -- at 3. Wow!

Called precocious puberty, endocrinologists don't know why some girls reach this very special time in their young lives at a very alarmingly time in their really young lives. But it can have lasting damages, not just physically -- bones aging rapidly, for example, but also emotionally. Kind of tough coaching a 3-year-old through the changes when she isn't all that facile with language, huh?

Even with the older ones -- like the 8-year-olds, it can be confusing and isolating, some women who developed early as girls say in the article. Plus, they're often much taller, have to use deodorant, get acne (or for boys, grow facial hair) or suffer from cramps when nobody else does.

The good news is that once early onset puberty is diagnosed, it can be controlled with medication, allowing time to catch up with the body and slowing the effects of the early onset puberty.

Momsquak talks about it briefly and trots out the hormones-in-meat theory, but comes to no conclusions. Still, makes you think. Makes you cross your fingers and think.

Photo: Daily Mail

Boobies! Boobies! Boobies!

Amy Kuras — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 22:03:00 GMT

Can I write a compelling post title or what? But sorry, guys this is about some of the unsexier aspects of the girls.

Sometime during college, I discovered about the most wonderful invention of all time. The sports bra. Finally, me and my big boobies could exercise, dance, and generally be active in public without the emotional and physical discomfort of The Dreaded Bounce.

Then I got into my 30s, and I gained some weight, and had a baby, and let's just say I have not yet met the sports bra that can do me right and my everyday bra wish list includes terms like "racheting" and "extra support." So the news that Australian researchers are working on a "intelligent" fabric that will sense the movement of breasts during activity and help bra manufacturers better target the support their products offer, made me very very happy.

According to the researchers, they tested out the fabric with two women, one a 36D and the other a 38 DD and had them both walk on a treadmill at 4 mph and 6 mph. At the lower speed, their breasts moved form 0.4 inch to a full inch while at higher speeds the smaller breasts moved a little more than two inches, while the larger breasts moved almost a quarter inch more.

OW.

According to our exercise guru Kelly, support is key not just to avoid the pain and embarrassment of too much bouncing, but because all that bobbing around actually damages the connective tissue. Leading to, well, more racheting.

Can't wait for these improvements in bra technology. Now if I can only find a nursing bra that looks pretty and holds the girls up.