Elmo, Big Bird and the gang teach kids about reading, counting and playing nice but should they also be giving lessons on the benefits of breastfeeding?

A group of parents think so and they’ve launched a campaign urging Sesame Street to show moms nursing on air. They think this will help normalize breastfeeding and encourage more moms to feed their babies the natural way.

The longest-running children’s program that debuted in 1969 used to show nursing moms on air in the 1970s, according to CBS News. In the 1977 video below, guest star Buffy lovingly and modestly nurses her baby while a curious yellow bird asks questions.

“Whatcha doing Buffy?” Big Bird asks

“I’m feeding the baby,” says Buffy. “See, he’s drinking milk from my breast.”

“That’s a funny way to feed a baby.” Big Bird comments.

“Lots of mothers feed their baby this way,” Buffy explains. “Not all mothers but lots of mothers do. He likes it because it’s nice and warm and sweet and natural.”

In another video (below), Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on the show, nurses her own daughter.

“Is that the only way you can feed her?” a child asks.

“Sometimes I feed her with a bottle,” Maria responds. “But you know? I like this way best. It’s natural. It’s good for her, and I get a chance to hug her some more.”

Sesame Street featured segments like these through the 1980s, and then in the 1990s they were replaced by clips of moms feeding babies with bottles.

The women behind the campaign think breastfeeding should also be represented on the show, and they’ve posted a petition on the website care2.com titled “Bring Breastfeeding Back to Sesame Street!” They’ve collected 10,000 signatures and hope to reach 15,000.

“We are not asking Sesame Street to remove bottle feeding,” the petition reads. “We are asking that both ways of feeding babies be shown as normal. If we normalize breastfeeding in our community, especially with our children, we can help raise a generation of breastfeeders which will support our economy, make for healthier children and lessen the risk of breast cancer for many nursing mamas!”

Yes, there are more important battles to be fought in this world than this one and these women could be perceived as just a another group of sanctimonious moms whining about insignificant little things. But after watching the old videos, I fully support their efforts.

These videos present breastfeeding in a tasteful, positive way, and they’re sensitive to the fact that many new moms are physically unable to nurse, or simply might not want to (and that’s OK). In this world, where there are too many news stories about breastfeeding moms getting kicked off buses and blogs exploding with heated arguments over whether bottle feeding or breastfeeding is better, I think Sesame Street‘s even and thoughtful approach to this issue could do some good.



Does breastfeeding belong on Sesame Street?

Source and inspiration: CBS News, Time and Boobie Time