Been on my mind: How do you feel about it? Do you care if women breast feed in public? If you are a parent, did you (or spouse) breast feed your children, and for how long? Many people find breast feeding innately animalistic and disturbing. Yet I can't imagine why a mother would chose to feed their child artificial formula when breast milk is a viable option (unless the woman can't nurse for medical reasons). I personally believe that the "baby industry" has too much power. Babies and birth are a business. Too much money is made from formula and the industrial system of birth (think c-sections, induced labor, and shunning of home births). Western women are not empowered to do it the way nature intended. Babies ought to breast feed for at LEAST 6 months, preferably a year or more. Thoughts?
I don't have children so I don't have personal experience with breast feeding but I think it is a personal decision that each new mother must make for themselves. They have to decide what they believe is best for their child and family. Some people may argue that breast milk is the best for babies and everyone should breast feed but for some women its not the right choice. That's not something I should have an opinion on unless it is my baby or family. I think seeing a woman breast feed in public can make some people uncomfortable. I don't have a solution for this. It's not feasible for every public place to have a nice private place for mothers to breast feed and I certainly don't think they should be forced into a dark corner or bathroom to do it. Nobody else wants to eat in places like that. Why would a baby? I don't have the perfect solution for that but I know in America its not widely accepted for a woman to whip out a boob to feed her baby in the middle of a mall. Edit: I would like to state that I'm not uncomfortable seeing women breast feed in public but I know not everyone is comfortable with it.
Breastfeeding is the only way to go. I am rather appalled by women who are able to breastfeed but instead choose to bottle fed their children. I know if I ever have kids, there will have to be some kind of agreement beforehand that they be breastfed. As far as breastfeeding in public... there is not a thing wrong with it. Anyone who is "offended" by it needs to get a life.
It's natural. I can't ever imagine who and at what point in time designated a natural act like that to be an obscene thing to do in public. Babies need food, breasts are there to provide food for babies.
I breastfed, still do actually, but i've never really felt comfortable breastfeeding in public. Ive only seen one person in my whole life breastfeeding in public. Its just not really a common part of western culture, sadly. I usually pumped a bottle when i needed to go out. I wasnt really worried about offending anyone, i just don't like attracting attention and i knew breatsfeeding would draw attention because its not very common. Something so natural should be much more common and accepted but breasts are too hyper sexualized in our culture. I do think formula is a godsend for women who cant breastfeed for whatever reason but its disappointing to see so many women not even try to breastfeed. Formula should be treated as a medical neccessity, not a common alternative.
I don't know of any US states where it isn't legal, but I never see it happen. Property owners and employers can ban it, and many do so.
I think in most states any public business has to allow it and employers have to provide (within reason) a private place to breast pump
I've actually had many women breast feed their babies in my chair while they are getting their hair done. They have always asked me if it was ok and I tell them I don't care at all. I would never tell a woman she couldn't feed her baby in my presence. My sister had 4 babies and never produced milk. She wasn't able to breast feed. She would get all kinds of nasty looks when she was mixing her babies bottles. She shouldn't have had to deal with that when it wasn't her choice. I think people are too quick to look down upon mothers who use formula without knowing the circumstances. It's not anyone's place to judge a mother on her choices because sometimes its not their first choice. They are just doing the best they can.
In all 50 states there is a law that protects a woman's right to breastfeed in public. It's something like this...any place a woman is allowed to be, she should also be allowed to breastfeed her child there. There are, however places that will ask a mom to go to a bathroom or be more discreet due to someone complaining. A lot of mom's won't breastfeed in public if there isn't a breastfeeding friendly sign in public view. I can understand that. I am somewhat of a lactivist, I do work in birthwork and particularly in the breastfeeding world. I got into because I saw how many babies were dying during a couple of disasters because of unclean water to make formula. It just made so much sense that more mothers should be breastfeeding. I'm very passionate about it at this point...breastmilk is just damn amazing! I was very bold as to speak up for my own rights to breastfeed, including at work and I support workplaces creating breastfeeding friendly policies. It's really important. Now if only people understood how natural it is to breastfeed for an extended period of time, children and families would be even healthier. There is also the question as to how unethical formula companies market their products and how incompetent many doctors and hospitals are about supporting breastfeeding, including some lactation consultants who are employed by hospitals. What I do is largely volunteer work. Sometimes I am paid, but it's a labor of love because it's so important for our planet to promote a healthy start, not just for the baby but the whole family. I also think it says a lot about our society that breastfeeding in public, extended breastfeeding, donor milk and wet nurses are all considered controversial topics.
as a non-parent, i'm pretty indifferent. seems like the consensus is that breastfeeding is the more healthy way to go, so i suppose i'm all for it. personally, i don't have a problem with public breastfeeding. my only issue is the inconsistency. if a woman decides to pop her boob out, she's the devil, but if she decides to pop her boob out and feed a baby, you're the devil if you don't run up and kiss her feet. i assume you also support public shit-taking? it is exactly as natural after all.
I think breast feeding is absolutely the way to go if you can, it's just nature. However, I would never judge someone for not breast feeding their child. When I was a baby, I just wouldn't go for it, who knows why, but I'd only take formula. My mom said it was quite a blow to her self-esteem as a new mother. But really, sometimes you can't produce enough or your baby just rejects it, so you just do the best you can. As far as breast feeding in public goes, I don't see it ever in my area, but if I did, I don't think it would bother me at all. I might try to avoid looking in their direction so I wouldn't be seen as gawking, but that would be the only awkwardness I could think of and that would totally be my problem anyway, haha.
I breastfed both of my kids. The first for 6 months. I would have loved to go longer, but my body didn't respond well to the pump when I had to go back to work. The second for a year. I never had a problem nursing in public. It's really common here, and it's also legal to feed without a cover, so I did that most of the time. I would wear a nursing tank under another shirt, then just pulled the tank down, the shirt up, then latched the baby. I even learned how to nurse hands free using my Moby wrap. I'm into attachment parenting, so I usually had them in the wrap anyway. As far as I'm concerned, if anyone is offended by me feeding my child, then they can put a blanket over their own head. Regardless about what any of the formula companies say, breastmilk is the absolute best thing you can feed your baby. It's full of antibodies, and it changes throughout your child's infancy to produce the exact levels of fats and nutrients baby needs. On top of all that, it can cure a number of minor ailments like eye infections and cradle cap.
I was just thinking, I am sure there are people like that but I don't think I know people who proclaim such a thing. They're probably a minority (around here at least).
I can't imagine what might have ever convinced anyone that emotional damage can be done to a child just by seeing a bare female nipple. That's insane! Are they not aware that there have been many societies in the world where topless females are not an unusual sight? Do they honestly think every one of those children is emotionally disturbed? Also, there is no record of nudist families producing dysfunctional pervs at a higher rate than the rest of society. If so, being a nudist would be grounds for having children removed by Child Protective Services and sent to foster care. Children have no natural reason to think of anything in a sexual way, unless indoctrinated to do so, before puberty. ...and that decision should be between the mother and her doctor, and nobody else.
Breasts are horrible things and aren't made for the eyes of the public, let alone little children. It should be banned for the common good, there are perfectly good alternatives.
Bird, I like you and don't want to see anything bad happen to you, so I thought I should share with you a picture of another man who obviously had a problem with the appearance of boobs.
