Harpers - The Tyranny of Breast Feeding
I think this essay makes some very interesting points, especially this one: "It has become the defining feature of a philosophy in which motherhood, and only mother-hood, determines a woman’s status and her role in society."
Here's the first part of the essay (the line breaks are weird because Harper's does not provide plain-text versions):
Chicago suburb in the sum-
mer of 1956. Two mothers,
Mary White and Marian Thompson, were sitting un-
der a tree, breast-feeding
their babies. Several other
women came over to express
their admiration, because
they themselves had found breast-feeding so difficult. To
Mary and Marian, the prac-
tice epitomized womanliness
and should be possible for all mothers. Along with five like-minded friends, they be-
gan La Leche League to help,
mother to mother, women
who wanted to breast-feed
but were discouraged by fear
or difficulty. Several of the founders were Catholic and
active members of the Chris-
tian Family Movement,
known for its traditionalist views. They took inspiration from its model of small discussion groups that offered their participants mutual support.
The first meeting took place in Mary White’s living room in October 1956. Every three weeks, mothers
Elisabeth Badinter’s most recent book, The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Un- dermines the Status of Women, from which this essay was adapted, will be pub- lished in April by Metropolitan Books.
came together to talk about the ad- vantages of breast-feeding, share ad- vice, and help one another succeed. League meetings were so popular that more and more groups were set up, spreading throughout the United States: 43 in 1961, 1,260 in 1971, near- ly 3,000 in 1976. There were 17,000 group leaders by 1981, and the breast- feeding rate in the United States rose from 38 percent in 1948 to 60 percent by the mid-1980s. The group leaders
these needs are fixed by nature, and we have come to understand them better over time. Four major themes are also prominent in LLL literature: the moral authority of nature, the advantages of breast-feeding, the superior status of the mother in child-rearing, and her es- sential role in the moral reform of soci- ety. Although the last two, being more political and polemical, were mostly downplayed, they seem to reveal a great deal about the league’s purpose.
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Though I have noticed, among some feminists (not here - in meatspace) that motherhood is the penultimate expression of feminism, and women who had identities outside of "mother" are somehow incomplete, inferior and/or deficient. I see this attitude in some of the militant 'lactivists' as well, only their judgement extends to women who can't or don't want breast feed for whatever reason (such as yours; travel for work; low-income earners who can't pump/store, etc).
I am childfree, so of course I disagree that motherhood is the end-all and be-all for female achievement. One size doesn't fit all 
If I remember, I'll upload page images to my account and give the links to the images of the essay later. Pretty busy week, and my mind has new holes every day ...
Me, I always thought living the life you feel is right for you and allowing other women the freedom to do the same is the ultimate expression of feminism. 
I understand why so many women can't do it in our modern society but when nature gives you something so great for free why enrich corporations who make baby formula?
Does anyone here remember the Nestlé scandal when Nestle was giving poor breast-feeding African women free formula to dry up the milk in their breasts and hook them as customers for profit so a bunch of rich people could get richer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott
Then a few years later, there was Nestlé again, with melamine-tainted baby formula in South Africa
http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/nestle-ordered-to-recall-melamine-tainted-baby-formula-in-south-africa/
And they're in the news again. In case you can't tell, I hate Nestlé.
I'm sorry, I couldn't embed the first links to make this neater. The software stripped them out so I did it the old-fashioned way
Press release 10 February 2012
In the media:
Edmonton Journal 10 February: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Professors+fear+honorary+degree+Nestle+will+harm+international+reputation/6136088/story.html
- EJ 14 February: http://www.canada.com/news/Simons+Albertans+must+judge+whether+Nestle+executive+good+choice+honourary+degree/6153385/story.html
- EJ 29 February:http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Updated+Debate+continues+swirl+over+honorary+degree+Nestle+exec/6229038/story.html
Baby Milk Action mentions: Vue Weekly 15 February - CBC radio 28 February.
Update 29 February: Over 70 organizations from more than 20 countries condemn Brabeck-Letmathe honorary degree
Update 1 March: Protests outside (CBC News) and inside (Edmonton Journal) degree ceremony.
...
The University of Alberta is receiving messages of protest from around the world as it plans to award Mr. Peter Brabeck-Latmathé, the Chair and former Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé, an honorary degree for contributing to "the preservation, distribution and management of one of humanity’s most vital resources: water." The protests are because the company, which is the holder of a "Least Ethical Company" award (left), is criticised for practices including destruction of water resources, marketing baby foods inappropriately, trade union busting and other issues (click here). Campaigners warn that the University of Alberta will make itself a laughing stock if it goes ahead with presenting the honorary degree to Mr. Brabeck on 1 March.
Baby Milk Action's partners in the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), Infact Canada, stated: "INFACT Canada joins the Council of Canadians in condemning University of Alberta’s plans to award Mr. Peter Brabeck-Latmathlé an honorary degree. Instead, the University should criticize Nestlé’s destructive business practices and inform the company that there is no honour for the CEO!" - click here.
Click here for the page for emailing the University of Alberta, organised by the Council of Canadians.
Click here to join the campaign event on Facebook.
Click here to register to attend the degree presentation at the University of Alberta - the event will also be live streamed.
Baby Milk Action has first-hand knowledge of Nestlé's shameful behaviour regarding its Pure Life brand of bottled water and the harm caused to the historic water park in the spa town of São Lourenço in Brazil (click here). One of the Brazilian campaigners appeared as a witness in January 2012 in a court case brought against Nestlé in Switzerland for spying on campaigners - click here.
A new film, Bottled Life, examines one aspect of Nestlé's exploitation of water: its Pure Life brand. The trailer is below:
Baby Milk Action is in ongoing commucation with Mr. Brabeck regarding violations of international baby milk marketing standards, which he refuses to stop. Accordingly, Baby Milk Action is asking supporters to email the University of Alberta to call on it to withdraw the honorary degree and instead suggest to Mr. Brabeck that he respond to campaigners' concerns. Nestlé's Global Public Affairs Manager admits that Nestlé is "widely boycotted". An independent survey has found it to be one of the four most boycotted companies on the planet - click here.
Mike Brady, Campaigns and Networking Coordinator at Baby Milk Action, said:
Mr. Brabeck has a cabinet full of shaming awards for the way he runs Nestlé, putting profits before human rights and the environment. In my view, Mr. Brabeck deserves to be in court, not receiving an honorary degree. Indeed, Nestlé is in court in India for failing to label baby milk correctly and sanctions include the possibility of imprisonment for the Managing Director - not surprisingly Nestlé has been fighting the case for nearly two decades. More recently, as part of the Nestlé Critics coalition, we have reported Nestlé to the UN Global Compact for egregious violations of the Global Compact Principles, including for its impact on water. Did the University of Alberta carry out any form of due diligence when selecting Mr. Brabeck for an honorary degree?
...
Notes for editors
1. Nestlé Chairman, Peter Brabeck-Letmathé, is spearheading the Water Resources Group, a joint venture with the World Bank. According to Corporate Accountability International: "In order to be eligible for support from this new fund, all projects must 'provide for at least one partner from the private sector,' not simply as a charitable funder, but 'as part of its operations.'" The US-based group commented: "Global water corporations must not be allowed to tap into public ‘development funds’ to promote their private agenda because case after case shows that profitability and fulfillment of human rights in the water sector are at odds."
2. Nestlé has rolled out labels in 120 countries claiming its formula "protects" babies, although babies fed on formula are more likely to become ill than breastfed babies and, in conditions of poverty, more likely to die (left, a promotional leaflet distributed to health facilities in Armenia by Nestlé in 2011). It also refuses to bring instructions into line with World Health Organisation guidelines to reduce the risks to babies fed on formula. According to UNICEF: "Improved breastfeeding practices and reduction of artificial feeding could save an estimated 1.5 million children a year."
Mr. Brabeck has been closely involved in the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, which received the Greenwash Award 2010 prior to the World Economic Forum - click here.
3. Other shaming awards received by Nestlé included:
Black Planet Award 2007: Awarded by Ethecon for the irresponsible marketing of baby food contaminated by genetically manipulated nutrition, their tolerance of child labour and monopolisation of water resources - click here.
Public Eye Award 2005: Overwhelming winner of the "People's Choice" award for "for its practice of marketing baby food and formula in the developing world by encouraging women to use their products instead of nursing their children."
Least Ethical Company Award 2003: Awarded by Ethical Consumer Magazine after a public vote - click here.
UK Food Group World Food Day Shaming Award 1998: The "Lot of Bottle" award for promoting baby milk to mothers in the Philippines with staff presented as "Health Educators" - click here.
This list is incomplete. Please add details of other shaming awards to the comments.
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease10feb12
EDMONTON - University of Alberta president Indira Samarasekera is facing heat for the decision to give an honorary degree to the CEO of controversial global food giant Nestle Corporation, the world’s largest producer of bottled water and promoter of water privatization.
To honour experts for their contribution to water management, the U of A will give honorary degrees next month to Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe along with U of A professor emeritus Steve Hrudey, and from India, Sunita Narain, an expert in water security, conservation and pollution control.
Nestle, a major promoter of water privatization, was for years been under fire for the way it markets infant formula in Third World countries where mothers do not have access to clean water and literacy is low.
...
As recently as 2011, Nestle was cited in Laos for violating the World Health Organization code of the marketing of breast milk substitutes, Kaler said.
...
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Professors+fear+honorary+degree+Nestle+will+harm+international+reputation/6136088/story.html
Occupy Edmonton is on it!
someone will be sure to tell you you're doing it wrong. And that actually begins long before you give birth. 
Actually, since I primarily worked with men when I was nursing, I got a small serving of the opposite attitude. I think some of them got squicked out by the idea, which I found amusing. I wonder what would have happened if I'd told them that breast pumps use tampons as filters? 
Did you make that up just to toy with them or is that true?
Either way, it's funny imagining their reaction 
I didn't actually say that, although it crossed my mind a time or two. 