Perfect Dads May Not Make Perfect Parents

January 8th, 2012

New parenthood is stressful for both Moms and Dads. Life with a newborn consists of round-the-clock feedings and care, and is a lot like being in a Las Vegas casino. You lose awareness of night and day, your emotions vacillate between excitement and worry, and you can’t find the exit.

Now a new study shows that people who feel pressure to be perfect parents may actually undermine their own intentions by adding a level of stress that can hurt their kids. And fathers in particular, if they are susceptible to a certain kind of pressure, do worse than mothers.

For centuries, parents, pediatricians and psychologists have debated parenting styles. But it was British pediatrician and psychoanalyst, Donald Winnicott who finally coined the term “good enough mother.” His parenting advice lives long after his death in 1971. The theory is simple: Children do poorly if they are under or over parented. Children who are neglected aren’t given the security to explore the world on their own and often become clingy and dependent. Children whose needs are attended to in every aspect miss out on the gaps in parenting where they can learn to cope independently. Therefore, Winnicott’s ideal parent is a “good enough” parent.

But things get fussy when one talks about newborns. Because the other parenting advice doled out by modern day pediatricians and psychologists is “You can’t spoil a baby.” In others, during that crucial first year of life, when the developing human brain triples in size, a baby begins to form a blueprint for their life’s expectations. Can they trust that the world will meet their needs? Some psychologists believe that the roots of optimistic and pessimistic personalities lie in that first year of care. And there, lies the stress for new parents.

The latest research out of Ohio State University, that appears in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, suggests that parents who feel pressure to be perfect parents can work at cross purposes.

Called the “New Parents Project” this study is one part of a longitudinal look at how working parents cope with new parenthood. The researchers studied 182 couples who became parents between 2008 and 2010, and found that external pressure to be perfect parents affects parenting skills differently than self-directed, internal pressure to be a good parent. And the difference was most striking for fathers. If new fathers were particularly worried about living up to the social ideals of their peer group, then tended to do worse than fathers who put the pressure on themselves. Mothers on the other hand, showed more parental stress no matter where the pressure came from.

One other interesting note is that father’s who responded to self-directed, internal pressure and didn’t give a hoot about keeping up with the Jones’, tended to be better fathers. The researchers added that they weren’t sure what the long term effects on parenting this kind of internal pressure would have, but for newborns, it can be a good thing.

 

Reposted from AskMen.com

 

 

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Can a Woman Rape a Man?

January 8th, 2012

The headline jumped out at me from CNN.com and I clicked through fast. Three women in Zimbabwe charged in series of sex attacks on men.

My impulse to click was exactly the reaction CNN’s web team had targeted. But I read the article for a reason other than a sexual charge. It was more a medical question. Can a woman really rape a man? What if he ejaculates? Is this rape?

 

The news story was this: Three women in their twenties are charged with raping 17 men in Zimbabwe and keeping their sperm in condoms for some sort of health related ritual. (That logic is reason only for the world to step up efforts to educate girls.) The young women apparently used drugs and raped the men at gunpoint. This is where the medical question popped into my head.

 

 

 

We all know that a woman can certainly be raped while drugged and full of terror, but a man, well, a man has to sort of function to complete the task. But can he function on drugs or at gunpoint? I know men who can’t even pee if someone is watching.

 

Not convinced that a Google search would yield my answer, I decided to go to a real authority — my predominantly male Facebook page. There is a nice cross section of the male body (pun intended) among my 5000 friends so I knew they would have the answers. Not surprisingly the comment stream was long. And at the beginning, my male friends were as confused as I. Some dismissed the whole notion that this was a rape.

 

“Unless you are a straight man with dudes forcing sex on you, you can’t be raped,” said one. “You can’t rape the willing,” said another. More than a couple told they couldn’t comment because they were busy booking a ticket to Africa.

 

So, I brought up the drug and gunpoint thing again. Was ejaculation possible under such circumstances? The answers were mixed.

 

“If you’re scared and drugged your not going to orgasm.”

 

“I don’t agree. If a man is stimulated, he would ejaculate regardless of “willing” or not.”

 

“It’s not uncommon, since men produce sperm intoxicated on regular basics.”

 

 

 

Then came a true voice of wisdom. Apparently, one of my Facebook friends teaches at a medical school and tells me this very question is sometimes on Medical Board exams. So here’s how the professor weighed in:

 

“Ejaculation is a spinal level reflex, it can happen. I have seen it happen in people having seizures or read documented evidence that it happens during hanging too. It’s even a question asked on med boards often enough whether a tetraplegic can ejaculate. It’s my understanding that as long as sympathetic nervous arc is intact one can come, for erection it’s parasympathetic one and it’s influenced by the higher centers, i.e. erotic thoughts etc.”

 

Thanks doc. In household language, he’s basically saying that an erection isn’t necessary to produce sperm. Got it.

 

Of course the much more important question here isn’t medical. It’s criminal. Can a woman rape a man?  Yes. If someone does not agree to have sex with another and a sexual act is forced upon them, that is called rape. And it is clearly illegal, hopefully as much in Africa as in North America.

Reposted from AskMen.com

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Why We Share the Light

December 24th, 2011

Anyone notice lately how cold and dark it’s been? We are near the winter solstice, the darkest days of the year, when the earth is tilted furthest from the star we orbit.

Imagine if you were part of an ancient tribe who lived off the land, shivering, and digging for old roots in these weeks? You’d be waiting. And wondering. Wondering if the sun would ever come back in long stints and seeds would sprout again and bring another harvest. You’d be hoping. And you’d be worrying.

You probably know how humans best manage their anxiety and gain strength. They huddle up. Our ancient people all over the world sat with family around fires and told stories filled with inspiring metaphors to assuage their fears for their survival.

And today those warm stories and fire ceremonies have evolved to become one of many festivals around the world at this time of year involving light, food, family and huddling up. Pay attention to how similar these holidays sound.

 

Diwali is celebrated during five days in late November by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. Diwali roughly translates into “row of lamps” and involves the ritualistioc lighting of small clay lamps while people who celebrate Diwali don new clothes and share sweet food with family and friends.

 

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated around the world to commemorate a miraculous oil lamp that kept the a Maccabee temple lit for eight days. The festival is observed by lighting a special candelabra each night and giving gifts and sharing meals with family for eight nights.

 

Yalda is the Persian celebration of the winter solstice and celebrates the victory of light and good over darkness. Friends and family gather until late at night to gaze at the night and eat red fruits to evoke the crimson hues of dawn.

 

Kwanzaa, a week-long American celebration observed at the end of December that honors African-American heritage and involves the lighting of a seven candles, a feast and gift giving.

 

And then there is this night. The night where Christians find comfort and peace. with the symbols of a star that shone bright in the sky over a manger that held new life.

This is it. Christmas. The night that my own ancestors anointed to assuage their fears of darkness. My Nativity scene is on display and my tree is lit. I’ll have many friends, family and even musicians and song this evening. I am excited and happy.

 

By my way is no better than yours.  In fact, it’s not much different. We are all in this darkness together. Happy Holidays! Cheers to love and light.

 

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Why Women Can be Bitches

October 23rd, 2011

We all know the classic bitches: Women who speak their mind rather than bite their tongue. The women who rage against anything that provokes them: the man, the kids, the boss, their PMS. While we like to think their bad behavior is simply a case of bad judgment, new research shows that “bitchy” may be a gene.

Sorry, guys, but it’s been scientifically proven that a woman can now blame her anger and aggression on her genes. Scientific research found that some women are genetically programmed to be angry and aggressive by a serotonin receptor gene. The good news is that not every woman carries it.

What does this mean for you? Not only is anger and aggression in a woman the fault of her genetics, but it may be passed down to your daughters, too. Yikes.
Why men are attracted to bitches
Ever heard the slogan “men love bitches”? The psychology behind the trend is quite simple: Anger, aggressiveness and stubbornness are sometimes perceived as self-confidence and associated with those who have strong boundaries. That kind of personality is sexy to both genders. So, if you happen to be one who feels safe and secure in the presence of a strong personality, then you might also be unknowingly helping to pass those genes. It’s like Darwin’s survival of the fittest: If men keep choosing the bitches, the bitchiest women will live on.

If you have chosen a bitch and aren’t as enamored of her true colors, is there a solution? The answer is in the nature vs. nurture argument. If you want your woman to be less bitchy, nurture, nurture, nurture her. Environment has the ability to overcome, influence and even change our genetics. Likewise, the success of our behavior influences the likelihood that genes will be passed down to future generations. If it’s too late to change your woman, you can keep hope for your daughters. Parental nurture, the way parents bring up their children, may also govern who children become.
Manage her bitchiness
So, how can you help nurture, you ask? The best ways to defend and prevent a woman’s bitch factor are to:
Make your woman happy
You know the smallest things can make us happy. The thing is you have to do it because you want to, not because we asked you to. And if you’re really with the right woman, why wouldn’t you want to do things that make her happy?
Let her win the argument
Even if you don’t completely agree with the new pair of Jimmy Choo shoes she bought, don’t let a small argument turn into a huge blowout. A lot of the time when couples get into huge fights, they bring up past issues that heighten the argument. Avoid this by downplaying our mistakes and realizing we’re human too.
Accept that, yes, sometimes women are bitches
It’s how we rise in power and gain control. No one would care about what we had to say if we were just that shy, overly generous woman. Male domination and aggression has occurred since human evolution. If we want to be recognized as equals, we need to be aggressive too.

For those of you guys who are brave enough to tackle these angry, aggressive women, beware that there are health risks involved. Anger and aggression can be a predictor of medical conditions such as high blood pressure. They are also commonly related to heart disease and hypertension. But don’t worry, guys, not all women are genetically programmed to be angry and aggressive.

If you can’t handle bitchy women, I suggest you don’t date them or procreate with them. Until then, you can just patiently wait for that magic pill to come out that treats or curbs anger and aggression.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_500/583_why-women-are-bitches.html#ixzz1bdjhF954

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Nude Pics: A Sign of Female Empowerment?

October 23rd, 2011

After accepting the Generation Award at last night’s MTV Movie Awards, 35-year-old Reese Witherspoon went on an already famous rant about the type of women in Hollywood who rely on “leaked” nude photos and sex tapes to up their star status.

“I get it, girls, that it’s cool to be a bad girl,” said the Oscar-winning actress. “But it is possible to make it in Hollywood without doing a reality show… When I came up in this business, if you made a sex tape, you were embarrassed and you hid it under your bed,” she continued.

Although her comments seemed directed toward the likes of Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, both of whom have starred on multiple reality shows and have leaked sex tapes, Witherspoon’s words on “leaked” nude photos are what really stung, in light of notorious good girl and Gossip Girl star Blake Lively’s nude photo scandal: “And if you took naked pictures of yourself on your cell phone, you hide your face, people!” the Water for Elephants star insisted. “Hide your face!”

Is Witherspoon right? Are the days of the sexually liberated bad girl finally over, or are women still able to empower themselves by taking nude photos? Nude photos aren’t exactly a passing trend with the next generation, as Witherspoon might like them to be.

In fact, I’ll never forget the first time I saw that famous nude calendar shot of Marilyn Monroe. She was stretched lengthwise, in profile, on that background of shimmering red fabric. I was a kid then and asked my mother who Marilyn was. Her response, however untrue, was perfect ’60’s era parenting: “Honey, she was an actress who posed naked and felt so bad about it, she killed herself.” Huh?

My mother’s warning would fall on dead ears today. Both actresses and real-life hotties have clearly shirked any shame about posing nude. In fact, for women of all ages, posing nude seems to be the new calling card. A friend of mine recently found a lost smartphone belonging to a random guy, and while scrolling through its contents to find the owner’s identity, was shocked to find amateur nude photos of dozens of women sent from the texting generation.

What’s up with this? Have we become a nation of slutty women? Well, sort of. The catalyst for women’s sexual freedom is the fast-paced economic rise of women. Thanks to the recession-era layoffs of expensive men, women now make up the majority of the American workforce. And they’re educated, too. For every two men who graduate from college this year, there will be three women. And they’re making money. In more than a few urban cities, in the 25-30 year old age group, women make more money than their male peers.

How is this new female power connected to nude photos? Whenever women rise in power in a culture, sex comes in high supply. When women are beholden to men for financial support, they tend to withhold sex, in order to get a dude to sign a marriage contract. Or they charge for it. When women are repressed, they either become wives or hookers. Think Victorian England.

And now, with a fat paycheck coming their way and no need to promise monogamy, many women are peddling their wares for fun and pleasure. There’s another factor, too. With so few “good men” available (read: financially secure, monogamous males), there is heightened competition between women. And if women know one thing about men, it’s that men are visually wired. If you want to get a man’s attention, start by tempting his eyes.

But is all this good for a culture? Not necessarily. While it’s wonderful to applaud women’s sexual freedom, there’s a dark side to this game. Sex is a much higher risk hobby for women than for men. Since women accept the deposits, they are more susceptible to STDs, a broken heart (oxytocin excreted during female orgasm causes unexpected bonding) or they can even become infected with a two-decade case of unwanted motherhood. Yikes.

And one other thing. Even though plenty of women are feeling free and sexually empowered, many men didn’t get the memo. Some men still believe in the sexual double standard — the one that gives men points for sexual prowess and demerit points for women’s sexual experience. Thus, “Mr. Right” can slip right through her fingers because he thought she was just a hook-up. She thought her nude photo was an invitation to sign up as boyfriend or husband. Sigh. When will men and women understand each other?

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_500/540_nude-pics-women-calling-the-cards.html#ixzz1bdi2yICb

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The Secret to Surviving Divorce

October 23rd, 2011

Divorce is a strange animal. It’s long been known to be one of life’s most traumatic stresses. But we all know a divorce survivor who sailed through relatively unscathed while others wallow in pain for years, holding onto hostility and victimization like it’s a security blanket.

Is there a secret to surviving divorce? Is it possible to overcome the loss of a primary attachment figure, even a mismatched one, without feeling some pain? No. A pain-free divorce is limited to those who are completely void of emotion and are likely to have caused their own divorce. The rest of us have pain associated with divorce. But how we deal with that pain is the big secret to surviving divorce. I often say that when we divorce, it’s like losing a leg. Now, that leg may have had gangrene, but we still miss it dearly.

Self-compassion
New research from the University of Arizona has pointed to one crucial characteristic in overcoming anxiety and depression associated with divorce. Surprisingly, that trait is not self-esteem, optimism or ease with relationships. It’s something a little more complicated: self-compassion.

The researchers define self-compassion as having three components:

1. Kindness toward oneself
2. Recognition of common humanity
3. An ability to let painful emotions pass

In the study, 105 men and women, all over 40 and who had been married over 13 years, were followed and assessed during the year after divorce. People with the most self-compassion experienced less intrusive thoughts about their partner than those who did not. They were also happier and able to move on with their lives.

So, can self-compassion be learned? The researchers of the University of Arizona study are unsure, but I would venture to say that learning self-compassion is like any other cognitive behavioral technique. You simply replace negative internal dialogue with a more positive narrative. Remember, thoughts are things. They become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

The key is learning to change your stance toward the problem. If you can reframe thoughts of failure with thoughts of forgiveness to yourself, you’ll be well on your way. It’s important to erase the voices of negative parents and replace them with messages of encouragement and forgiveness. Next, combat feelings of isolation by reminding yourself that you are not the first person to undergo a divorce, and you are not alone. Talk with other people who have survived divorce and ask them about their strategies. There is one warning, though: Don’t surround yourself with other unhappily divorced characters who help you wallow in anger. Finally, become mindful. It’s OK to acknowledge to yourself that you are feeling jealous or angry. This identifies the problem for what it is: your feelings and not the situation.

These strategies can help you turn your mind to the present and help you survive a divorce. A little self-compassion can go a long way to happiness.

Read original article on AskMen.com:
http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_500/585_surviving-divorce.html

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Dr. Walsh Weighs in on Ashton & Demi

October 23rd, 2011

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore recently celebrated their six year wedding anniversary, but unfortunately have been met with a slew of infidelity reports during what should be a joyous time for the couple. This isn’t the first time they’ve been faced with rumors of this kind, but they have been putting on a (somewhat) united front by tweeting rather cryptic messages. While nothing in terms of a separation has been confirmed, Celebuzz decided to reach out to The Doctors co-host, Dr. Wendy Walsh, to see what these two can do to get past this.

Many people have said that the age gap is a factor between what Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are going through.
In the general population age gap is not correlated with a higher divorce rate., even though people assume that it is all the time. if people assume that age gap , you have to look at two factors: lack of a college education and marriage before age of 22. When these two met he was 25 and she was 40, and they havent announced they are getting divorced or even separated.

Whether the rumors are true or not, it is probably still putting a strain on their relationship.
It definitely appears theyre suffering from a speed bump.

Although they obviously aren’t your patients, what would you suggest for them to get past this? Therapy, or just laying low?
If you believe the reports, i think theyve been doing what they need to do. Which is, they happen to find solice and spiritual assistance through Kabbalah., and they met for a Kabbalah service. According to the reports, he stopped following her on twitter. they need to be talking not tweeting, and giving each other a bit of space. If there’s any factor that’s the biggest one, it’s his new job on Two and a Half Men. Its tough when someone’s career shoots off when someone else is winding down, not that it can’t be worked through.

ASHTON SPORTS WEDDING RING AT KABBALAH CENTER

7 Photos »
That’s a good point, it seems their careers have made a turn since they’ve met. Eight years ago, she was obviously the bigger star, while now he has a big time network gig.
It’s always different when the wife is younger, because when the woman is younger, its not an issue because shes young enough to have kids. Ashton has commented before saying it wasn’t a problem, because if that’s what he wanted she could have kids.

But, how old is she now? 48?
Yes, and generally speaking, it seems older women have much more patience with the sex drives of younger men. There is more likelyhood that an older wife would consent to a somewhat more of an open sexual relationship, because they really understand men’s sexuality. They understand that they can separate the emotion and sexuality of a relationship.

Source: Getty Images/Wendy Walsh

Read original article on Celebuzz.com:
http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-10-03/expert-advises-on-how-ashton-kutcher-demi-moore-can-get-past-cheating-rumors/

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Celebrity Baby Boom! Just in La-La Land or Everywhere?

October 23rd, 2011

The stork made a ton of deliveries in 2010!

Celebuzz asked Dr. Wendy Walsh, noted psychologist, to weigh in the recent spate of pregnant celebrities – especially those who are not married.

Dr. Wendy Walsh: With the recent rash of celebrities like Natalie Portman, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, Selma Blair, Owen Wilson’ girlfriend Jade Duell, and Jane Krakowski coming up preggers while still “out of wedlock,” it prompts the question, “Is this just a side effect of LaLa-Land or part of a real trend sweeping the nation?”

The answer is this: Currently about 40% of American babies are born to unmarried parents. Those parents may be single, gay, or cohabiting, but chances are they are older and financially solid. As rates of teenage pregnancy have been creeping down, rates of 30 and 40-something career women choosing to have a baby on their own have gone up. And gay and live-in heterosexual lovers are also opting to rock a cradle with a hand that wears no wedding ring.

So, what’s going on here? Are traditional families becoming extinct? Maybe so, but is that always a bad thing? Not necessarily.
If you are still captivated by the belief that a “traditional” nuclear family, that is, one with one father who is male and married to a mother who is female with children who are biologically related to those two, is the very best thing for humans to be raised in, you are not alone. I was convinced of that myself. And I still believe if a single parent does not have an elaborate support system of family and friends and a good economic base, children would be much better off living with two parents who hold a biological interest in their welfare.

But there’s something even better for kids and it has little to do with a family model that looks like an episode of “Leave It To Beaver.” It looks more like a co-operative village. The idea that a lone woman should be left alone in a tract house in the suburb for 50 hours a week with a screaming bunch of small, hungry children is insanity. No wonder the news is chock full of stories of mothers abusing or murdering their children, or why postpartum depression is the darling diagnosis of our generation.

To understand what is “natural” for our species, there are a few physiological and anthropological facts about homo sapiens (that’s us!) that you need to know. Think about these six facts and I’ll link them later:

1. Human Babies Take a LONG time to Mature. A sacrifice for walking upright is that homo sapiens give birth to extremely immature offspring. Most animals are up of all fours and running with the herd just hours after birth. Humans take 3-5 years on in arms and close protection to keep them safe. A huge burden to mothers.

2. Mothers Can’t Always Count on Fathers. Human’s have the widest range of paternal investment of any primate. A father’s investment in his own offspring ranges from a single deposit of sperm to a doting “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the Robin Williams film character who gets a job as his children’s nanny just to care for them.

3. Hunter/Gatherer Mothers Worked Outside the Home. Of course her workplace, the savannah, was a baby-friendly environment because she wore her baby to work. When that little bundle became ambulatory she would leave the toddler in the encampment with sisters, older siblings, cousins, uncles, and grannies. And she worked only about 20 hours a week.

4. The Grandmother Gene. We are the only species except Orca whales who has menopause, 40-50% of a woman’s lifespan where she is active, healthy, wise, and nurturing.

5. We Hand Our Babies to Others. We are the only primate that will hand our baby to a stranger minutes after birth. Try wrestling a baby chimp from his mother and you’ll lose an arm. She holds and baby clings for at least nine months with no one being allowed to touch. Humans are quick to share their burden.

6. One in five women do not bear children themselves. There are currently 20% of women in their 40′s in America who are not biological mothers.

So what’s best for babies is a village of caring adults. If Dad couldn’t always be counted on, Mom needed to earn a living, and neighbors, relatives and grandmothers were available, how do you think families looked? No way they consisted of two adults in a hut with their children. When I hear about the modern villages within urban settings that are cropping up with single parents, gay parents, concerned uncles and grandmothers nearby, I exhale. The apocalypse is not near. Babies are being loved. Far more important to a child’s development is consistency of attachments, emotional connection of caregivers and number of interested adults.
The biggest risk to babies of celebrities isn’t the lack of marriage contracts. It’s the exposure to wacky wealth, poor boundaries, and exposure to adult themes at a tender age.

http://www.celebuzz.com/expert-unmarried-celebrity-parents-art-s297381/

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Can You Have a Real Relationship with 5000 Friends?

October 21st, 2011

Today is a milestone day in the world of digital connecting. My personal Facebook page welcomed its final, 5000th friend. For those in the brand-building world, this is but an early blip in the journey toward mass media penetration. But for me, this is something special.

You see, I don’t have the giant media machine of a Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga or Oprah. Most TV and music performers have me way beat with millions of fans, friends and followers, anyway. But I have something else. I have real connections. You are real people.

If you are one of my five thousand “friends” you are what the digital guru’s call “organic” connections. That means I didn’t buy lists. I didn’t have a giant media platform. I simply have my thoughts, my words, and my consistent posts.

You showed up for a number of reasons. At the beginning (two years ago) you were a small group of my real world friends and family. I started blogging about relationships and when you found my words to be stimulating, you shared my blogs. You are also former or current colleagues who may have “friended” me to expand your business contacts. Yet, many of you also read my blogs and shared. Some of you might have seen me on television spouting my opinions and came on board to hear more online.

Here’s what I LOVE about you. My Facebook friends are engaged and not shy with their opinions. Except for those who have needed the odd reprimand from me, most of you are polite and respectful even when you disagree with each other.

And you disagree a lot. That’s another thing I like about you. This group is completely diverse! You are liberal and conservative, educated and street-wise, you are Canadian, American and citizens of plenty of other countries too. My favorite conversations are the ones where we share and compare cultural norms. More of my online friends are male than female. Must be my fabulous photo-shopped photos. Ha!

If you’ve noticed, I allow almost all opinions on my page. The only things I delete are racist comments and posts that advertise other stuff without asking for my permission first.

But I want to take a moment here to apologize. Having 5000 friends means I can’t write back to every private message. And I’m sorry that when you come sit in the audience at my new gig, THE DOCTORS TV show, I won’t always recognize you. Like any relationship, an online one has to come with boundaries.

Finally I want to thank you. Because of your never ending curiosity about how humans date, mate and relate, you have kept me at the top of my game. I constantly read the latest research on human behavior to bring it to you daily. You have made me Americas Relationship Expert and my relationship with you is cherished. Thanks you friend.

Posted in Relationships | 3 Comments »

The Gisele Breastfeeding Law

July 22nd, 2011

Recently a supermodel said something exceptionally smart. Well, she’s also a mother, so of course she’s smart. I’m talking about that gorgeous Brazilian creature named Gisele, who famously gave birth to her son eight months ago, without medical intervention, in a hot tub. Now she’s rattled the likes of the ladies on The View with a statement to Harper’s Bizarre UK, that breastfeeding should be made law.

“Some people here [in the U.S.] think they don’t have to breastfeed, and I think ‘Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?’” the brainy beauty told the UK magazine. “I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months.”

While the idea of saddling mothers with legal pressure to nurse isn’t feasible in a culture that puts up so many barriers to breast feeding, I do think that Gisele is on the right track in terms of wanting some form of legal intervention that puts infant health first. So, if I may explain — What Ms. Perfect-Body meant to say is that the World Health Organization’s Code should be made international law! The WHO Code removes some of the “booby traps” that make it hard for women to do a natural and relatively easy thing that our bodies have done for millions of years. It muzzles the makers of artificial infant food and keeps them honest about ingredients and breast feeding benefits. More importantly, the WHO Code makes sure governments encourage and promote breastfeeding throughout the culture. We need to make it easy for women to nurse. In Canada, every mother gets a full year of maternity leave at 80% of her salary, presumably so she is free to nurse. The Canadian government knows that paying women to breast feed still saves them millions in health care costs.

Mothers should not be arrested, fined or punished for not breast feeding. But large corporations who make it hard for women to work and nurse do need a kick in the pants. And I personally would like to see the lanky, toned leg of Gisele kicking them in the derriere with a perfect stiletto. You go girl! I mean, go hot mama.

Posted in Celebrity Love | 13 Comments »

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