MEN Breastfeeding In Public. Well-Intentioned Dad Creates Silly Campaign

MEN Breastfeeding In Public. Well-Intentioned Dad Creates Silly Campaign
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Take a look at these photos and say what you see. Some nice, ordinary looking blokes with their tops off while rather awkwardly cuddling their babies? Or some new dads breastfeeding in public?

If you guessed the latter, go to the top of the class. (I thought it was the other one, for which I am now wearing a pointy hat with a big 'D' on it).

But seriously, what IS this photo shoot trying to achieve?

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The campaign has been put together by a dad called Hector Cruz, who struggled to watch his wife endure pain while breastfeeding their baby daughter.

Apparently, he began to think more about his role as a father and ultimately came to the conclusion that if he could breastfeed, he would (me too: I've certainly got the Moobs for the job).

So he created Project: BreastFeeding, a new group dedicated to educating men about the importance of breastfeeding and empowering women to breastfeed in public without feeling ashamed.

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Which is all very noble, and it's great to be supportive, but per-lease! If it wasn't for the captions I'd have thought this was just a few dads having a cuddle with their babies (albeit on a building site, which is weird enough in itself!).

Not that I make a habit of looking too hard, but I have NEVER seen a new mum whip her top and bra off and breastfeed in the local caff naked from the waist down.

Nor have I seen a mum standing topless in the street while cradling junior to her bosom like he was a wriggly rugby ball.

Which is a shame: because the message of the Tennessee-based campaign is a serious one.

Too many tyrants out there think breastfeeding babies in public is wrong, even disgusting, which is obviously ridiculous.

Parentdish editor Tamsin Kelly says: "This campaign is well intentioned but ultimately pointless and patronising. Men can't breastfeed. That's simple biology. So why pretend otherwise?

"Sadly, there may still be women who feel nervous breastfeeding in public – but I've yet to see a woman strip down to her waistband and hang out on a building site while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding babies can be tucked under tops and no one will be any the wiser. Men's role in breastfeeding is to provide food – lots of it, regularly, with minimum fuss."

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