Political Post: Of Corporate Boycotts and the Politics of Motherhood
Okay, let's talk breastfeeding. Disclaimer: as a member of the breastfeeding I need to throw out that if this is being talked about over there, I am not aware of it. I haven't actually read the community since I posted there a few weeks ago, and the rules make it expressly clear that discussions which take place there are not permitted to be cross-posted to personal journals. So if this topic is being talked about over there, I have no knowledge of it, and came into this information via Feministing, which I read every.single.morning.
Anyway, I digress.
Over the years, I've definitely grown "crunchier." This is impressive, given my background in the Bible Belt. Still, looking back on it, I was always somewhat unconventional. I became a vegetarian at age 10 due to a noted conscientious of thinking beyond my plate. I found the methods used to kill animals abhorrent and wrong. I vowed to recycle and worked diligently to start a recycling program at my elementary school. My yearbook from that time was filled with comments from my teachers about how I would absolutely make a difference someday, phrases I didn't understand until years later.
My real calling is, and likely always has been (whether I realized it or not) Feminism. I've picked pet causes under that umbrella, from reproductive justice to sexual empowerment. And since I've been pregnant, a key element to continuing to facilitate that ideological growth is studying and applying the intersectionality of Feminism with pregnancy and motherhood. I've found pregnancy both a gratifying and complicated experience in terms of empowerment, due in no small part to the culture wars being fought under the mantle of motherhood that often seem to conflict with the messages of Feminism.
No more is this more true than breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is, in my opinion, the single most politicizing (and polarizing) element of pregnancy and initial child-rearing, which I think happens for a few reasons.
First, breastfeeding represents a class privilege that doesn't exist in many other parts of the world. Formula was developed as an alternative for those who couldn't breastfeed for a myriad of reasons, but also to address the growing needs of our rushed, workforce women. During the Second Wave of Feminism, when activists worked to dispense with the idea of pregnant women requiring a special "disabled" status, formula became a particularly attractive option as employers looked to avoid providing the accommodations that would have been required if pregnancy was recognized as even a temporary disability. Rather than pumping on lunch breaks or in between client conferences, working mothers could simply stick a can of formula in the diaper bag and be done with it. But in cultures where women are not predominantly in the work force, breastfeeding is exclusive. More than likely, this also partially accounts for the paradox of why breastfeeding is often stigmatized as "lower class."
Additionally, formula feeding is largely touted as more convenient, often in response to the reminder that most doctors believe breastfeeding to be best. There's some truth to that--breastfeeding requires the establishment of a nursing relationship that can take weeks to build, versus the short amount of time it takes to dump some scoops of powder into the hot water of a bottle. It can be an attractive option to tired parents who are having some trouble adjusting to their roles as "mom" or "dad." But the idea of convenience, at least in regards to child-rearing, is just as controversial; there's a real push (on mothers, especially) to live and die for your child. To do anything but what is in their best interest is seen as unforgivably selfish, with the idea being that you brought that cluster of cells into being and must now accept your convenience is, totally and completely, no longer a factor in anything. To go for convenience over the health of your child is blaspheming the cult of parenthood.
Finally, as is generally the case with all things involving women, there is a real attraction to engaging in competitions. Much like being the first sister to marry, the patriarchy continues to promote this idea that pregnancy and how one opts to feed her children is something that should be used as a rubric of measure. It's one reason why women tend to be so firmly in one camp or the other, at least when it comes to breastfeeding, and willing to dismiss the other side, when in the spirit of female unity, both options should be discussed, validated and accepted.
This post is stemming from the boycott over the Old Navy "Formula Powered" onesie. Lactivists are insisting it's more corporate advertising for formula companies, and as is so often the case with issues that divide women, there's a lot of accusations being thrown around about who is holding which bottom dollar and which side attempts to shame women less.
There's a lot of legitimate argument to be had about how mothers get shamed, regardless of what choice they make. There's tremendous pressure to feed your child in accordance with other people's views. While the conventional wisdom insists that breast is best, formula companies pepper mailboxes of new and expectant mothers with free samples of formula and hundreds of coupons. Breastfeeding women are thought of as low-class while those that opt for bottle feeding are generally called selfish. It's like you can't win regardless of what stance you do take.
While I don't think the onesie is worth a boycott (because, in my opinion, it seems to be playing on the insanely popular racing trend rather than the actual "bottle versus breast" debate) it is worth discussing. Why do we have such rigid social expectations in place that we continue to support entrenching dichotomies between women? Isn't the real power in womanhood, specifically as advocated by the Feminist movement, about choice?
The reality is, not all women will be able to breast feed. There are any number of medical conditions that make this an impossibility, not to mention how unfriendly our corporate world is to the working mother who wants to nurse her child, but is forbidden from doing so by unsympathetic practices and the lack of legal protection to do so, once she's returned to the workforce. But even that notwithstanding, why isn't the simple fact that a mother chooses not to breastfeed acceptable grounds not to judge her? Isn't it patriarchal, inherently, to assume we know what is better for her and her child than she does? Conversely, what right do we have to tell women to cover up if they're nursing their newborn in public?
I will say that I think the formula side of things tends to be winning the culture war. Advocates for breastfeeding are generally, well, breastfeeding mothers. But the "pro-formula" movement has considerably more resources, and I do think formula companies have waged a successful campaign to undermine women's confidence in their ability to breastfed. Similac, for example, recently launched a helpline that mothers can call if they're having trouble with breastfeeding. Are we really supposed to believe one of the world's largest infant formula companies is going to set aside their interest in profit to help would-be nursing mothers get a better grip on the breastfeeding thing? Not to mention the solicitation-by-mail that results in millions of ounces of formula being distributed to new and expectant mothers every month.
It's that last item that really gets to me, by the way. Every possible source that could have lifted my name and address to spam me with such solicitation in the first place knows damn well I intend to breastfeed. And while it probably isn't a bad idea to have a can of formula or two on hand should I ever need to supplement (which I'm going to work very hard to avoid) I nevertheless do not appreciate having my mailbox stuffed to the gills with coupons I don't intend to use and more formula than I know what to do with. Nobody from the La Leche League came to my house to wiggle their breasts in my face as a way of convincing me that breastfeeding would be the right option; where do these companies get off thinking that women will be dazzled by freebies so as to completely disregard even evaluating other choices?
To a certain extent, women would do well to recognize the instigators of this cultural battle are really at war with each other. Formula companies are driven by the need to turn a profit, but the La Leche League has their own agenda. Attacking each other is fine for them, but those of us not directly involved beyond how we're feeding our young need to quit interjecting ourselves into the middle of it. Of course, I am persuaded by and even believe in the argument that the personal is political, and when it comes to our children, we tend to be particularly combative anyway. But turning on other women won't help either the pro-breastfeeding cause or the cause to avoid shaming women for choosing formula.
So, I won't be boycotting Old Navy, because I think that entrenches the stigma against women who formula feed, though I would like to know if the onesie is, in any way, shape or form, being underwritten by any of the formula companies. I'd be more inclined to boycott the store if it took a decisive stance (a onesie that said "Boobs are Yucky, Bottles are Yummy!" for example) that communicated a clear judgment of one side against the other. In the absence of that, I'll target the real problem: a lack of unity between all mothers in the face of corporate advertising and altruism.
Anyway, I digress.
Over the years, I've definitely grown "crunchier." This is impressive, given my background in the Bible Belt. Still, looking back on it, I was always somewhat unconventional. I became a vegetarian at age 10 due to a noted conscientious of thinking beyond my plate. I found the methods used to kill animals abhorrent and wrong. I vowed to recycle and worked diligently to start a recycling program at my elementary school. My yearbook from that time was filled with comments from my teachers about how I would absolutely make a difference someday, phrases I didn't understand until years later.
My real calling is, and likely always has been (whether I realized it or not) Feminism. I've picked pet causes under that umbrella, from reproductive justice to sexual empowerment. And since I've been pregnant, a key element to continuing to facilitate that ideological growth is studying and applying the intersectionality of Feminism with pregnancy and motherhood. I've found pregnancy both a gratifying and complicated experience in terms of empowerment, due in no small part to the culture wars being fought under the mantle of motherhood that often seem to conflict with the messages of Feminism.
No more is this more true than breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is, in my opinion, the single most politicizing (and polarizing) element of pregnancy and initial child-rearing, which I think happens for a few reasons.
First, breastfeeding represents a class privilege that doesn't exist in many other parts of the world. Formula was developed as an alternative for those who couldn't breastfeed for a myriad of reasons, but also to address the growing needs of our rushed, workforce women. During the Second Wave of Feminism, when activists worked to dispense with the idea of pregnant women requiring a special "disabled" status, formula became a particularly attractive option as employers looked to avoid providing the accommodations that would have been required if pregnancy was recognized as even a temporary disability. Rather than pumping on lunch breaks or in between client conferences, working mothers could simply stick a can of formula in the diaper bag and be done with it. But in cultures where women are not predominantly in the work force, breastfeeding is exclusive. More than likely, this also partially accounts for the paradox of why breastfeeding is often stigmatized as "lower class."
Additionally, formula feeding is largely touted as more convenient, often in response to the reminder that most doctors believe breastfeeding to be best. There's some truth to that--breastfeeding requires the establishment of a nursing relationship that can take weeks to build, versus the short amount of time it takes to dump some scoops of powder into the hot water of a bottle. It can be an attractive option to tired parents who are having some trouble adjusting to their roles as "mom" or "dad." But the idea of convenience, at least in regards to child-rearing, is just as controversial; there's a real push (on mothers, especially) to live and die for your child. To do anything but what is in their best interest is seen as unforgivably selfish, with the idea being that you brought that cluster of cells into being and must now accept your convenience is, totally and completely, no longer a factor in anything. To go for convenience over the health of your child is blaspheming the cult of parenthood.
Finally, as is generally the case with all things involving women, there is a real attraction to engaging in competitions. Much like being the first sister to marry, the patriarchy continues to promote this idea that pregnancy and how one opts to feed her children is something that should be used as a rubric of measure. It's one reason why women tend to be so firmly in one camp or the other, at least when it comes to breastfeeding, and willing to dismiss the other side, when in the spirit of female unity, both options should be discussed, validated and accepted.
This post is stemming from the boycott over the Old Navy "Formula Powered" onesie. Lactivists are insisting it's more corporate advertising for formula companies, and as is so often the case with issues that divide women, there's a lot of accusations being thrown around about who is holding which bottom dollar and which side attempts to shame women less.
There's a lot of legitimate argument to be had about how mothers get shamed, regardless of what choice they make. There's tremendous pressure to feed your child in accordance with other people's views. While the conventional wisdom insists that breast is best, formula companies pepper mailboxes of new and expectant mothers with free samples of formula and hundreds of coupons. Breastfeeding women are thought of as low-class while those that opt for bottle feeding are generally called selfish. It's like you can't win regardless of what stance you do take.
While I don't think the onesie is worth a boycott (because, in my opinion, it seems to be playing on the insanely popular racing trend rather than the actual "bottle versus breast" debate) it is worth discussing. Why do we have such rigid social expectations in place that we continue to support entrenching dichotomies between women? Isn't the real power in womanhood, specifically as advocated by the Feminist movement, about choice?
The reality is, not all women will be able to breast feed. There are any number of medical conditions that make this an impossibility, not to mention how unfriendly our corporate world is to the working mother who wants to nurse her child, but is forbidden from doing so by unsympathetic practices and the lack of legal protection to do so, once she's returned to the workforce. But even that notwithstanding, why isn't the simple fact that a mother chooses not to breastfeed acceptable grounds not to judge her? Isn't it patriarchal, inherently, to assume we know what is better for her and her child than she does? Conversely, what right do we have to tell women to cover up if they're nursing their newborn in public?
I will say that I think the formula side of things tends to be winning the culture war. Advocates for breastfeeding are generally, well, breastfeeding mothers. But the "pro-formula" movement has considerably more resources, and I do think formula companies have waged a successful campaign to undermine women's confidence in their ability to breastfed. Similac, for example, recently launched a helpline that mothers can call if they're having trouble with breastfeeding. Are we really supposed to believe one of the world's largest infant formula companies is going to set aside their interest in profit to help would-be nursing mothers get a better grip on the breastfeeding thing? Not to mention the solicitation-by-mail that results in millions of ounces of formula being distributed to new and expectant mothers every month.
It's that last item that really gets to me, by the way. Every possible source that could have lifted my name and address to spam me with such solicitation in the first place knows damn well I intend to breastfeed. And while it probably isn't a bad idea to have a can of formula or two on hand should I ever need to supplement (which I'm going to work very hard to avoid) I nevertheless do not appreciate having my mailbox stuffed to the gills with coupons I don't intend to use and more formula than I know what to do with. Nobody from the La Leche League came to my house to wiggle their breasts in my face as a way of convincing me that breastfeeding would be the right option; where do these companies get off thinking that women will be dazzled by freebies so as to completely disregard even evaluating other choices?
To a certain extent, women would do well to recognize the instigators of this cultural battle are really at war with each other. Formula companies are driven by the need to turn a profit, but the La Leche League has their own agenda. Attacking each other is fine for them, but those of us not directly involved beyond how we're feeding our young need to quit interjecting ourselves into the middle of it. Of course, I am persuaded by and even believe in the argument that the personal is political, and when it comes to our children, we tend to be particularly combative anyway. But turning on other women won't help either the pro-breastfeeding cause or the cause to avoid shaming women for choosing formula.
So, I won't be boycotting Old Navy, because I think that entrenches the stigma against women who formula feed, though I would like to know if the onesie is, in any way, shape or form, being underwritten by any of the formula companies. I'd be more inclined to boycott the store if it took a decisive stance (a onesie that said "Boobs are Yucky, Bottles are Yummy!" for example) that communicated a clear judgment of one side against the other. In the absence of that, I'll target the real problem: a lack of unity between all mothers in the face of corporate advertising and altruism.