Breast-Feeding in Public

What really irks me is that breasts are viewed as sex objects, so it is 'inappropriate' to 'display' such things in public. Breasts are for babies, and if men (and sometimes women) want to view them as sexually-related female attributes, they shouldn't condone the women who want to use that part of their body for what it's for.

As for the public restroom thing ... they're full of germs. It has to be a lot healthier for your baby to be fed where others aren't defecating. I mean, I wouldn't eat in a public restroom so why should a baby have to?

@ of dru's being.
I know, I would never ever feed my son in a public rest room. I mean, it's also like, when you're baby is young you do everything to keep them away from germs. It just doesn't make sense. Not to mention, why should I have to sit in a bathroom listening to other people pee for that long? My son feeds for up to 90 minutes at a time. I'm not sitting on a toilet for that long when there's a cafe that I can relax in.

@ The Rumor
90 minutes? Jeez. That's so long lol.

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I didn't actually mind the restroom thing. My daughter didnt actually touch any part of the restroom besides the boppy pillow I used so I was okay with the germs.. that being said, if my only option was a particularly nasty restroom, I would use the car.

There is nothing wrong with Breastfeeding, it's the natural way. It really steams me up whenpeople try to tell you it's nasty or wrong.. Especially in churches I mean hello what do you think breasts were created for my father-in-law is constantly criticism ing me for it yet when a woman walks by in a slutty outfit he looks.. I'm not trying too show mine of I'm only feeding my child.. In America it is illegal to turn someone away for breast feeding.. I know some people abuse the privaliage but a child has to eat, I do however think a woman should try to cover herself.

I definitely think breastfeeding is something that should be allowed in public without being looked down upon, and I think the women who breastfeed should be better protected under the law here in the US.

In the first place, a lot of the stigma attached to public breastfeeding seems to be because society thinks of breasts as inherently sexual, which they are not. And going off of that, that sentiment implies that anything sexual is inherently "gross" and "taboo", which again, it is not. I think the only thing "gross" is that people think a mother nurturing and caring for her child in the way that nature intended is sexual. That is totally twisted. I mean, you might as well say that women shouldn't breastfeed at all because, well, if breasts are nothing but sexual objects, than wouldn't that make such an action with her child incestuous? That's some seriously disgusting logic.

As for the Times cover--eh, the article was interesting but I really didn't like the title because it implied that women who don't breastfeed are not "mom enough", and I think because of how provocative the picture was, it kind of reinforced the negative view of women who publicly breastfeed, which I realize is not at all fair, but I do believe that's the affect it had due to what I've read and heard many people say. However, I was happy to see such a high-profile magazine touch on a subject like breastfeeding (as well as the many other aspects of "attachment parenting", as they refer to it in the article) because I think it's an issue of which many people don't realize the importance and the day-to-day impact on many women's lives.

@ Insanity's Artist
Yeah, ninety minutes. He sleeps on the boob so when he has a nap, I'm generally breastfeeding him the whole time.

@ BlueEyedAngel2
Not everyone can use a cover, though. I didn't realise it before I had my son but I get it now. Noah won't feed with a cover on, he always pulled it off or would start crying.

@ The Rumor
I've also heard covers are more difficult for first-time mothers because it's a lot easier to look at what you're doing until you're experienced.

I really dislike the fact that people see breast-feeding in public as being a bad thing... It's like, almost everyone eats in public and that's what the baby is doing. If they dislike the fact that a woman is showing her breasts, there are many women who dress where they purposely show more of their breasts than they should... I don't understand where the hate or disliking of breast-feeding in public comes in anyways... The baby wants some food and the boobies are where baby-food comes from! What's so big a deal about it??

Another big issue, I think, is people don't want to talk to their damn kids. They say 'well, a kid will ask questions'. If you don't want your kid to ask questions, don't have a kid. There is nothing wrong with saying, 'that mommy is feeding her baby with special milk from her body'. But, no, no one wants to talk to their kids. Instead, the rest of the world should censure themselves so parents never have to answer an uncomfortable question from their child.

The Rumor:

@ Insanity's Artist
Yeah, ninety minutes. He sleeps on the boob so when he has a nap, I'm generally breastfeeding him the whole time.

My little brother used to do that - now he's older and doesn't breastfeed - but my mom got pissed off when we went to the dentist and we had to have his teeth taken out because the breastmilk, um...rotted? his baby teeth. Don't quote me, I'm the daughter so I didn't get to listen to the dentist, but I advise wiping his teeth with a cloth when he's sleeping.. I don't want another mom going through what my mom did when I could advise otherwise :3

@ of dru's being.
Oh god, the "but my kid will ask questions" line riles me up like no other, and the fact that parents use it as a cop-out for everything drives me up the wall. My mom gave me a straight-forward answer to every question I ever asked and knowing that some parents find that to be such an awful burden baffles me. If your kid is asking questions, good! Take the time to act like a real parent and educate them! It's not even like you have to go all in-depth with it. A quick example like the one you gave will usually suffice and if the kid happens to want to know even more, well shit, I'd say it's a good thing because curiosity breeds knowledge.

@ chai latte
They use the same argument for gay marriage, too. Seriously, if you can't deal with the questions, no kids for you.

But, yeah, kids tend to be happy with the answer they're given. Unless they're in the 'why' stage. In which case, it doesn't matter. Just change the subject to get rid of the whys, 'cause that's annoying no matter what.

@ of dru's being.
That has to be the worst argument for breastfeeding in public, ever, lol. It's a simple thing to tell them that's how some mommies feed their babies.

@ BlueEyedAngel2
My daughter wouldn't eat with a cover. She would push it off and if I kept putting it back on, she refused to eat. And then not all women can afford those shirts and bras with the hidden holes either. If they could, most would probably use them and people wouldn't be so touchy about breastfeeding in public.

Insanity's Artist:

@ of dru's being.
That has to be the worst argument for breastfeeding in public, ever, lol. It's a simple thing to tell them that's how some mommies feed their babies.

@ BlueEyedAngel2
My daughter wouldn't eat with a cover. She would push it off and if I kept putting it back on, she refused to eat. And then not all women can afford those shirts and bras with the hidden holes either. If they could, most would probably use them and people wouldn't be so touchy about breastfeeding in public.

I don't even have kids and I know it's ridiculous how much those special bras are. I went shopping with a friend and she ended up spending like $60 on a basic nursing bra. $60 on a bra that's just going to get covered in milk and baby drool.

Being a mom is so expensive. I think I may just borrow my friends kids periodically for the fun parts. xD

@ Angel-VS-Demons
I make sure his teeth are brushed twice a day and everything. There's not too much I can do about it because he doesn't nap any other way, I'll mention that to my health visitor, though. See if she has any suggestions.

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I think it's great when kids ask questions because it's teaching them about breastfeeding from a young age. My friend's little girl is fascinated and will sit next to me and watch. It's fine because she's just curious about it so I don't mind and answer all her questions.

The Rumor:

@ Angel-VS-Demons
I make sure his teeth are brushed twice a day and everything. There's not too much I can do about it because he doesn't nap any other way, I'll mention that to my health visitor, though. See if she has any suggestions.

Okie dokie! You're ahead of things xD Yea, my brother didn't either. Little pain in the butt. :) My mom got pissed cause it apparently happens a lot and there's not a little pamphlet telling you about it..

@ Angel-VS-Demons
Yeah, I've heard of it with bottles but it's never occurred to me and I've never been told about it with breast feeding before. Thank you for the heads up.

Whatever is right for the mother then who cares? Boobs are not just sexual and it's not as if you wap them out and start humming The Stripper. Bottle feeding can be okay with the right people if for whatever reason they can't feed.

Incidentally, I stopped drinking milk entirely after two weeks. Christ only knows why so they had to put me on juice instead so I wouldn't starve. [/weird fact]

I don't think it's ever been banned in Ireland, but then again, you would rarely see someone do that. I think I've seen a woman breastfeeding their child maybe once in my life.
To be honest, I would probably feel uncomfortable if I was sitting next to someone and they suddenly started to breastfeed their child, but I don't feel particularly threatened by people breastfeeding.