Milkbug

We aren’t sure how this comment was supposed to stimulate debate – as breastfeeding is about feeding your baby and ensuring they are nourished and fed and not crying in hunger – whilst lovemaking is about satisfying a carnal desire….not a need like hunger!

Read below and tell us what you think……

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8654680/BBC-presenter-compares-breastfeeding-to-sex-in-public.html

The BBC has apologised after a local radio presenter compared breastfeeding in public to having sex in restaurant

The BBC has apologised after a local radio presenter compared breastfeeding in public to having sex in restaurant.

James Hazell hosted a debate about whether women should feel able to breastfeed in public during his show on BBC Radio Suffolk on Monday.

But when one of his guests described the act as ”the most natural thing in the world” the radio presenter launched an astonishing attack.

He said: ”Next time you are out having a meal at a restaurant, on the basis that it [breast feeding] is the most natural thing in the world, I will come in there with my wife and then make love right in front of you.

”Seriously though the point is valid isn’t it?

”The point being you say it [breastfeeding] is the most natural thing in the world, and that is fine, but there are a lot of natural things that we dont do in public.”

Mr Hazell has come under fire for his comment, which has been described as ”crass” by mum-of-two Laura Cardwell, from Ipswich, Suffolk.

She said: ”I was asked to do an interview on James Hazell’s morning show for BBC Radio Suffolk.

”I listened to the programme later with interest, only to find what should have been a positive affirmation for breastfeeding mothers was turned into crass and ignorant nonsense.

”I was appalled. There is nothing more natural than nursing your baby.

”Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but surely the point of being a radio host is to broadcast issues and listen to listenersâ feedback, not to push the hostâ s views on to us.”

A BBC spokesman said the comment was aimed to ”stimulate debate” and apologised. He said: ”We apologise if James Hazellâ s comments have caused offence to some of the audience.

”The comment was intended to stimulate a debate around the issues of breastfeeding in public and give listeners an opportunity to discuss the issue openly and to voice opinions for both sides of the argument.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14187905

By Michelle RobertsHealth reporter, BBC News

A mother’s stress can spread to her baby in the womb and may cause a lasting effect, German researchers propose.

They have seen that a receptor for stress hormones appears to undergo a biological change in the unborn child if the mother is highly stressed, for example, because of a violent partner.

And this change may leave the child less able to handle stress themselves.

It has already been linked to mental illness and behavioural problems.

The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, are based on a small study of 25 women and their children, now aged between 10 and 19.

And the researchers point out that the women involved in the study had exceptional home circumstances and that most pregnant women would not be exposed to such levels of stress day in and day out.

Furthermore, the researchers say the findings are not conclusive – many other factors, including the child’s social environment while growing up, might be involved.

But they suspect it is the child’s earliest environment, the womb, that is key.

For their study, they looked at the genes of the mums and the adolescents to find any unusual patterns.

Some of the teens had changes to one particular gene – the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) – that helps regulate the body’s hormonal response to stress.

Such genetic alterations typically happen while the baby is still developing in the womb.

And the scientists believe they are triggered by the mum-to-be’s poor state of emotional wellbeing at the time of the pregnancy.

Sensitive window

In the study, these mums had been living with the constant threat of violence from their husband or partner. And it would appear this continued stress took its toll on the pregnancy.

When the babies were followed up one to two decades later as adolescents, they had changes in the genetics of their GR that other teenagers did not.

This “methylation” of GR appears to make the individual more tuned in or sensitised to stress, meaning that they will react to it quicker both mentally and hormonally.

As people, they tend to be more impulsive and may struggle with their emotions, explain the researchers, who carried out detailed interviews with the adolescents.

Professor Thomas Elbert, one of the lead researchers at the University of Konstanz, said: “It would appear that babies who get signals from their mum that they are being born into a dangerous world are faster responders. They have a lower threshold for stress and seem to be more sensitive to it.”

The investigators now plan to carry out more detailed investigations following larger numbers of mothers and children to see if they can confirm their suspicions.

Dr Carmine Pariante, an expert in the psychology of stress at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, said: “This paper confirms that the early foundation years start at minus nine months.”

He added: “Pregnancy is uniquely sensitive to a challenging maternal psychosocial environment – much more than, for example, after the baby is born. As we and others have been advocating, addressing maternal stress and depression in pregnancy is a clinically and socially, important strategy.”

Summer is here – well sort of!! and all new mums want to me out and about enjoying the sun and meeting other mothers. This season we have selected a selection of items which are colourful and stylish. We bring to you the majamas collection  which we love and mums have been telling us they love too – made of super soft material and also very flattering as they can be worn both during and after pregnancy.

Milk nursing wear is also great as we have selected a number of sleeveless breastfeeding tops  - with side straps so to hide your bra straps and also the ruffle detail dress is going down well

All the items we have this season have good access for breastfeeding which will allow you to nurse in comfort and discretion where ever you. Our breastfeeding dresses come in a good selection of styles and colours and are perfect for wedding, christenings etc or whenever you want to wear something dressy but not have to worry about how you will feed your baby.

Have a look at the collection at: http://www.milkbug.co.uk/Spring-Summer-collection/

Maternity fashion has seen a massive boost with major brands and designers creating new looks for expectant mums. This fashion sense is now trickling down to breastfeeding clothes – mums can look stylish while they breastfeed anywhere. Here is a guide of styles for any occasion which can make breastfeeding comfortable and discreet.

Walk in the park: Look for tops which give easy access so that you can sit on a bench when your baby wants a feed. Try going for tops which have slits and push aside access rather than a top layer which can be tricky. As you will be walking look for fabrics which are light and breathable so that you don’t get too hot while walking. T-shirts are perfect.

Parties and christenings: This is the time to dress up and really show yourself and baby off. Breastfeeding dresses are perfect as they show your best bits and aren’t too clingy. If you don’t like dresses then go for longer length tops or have side gatherings which flatter your shape and have bolder colours and prints so that you do look you are dressed for a party.

Coffee shops and restaurants: Feeding in public places can be the most daunting as people will stare which makes you uncomfortable. Crossover tops are great for this situations as they give easy access and also give you the maximum coverage when feeding. Also tops with side access can work well for you, team this up with a wrap and again you have maximum coverage.

Sleepwear: Night time feeds can be tiring at any time and also uncomfortable if you are struggling to undo your bra whilst positioning your baby to feed through your neckline or waist. You can get PJs which are designed for easy access, or you can liven up your nightwear by wearing a nursing chemise.

Don’t forget that all these styles will only look good if you are wearing the right nursing bra which gives you support and shape so make sure you get sized up for the correct size. Also you don’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe, just invest in two tops, one casual and one more party type. A camisole can be worn under your ordinary clothes and still give you discretion.

Enjoy being a stylish yummy mummy – have a look at what we have at www.milkbug.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1522716

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13863887

More new mothers are opting to try breastfeeding their babies, latest UK figures reveal.

The NHS Information Centre data shows more than eight out of 10 newborns are now breastfed at least once after birth, up from six out of 10 in 1990.

Experts said the increase was welcome and partly due to public awareness that “breast is best” for mother and child.

But the figures do not reveal how many mums stick at it for the recommended first six months of a baby’s life.

Many women struggle to continue to exclusively breastfeed. And the Royal College of Midwives is concerned that some new mothers are not getting the support they need to encourage breastfeeding.

Spokeswoman Jane Munro criticised the Department of Health in England for axing funding for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which runs this week.

“We do not want to see the ground we have gained lost.”

She added: “We know that many women stop breastfeeding when they leave hospital.

“This is why it is so important that they are able to get advice and support from their midwife, and that there are enough midwives with the time to offer these women the help they need.”

Smoking

The government said it was committed to training up to an extra 4,200 health visitors by 2015 who would “be able to help support women who want to breastfeed but may find it difficult”.

According to the latest figures, breastfeeding rates were higher in England than in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, although rates have risen in most areas.

And the percentage of women who are choosing to smoke either before or during pregnancy has fallen.

I am quite an advocate of good role models for our children and often am dismayed at what passes as role model. I am old-fashioned in my views as I dont class half naked and gyrating women in pop music are teaching my daughter anything constructive

Then along came Kate Middleton – someone who on the surface is well composed, dresses well (sometimes too old for her age), is personable and actually has a brain. She is educated, sporty and seems to have good personal morals.

I wont say I want my daughter to emulate her – as I want her to go out in the world by herself and see and sample it – but I want her while she is growing up to see that the values of common decency and self control are possessed by someone so clearly in the public eye.

There is various debate whether Kate is a good role model – some complain she hasnt put her education into use and that she is tooo skinny (which I agree with)

Either way – what would you think if your daughter was more keen to follow Kate’s actions than Lady Gaga’s ?

The new spring and summer collection is great and your response has been amazing and we are busy restocking as the dresses and tops are a perfect fit for the summer,

I finally get to try out some of the clothes that we sell at Milkbug. I set up Milkbug after I had stopped breastfeeding my daughter so never really got a chance to indulge in any of the clothes – but with the new spring summer collection here I have had a shopping frenzy!

Whats great is that I can really try for myself what works and what you guys like about what we sell. I have always been dubious about the dual function clothing – i.e those that are both for pregnancy and nursing, but the Majamas collection is great for this and I found the clothes do accommodate my ever growing belly! If I remember after my daughter was born my mum tum didnt go away for a while and I begged my husband to wear his t-shirts. Which is why I can see how the dual function will be great after as it wont hug my belly!

So while I am having a great time with a new outfit every week – our spring collection has been flying of the shelves. We have had mothers en vogue in so much demand  and as I wear one of the maxi dresses I can see why.

I might not be the belle of any ball – but this time round i do feel like lot sexier than the first time round. Though I wonder how I will look when baby is here and I have to endure the sleepless nights again! But rest assured I know I will look good in my breastfeeding night suit which I have just picked out from Majamas.

Have a look at the collection at : http://www.milkbug.co.uk/Spring-Summer-collection/

There are days when I just dont want to listen to nursery rhymes with my daughter in the car…there is just so much ‘one finger and thumb keep moving’ I can do! I went to uni in the late 90′s and there is certain music which I like listening to and bobbing my head too. However that same music has now evolved to a new ‘low’ level which makes it inappropriate for me to listen to with my daughter in the car.

Today I just wanted to listen to radio and I had to change the channel a record 15 times in a 20 min journey. I couldnt listen to Jessie J ‘doin it like a dude’ and then came Nicole who ‘didnt want you to wash your mouth out cos she likes it dirty’. Then there were some lame ad breaks we listened to and then came on Nicki Minaj who wanted to know whether you knew who the ‘F’ she was. I then decided to give it one last shot and there was RiRi telling me how much she loves ‘whips and chains and SEX’

In the end it just had to be ’1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive….’

On so many levels this music and lyrics are disturbing, but the immediate issue for me is that my daughter is 3yrs old and she repeats everything…and I mean everything. Yesterday she told my husband ‘mummy said you need to stop nagging her’ so I need to be careful what I say and also what she listens too. I couldn’t  live with myself if I heard her repeating any of the lyrics above.

There will be a time soon when I will be worrying that she is listening and mimicking these so called ‘divas’ of music and the influence they have. There are many women role models for her – its a shame they arent in the mainstream all the time. I just wish that the tone of the lyrics could be improved – as Im not sure why such language has to be used – but thats my age coming out!

I feel if we make it so acceptable to have these lyrics so open in the mainstream where are kids are exposed to it, we are in essence saying that the behavior the lyrics support is acceptable and the norm. Perhaps a watershed would work as it does in TV.

So I have now created a CD which has selected songs from Adele, Michael Buble and Phil Collins and if I ever want to listen to radio I will stick to Magic and Heart!