A Family That Pumps Together Stays Together
Aahh good times. Oh, hi. You caught me looking through a photo album. Yeah, after reading some of Angelina Jolie's recent interview with Entertainment Weekly she reminded me of all the good times my family had while we sat around and watched my mother pump her breasts for milk for my baby sister. What? You didn't do this? Of course you didn't because it's insane.
Angelina Jolie has decided though that her entire family should participate when she pumps.
"They're old enough to feel included to change diapers themselves, to feed bottles themselves, like if I pump into a bottle. We're trying to find ways where it can be a fun group thing ... Everybody gets special time so we can make sure we know where they're at."
A fun group thing? When I think of family activities I think of picnics or going to the zoo. Obviously Angie Jo and I are on different pages here. How exactly does this turn into a group thing? One kid holds the pump while another massages mommy's breast while another holds the video camera while yet another goes in for leftovers? And what the hell does she mean by special time. I know there is an ellipse in the quote so I am hoping to hell though that it is not referring to something involving her pumping. How could that be made special? I'm not sure I really want to hear the explanation though.
Well, at least you can say they are a close family just like mom and their uncle.
Angelina Jolie has decided though that her entire family should participate when she pumps.
"They're old enough to feel included to change diapers themselves, to feed bottles themselves, like if I pump into a bottle. We're trying to find ways where it can be a fun group thing ... Everybody gets special time so we can make sure we know where they're at."
A fun group thing? When I think of family activities I think of picnics or going to the zoo. Obviously Angie Jo and I are on different pages here. How exactly does this turn into a group thing? One kid holds the pump while another massages mommy's breast while another holds the video camera while yet another goes in for leftovers? And what the hell does she mean by special time. I know there is an ellipse in the quote so I am hoping to hell though that it is not referring to something involving her pumping. How could that be made special? I'm not sure I really want to hear the explanation though.
Well, at least you can say they are a close family just like mom and their uncle.
Um, yeah. That's weird. Sorry, it just is. And it's even weirder to share that info with a national magazine.
ReplyDeleteooooh now, ent. They are only little kids. It's not like their watching mom pump & then heading out to Jr. High. I really don;t see it as a big deal. She is just trying to include all the children & not make them feel left out. She does that enough when she takes one out of the house at a time when going out amongst the paparazzi.
ReplyDelete*they're, btw ;)
ReplyDeletei think she is saying the other children can help feed the babies if she pumps, and they'll help with changing diapers. (not that they'll help with the pumping)
ReplyDeleteI really think she was just trying to say that she'll let the older kids give the babies a bottle every now and then, without giving the impression that she's giving the babies formula. She never says that the other kids will even be there when she pumps. The whole quote is just about trying to make the other kids feel included in caring for the babies. Try not to overreact here!
ReplyDeleteThis quote is totally taken out of context. She was talking about how to involve the kids in the new babies, not how to involve them with pumping.
ReplyDeleteBesides, as a mother of 2 who nursed and pumped, I have to say, Seriously? This is not a big deal. I pumped bottles so my son could feed my daughter. And OMG, he even saw me doing it. The horror.
Hy guys - long time reader, but I had to post on this. I think it's a misunderstanding: the way I read it, she pumps so the other kids can then give the bottle (I think she wanted to emphasize that it's not formula she's feeding).
ReplyDeleteAnd with that I don't see anything wrong.
Arrgh. Setting up a blogger account has taken so long that in the meantime others have pretty much posted my sentiments exactly.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least now I have a shiny new account, and can join in the fun, squeee!
Anybody read the whole article?
ReplyDeleteI love her even more now. And I'm sick to death of her quotes being taken out of context.
Yeah enty. I'm 7 months right now, and just invested in a pump. I'm sure the kids will see it in use, but I assure you, no massaging will be at Family Game Night. Pumping is nice so that everyone can feed the baby, and mom can sleep once in awhile. My 7 & 4 year old are very anxious to be able to help feed- and I'm not going to explain it all to them now. Once they can, I'll pump a bottle and let them feed the baby. Unfortunately people would love to know every detail of Angelina's life, and she gets asked everything possible.
ReplyDeleteRight. When I breastfed / pumped for my baby, I wanted it to be totally natural for my older kid(s). You don't need to hide it, or make it seem like a weird thing for them, and a breastfeeding mom of a new baby (twins?) is doing that A LOT and if she hid away from her other four kids everytime, she probably would never see them. Whatever. People need to get over it - it's the way a mom feeds a kid.
ReplyDeletewelcome miss murphy!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't see in the article that she planned on 'pumping' in front of them. If you pump your milk, you just use a breast pump (it's almost like a cow milking machine type of thing), bottle it, then refrigerate it, or freeze it for future use. Why make a natural thing such as breast feeding seem to tawdry? I salute her for breast feeding...it's the best gift she can give her children....they'll be healthier, and if you believe the bruhaha...smarter. Good for her!
ReplyDeleteOh, ffs, Ent.
ReplyDeleteThe way I read that quote, she's conveying the message that she a) breastfeeds and b) pumps so that the others can feed the babies with bottled breast-milk.
Where does she say anything about pumping while the kiddies are present?
Another new poster here. I've been lurking for some time now but just had to post to ditto the others that the statement was taken out of context (AJ was talking about making sure she and BP continue to give each of the kids some special time).
ReplyDeleteAlso, as a mom who nursed two kids and (gasp) occasionally pumped for the second kid while the older one was in the room, I just had to say that pumping in front of an older kid is not necessarily a weird or disgusting thing. Sometimes you have no choice but to do it because no one else is around to keep an eye on the older kid. Sometimes your older kid (who may have having a hard enough time adjusting to having a sibling) refuses to leave you alone so you can pump in private. And you can do it in a relatively discreet way with your shirt covering your chest.
The more that people stop freaking out about nursing/pumping, the more people will realize that they are a wonderful (though obviously not the only) way to feed your child.
Holy hell. Can this woman not say ANYTHING without people riding her ass about their own interpretations? Not to mention the whole thing about dirtying up something so incredibly natural as breast feeding. AS IF none of you who are harping wouldn't sneak a peek if you saw her out BFing in public! HA!
ReplyDeleteWOOD1107, yes I did read the whole article, and man, she is just so articulate and charming. Serious girl crush I have.
I like that the interviewer addressed the way she polarizes people - you either love or hate her, and her very common-sense response. God, she is one-of-a-kind. So interesting. Beauty, brains, a little dangerous, and yet so maternal.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy the hate there is out there for her. I guess she must be doing something right.
LMAO Ent. Angie Jo.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, and I found sex better when pregnant, too, at least in the first few months. More blood flowing to the extremities, etc. And I breastfed both my kids, often one in the presence of the other. They're not in mental wards as yet.
ReplyDeleteI pumped so my husband could give our son the bottle and let me get a few hours of sleep. She's obviously talking about letting the other children hold the bottle to feed the baby(s) - little kids love that and it makes them feel really special and nurturing - instead of a little jealous. Believe me, when you are doing things with the new baby, your other kids will suddenly find a million things to ask you for or do so they can keep their share of your attention.
ReplyDeleteThe interview with Jolie is really nice. I like her.
Of course she didn't mean pumping as a family event, she meant feeding. Read more carefully, Ent, aren't you a lawyer for heaven's sake?
ReplyDeleteI stocked up the freezer with pumped milk for my husband to share feeding the baby way back when. No biggie!
I like her too. I think she's got a great attitude. If I had 4 kids and found out I was having twins, I'd shit a brick!
I avoided all of the above--I formula fed!
ReplyDeleteHell, I once pumped while riding in the car on the way to visit family at Thanksgiving -- I'm sure the truckers all enjoyed that (or, maybe not)
ReplyDeleteYou gotta do what you gotta do, mrs.
ReplyDeletewow i'd commnet but i cant seem to park my minivan anywhere...lot's pretty full. LOL.
ReplyDelete"They're old enough to feel included to change diapers themselves, to feed bottles themselves, like if I pump into a bottle. We're trying to find ways where it can be a fun group thing "
sorry i saw it the same way as EL,shes making a group activity of pumping her milk,while not harmful it is a bit...much.
I didn't read it as the PUMPING would be a group activity. And even if the other kids watched, what's the big deal? We need to get over this weirdness about breastfeeding. It's what breasts are FOR, dammit.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this was taken out of context.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do have a funny nursing story that involved a celebrity.
So hubby and I were driving in DC, with our infant. I was sitting in back with the baby, who was facing backwards in his car seat. He started to cry, and wouldn't take the pacifier, so I hiked up my shirt and leaned over him to nurse him. I thought, "Weirder shit happens in DC all the time, and no one will notice."
I was wrong. We pulled up to a light, and someone started honking their horn. I look over and it's Arnold Schwarzenegger in a big ass SUV waving madly at me. Then he gives me a big thumbs up. I just rolled my eyes and waved back.
Looking for a parking space too Jax. AJ's got a lot of support on here tonight, and few new posters too, welcome.:)
ReplyDeleteI read the whole of the article and felt as I always do, Ms Jolie loves the spotlight.
Being an 'actress' and 'humanitarian' doesn't mean you have to reveal intimate details about your personal life. If she and her fans don't want her words to be misunderstood then I suggest keeps it buttoned. But then if she did that she wouldn't get the attention she so obviously desires.
Mel
(formerly Alice.W)
I have never seen something take out of context SO MUCH more than this in my LIFE LOL
ReplyDeleteShe says changing diapers as well as feeding, pumping - she didn't say making the pumping itself a group thing.
I don't actually care about this since it's not me lol, but DAMN. At least PRETEND you're reading the whole thing instead of piecing bits & pieces together to make a more interesting (but false) point lol!
Really ENT? Must be a slow news day. Did anyone reading that actually think she meant they were gonna all pump together?
ReplyDelete"hey shiloh, you get the left boob and Pax can do the right one"...seriously...she meant feeding the babies. I'm not even a mother and I figured that one out.
Allow me to add my (single, childless) voice to the chorus and say that she's no doubt referring to pumping milk so the older kids can help feed their new siblings--getting the kids involved with taking care of the new baby/babies is a good way to help alleviate sibling rivalry, plus it makes them feel proud and special because they're helping Mom. And hey, even if they do see her pumping away, I don't think they'll be scarred for life--kids can handle a lot more than they get credit for, and if the worse thing the Jolie-Pitt kids ever see is Angie pumping, well...we should all have led such charmed lives.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine has been pumping for the last 3 1/2 years for her son (they were never able to get him to learn to nurse directly, plus now he's a bit old to be doing it anyway...). There's a history of autoimmune problems in the family, and she's been advised to keep the breast milk coming as long as possible to give her kid the best chance at being healthy. (He eats "regular" food as well, and is a normal, happy, and very bright little boy.) She's been at it long enough now that she'll go ahead and whip 'em out in front of good friends who don't mind--our crowd is pretty laid back about things anyway, so it's not a big deal.
I can only add that I truly feel the reason why she mentioned pumping, is that if she said only that the older kids would give bottles, everyone would attack her for NOT breastfeeding---call her vain, etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am childless myself---but I 1000% agree---Lactating breasts are for FEEDING BABIES...there's something so lovely about that. 90% feeding, 10% recreational use, of course.
I get so tired of all the hate directed at the Jolie-Pitt family. Some blog commenters even call their children "ugly" and Shiloh a "mouth-breather" (SHE'S TWO!!!).
I think they have an absolutely beautiful family, and at least they TRY to use their fame to call attention to worthy causes.
I don't remember Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward being called "attention whores" for starting a charity.
Rant complete.
Wow Jax- Hating on minivan drivers? You're a really hateful person, aren't you? Bitter you're a lonely person?
ReplyDeleteanon--minivan is a term fron laineygossip--she uses it to pretty much describe soccer moms reading star magazine, watching oprah & shopping at JC penneys. It is used to describe the middle American audience the Tom Cruises/Jennifer Anistons of the world are trying to reach. It is not actually an insult.
ReplyDeleteEnt, Jax and the others that just jumped on this without reading it through. . .
ReplyDeleteShame on you. That's just lame and kind of sad.
What a read. Was away and busy all day yesterday, and boy! did I miss some great rants.
ReplyDeleteIt's posts like these that make me think that maybe Ent REALLY IS a overweight, single, many times divorced, late middle-aged man that drinks a lot and lives in a basement.
LOVE this blog and all of the regular posters. Nobody holds back their opinions.
Enty, what the hell is your aversion to pregnant women? Sheesh! Angie seems to be a good mom and a humanitarian.
ReplyDeleteAnd I nursed and pumped so my kids wouldn't have to go thru what I went through as a child - severe allergies that gave me sinusitis and exzema. Thank God I have two healthy kids.
I think Enty has some sort of breast-feeding fetish he's covering up....heh
Oh come on. She not saying she wants the kids to help her pump. She's saying that although she'll breastfeed, she'll pump so the kids can help bottle feed the babies.
ReplyDelete