Motherhood, AP and Feminism

There is a great post over at Feministe on Sacrifice, Parenting, and Feminism [found via Blue Milk - thank you!]. I couldn't work out who wrote it, but the author very honestly explores the topic of (white, middle-class) feminism and it's responses to the sacrifices inherent in mothering - especially Attachment Parenting mothering. I don't agree with every word that she has written, but I think that it is a great post. She nicely points out some of the great things about AP, while also acknowledging some of the sexism and privilege that is incorporated into the Sears and Sears approach to parenthood.

What I liked the most, however, was the point that she ended with:

Feminists have argued both sides of the issue of AP, and breastfeeding is a particularly volatile topic. Feminists who have argued against this practice have pointed to the ways in which it ties women down, can interrupt careers (pumping milk poses its own problems and is not a panacea), and demands sacrifice. And this is key, because forcing a woman to make a sacrifice, even having a general expectation that she make a sacrifice, is the antithesis of white, middle-class feminism. I think white middle-class feminism sees certain aspects of parenting as sacrifice and writes them off, when really, they are required aspects of parenting. I don’t mean that breastfeeding is a required aspect of parenting, but that putting yourself second and your child’s needs first is necessary for good parenting. I’m also not saying that not meeting your own needs and only meeting your child’s needs will make you a good parent. I’m simply saying that sacrifice is part of parenting.

I think that indigenous feminisms and woman-of-color feminisms and working-class feminisms have tended to get this. They have formed movements that often manage to put the community needs at the center, rather than the needs of individual women. White, middle-class feminisms have tended to call the category of “women” a community and to thereby focus on individual needs. And that’s not all bad, at all, but it’s not all good.

However, I would love to see a far more detailed discussion of this issue.

Anyone?