S02.E11 : The Breast Is Yet to Come

[greekmom]

Quote

From bra-stuffing to breastfeeding, Kate experiences several bumps in the road on her journey from a self-conscious teen to a first-time mother.

 

[Pristine]

The breastfeeding issue absolutely gutted me.  I had twins and neither got the hang of latching,  and my milk wouldn't come in even with constant pumping.  And don't even get me started on the lactation consultant.

[Cosmocrush]

Wow.  I never expected this fun show to make me tear up, but this episode really did.  Maybe it was subject, maybe the repeated use of Joni Mitchell, or maybe both.  Well done show.  

Oh and please give me a happy ending.  Please have this wedding be a fake out and be Tully and Danny.  

[MsMalin]

^ Cosmocrush, I 100% agree.  I was blindsided by this episode. I was really crying by the end of it. It really encapsulated how women's identities are wrapped up in our breasts and how men objectify us, we feel guilt when breastfeeding is difficult, and we never feel perfect enough. The Joni Mitchell Both Sides Now gutted me. I was in 7th grade when it was popular. This episode brought so many memories flooding back to me.

Edited April 29, 2023 by MsMalin

[greekmom]

I felt for Kate.  I couldn't produce much if any milk myself and the nurses (this is the early 00's) were still touting "breast is best!"

I even had a lactation consultant, went to the doctor, rented a machine from the hospital to pump, etc.

Best advice I got was from an older nurse who matter in fact told me: "You were brought up on formula and you turned out wonderful.  Baby needs to eat. Formula is just a good as breast milk."

 

[Anela]

44 minutes ago, greekmom said:

I felt for Kate.  I couldn't produce much if any milk myself and the nurses (this is the early 00's) were still touting "breast is best!"

I even had a lactation consultant, went to the doctor, rented a machine from the hospital to pump, etc.

Best advice I got was from an older nurse who matter in fact told me: "You were brought up on formula and you turned out wonderful.  Baby needs to eat. Formula is just a good as breast milk."

 

My mum had trouble, too. 

[Miss chi chi]

Most realistic portrayal of breastfeeding I have ever seen. At least my experience. The only time my husband has ever yelled at someone was our lactation consultant. He felt so bad for me, and she kept pressuring me to continue.

This show has made me tear up a couple of times.

[dubbel zout]

Why are lactation consultants so often written as being so unyielding? They're supposed to help the new mom, not terrify them. If someone kept berating me like that, I'd get a new consultant or just start bottle feeding, even if it meant I was going to motherhood hell. And I agree with Johnny that it was creepy she kept insisting he and Kate be called Mommy and Daddy because that's what the baby would use. Uh, the baby is an infant and couldn't care less at this point. 

[Shermie]

Because there is a contingent of people who think formula is akin to poison. I heard it when I chose to bottle-feed my babies. Good lord, some moms were judgy.

This episode was a great look at women’s love-hate relationship with their breasts - are they the right size, are they sexy, are they functional, are they trying to kill me, are they beautiful works of art?

As for the wedding flash-forward? I assume it’s the daughter’s wedding, Johnny is nervous as the father of the bride, and Tully is the officiant (it can’t happen without her). 

[Anela]

I thought there was a comment about them mainly being for a man’s pleasure, too, which is something that has always annoyed me, if it’s even implied. Parts of my body were specifically made for men? No. 

[CountryGirl]

This episode gutted me, especially the feeling of a woman's identity being wrapped up in her body, breasts included, and how something so innocuous could induce fear as I've been through two BC scares (thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, both times resulted in lumpectomies for benign (but could go rogue in the future) papillomas. 

I'm child-free (not by choice) but I remember the breast-feeding wars with my two older sisters. My oldest sister was able to breast-feed all four of her children as if she were born to do it. My other sister (the middle sister) struggled and had to stop with both of her sons. My oldest sister got on a bit of a high horse, saying our other sister gave up too soon and yes, the "breast is best" mantra. To which my mom, who wasn't able to breastfeed any of the six of us, her supply was far too low, responded "FED is best." 

As for the flash-forward, I hope it's Marah's wedding as well or perhaps Kate's brother to his partner?

[SoMuchTV]

I think what bugged me most here, amid all the breast is best vs fed is best stuff, is that Johnny couldn’t be a little more supportive of what Kate wanted. Sure it may have been obvious to him and pretty much everyone else that it wasn’t working, but I don’t think he had the best approach for helping her deal with it. 

[dubbel zout]

Johnny was kind of a dick from the moment Kate told him she was pregnant. Maybe he was feeling left out; whatever, he got frustrated a lot, which wasn't helpful. About the only thing I agreed with him on was that the lactation expert wanting them to call each other Mommy and Daddy because that's what the baby would was creepy. The baby was an infant and couldn't care less! She just wanted to be fed!