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06/10/2005: "Rosie O'Donnell takes the cake"

Barbara Walters may have caused a firestorm of "Lactivists" staging nurse-ins with her comments on ABC's "The View", that she felt uncomfortable sitting next to a breastfeeding mother a plane, but Rosie O'Donnell takes the cake, AND the milk!

Later in the week on that same show, Rosie O'Donnell gave her take on it (and take it was). She and her woman partner, Kelli Carpenter, have adopted several children together, but Rosie felt "left out" of the mothering process when Kelli gave birth in 2002 and began a breastfeeding relationship with her new baby, Vivienne. Within a month, Rosie put her foot down and "banned" Kelli from breastfeeding her child. And Kelli, apparently, acquiesced!

Ya know, I'm a mother who put a lot of time into breastfeeding my children, and it's a very loving and empowering thing. I've even known adoptive mothers who were so loving, they hiked themselves over to La Leche League and got assistance in nursing their adopted babies. Some adoptive mothers, if they know in advance when the baby is arriving, will even give themselves a head start with a breastpump. I would never presume to tell an adoptive mother she ought to breastfeed, but my God. Rosie, ya missed the boat. Even as a stand-in father. Someone who "forbids" a mother from breastfeeding her own baby, out of pure petty jealousy, is to say the least, NOT LOVING.

Successfull breastfeeding takes strength and determination. Mothers ARE constantly confronted with obstacles, although usually not in their own homes. I wish Kelli had had the strength to stand up for herself and Vivienne. Vivienne depends on her, and now that I have older children, I know it will not be the last time Life will call upon her to stand up for her child. Not by a long shot. The sooner you start, the better.

All the Breast.