Breast feeding in public. Big deal? (son, mother, adult, raise)
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What's the big deal? Of course no one wants to have some guys looking at their breast and getting excited over someone just feeding their baby. I don't think showing breasts is really the issue. Most of the time people make a big deal about it when everything is covered up and there is nothing to see. I don't see many women showing thier boob off when they breast feed. If you see something good for you and get over it already.
I just think it's silly. When I go to a fashion show, I often see breasts. It's really not that big a deal. How often do you even see women breast feeding their baby's? Not that often I'm sure. So, when you do, don't roll your eyes or make a fuss just ask yourself......
Not really. I find most women to be modest and over up. Usually it just looks like she is holding the baby. I did have one gross experience seeing a woman breast feed. I worked for a large retailer and a woman was walking down the aisle with her shirt complete off except around her neck. Looked like a cape. She was bare chested, one breast flopping in the wind and the other was feeding her child. She held the baby like a football. She glared at everyone with a challenging look. I didnt bite (no pun intended). I figure she must be a lunatic looking to start a lawsuit.
LMBO at "one breast flopping in the wind" . It is those few, rare ones that feel the need to display and put on a show that make it difficult for a mom just minding her own business, trying to feed her baby. I've never personally saw someone whipping it out and displaying it for the world. Every breastfeeding mom I've ever seen or known, including myself, has used discretion and has never had an issue with rudeness or glares. It's the stupid stuff you see in the news, like the "feed in" at Target because a woman was told not to sit ON THE FLOOR and was offered a more comfortable place like a dressing room. Or the idiot who felt like she could drive and breastfeed. You have some people who want to categorize all breastfeeding moms with these fools, which isn't fair. Most moms only care about feeding their child, not making public statement or crusade.
You gotta feed a baby when it's time to eat.
But there are ways to make this more palatable to everyone.
First of all, my baby will take a bottle when we're out in public/someone's home, but I do my best not to take him anywhere when it's close to his nap time or feeding time. I mean, that's just common sense. I don't see the point people are trying to make by dragging their babies around with them all over the place. I do the shopping and errand running, etc, at my house, and I have managed to do it without crossing a feeding time ONCE in 8 months.
As for the breastfeeding, it never occurred to me to think twice about a beautiful, natural process until that process was shoved in my face at a restaurant 3 feet away from me (no cover, kid going to town with crazy sucking noises). Good god...there are totally discreet ways of doing this. Some women are so deft that I don't even know they are feeding their kid!!
Good god...there are totally discreet ways of doing this. Some women are so deft that I don't even know they are feeding their kid!!
Exactly.
There were some "Feed-ins" in our area a few months ago. Militant breast feeders making a statement about breast feeding in public. All I could think was "Your breast-feeding sisters beat you to that protest 30 years ago."
Each generation thinks they are the first to do it. Ah, well. It's MUCH more accepted than it was 30 or 40 years ago. As long as they're not blocking the aisle or scaring the horses I really don't care.
Depends....I used to work at a restaurant and all the breast feeders would throw a blanket over top or something like that, except for this one lady who literally whipped it out at a table full of kids and had junior go to town on it.
I think making it visible is gross. I just got back from Europe. The locals are discrete, and do it by covering up. On the other hand, the gypsies on the loose let it all hang out. They don't have that much cooth anyway, so what can you expect? It's a natural bodily process, but covering up is the respectable thing to do.
As someone who lives in southern Europe, and in a town with a resident gypsie population, and a summer visitation of transient Roma, I have seen a few women publicly breast feeing over the years. The local people don't hide under a blanket when they do it, but it is no major show when they do it. The migratory Roma women do simply hang their breast out of their dress and the child suckles the fully exposed breast. The latter surprises me when I see it, but in the end what is going on but a child being fed in a perfectly normal manner.
If we have eroticized the breast so much that this is a turn-on, or just as bad - "gross" I think we are even more screwed up as a culture than I would have thought. I think "gross" puts exposed breast feeding into the category of taking a poop in public or urinating in public, and it is the simple act of feeding a child.
I do see a few local people shake their heads when they see a Roma woman doing this, but I have the impression that it has to do with the fact that local people both non-gypsy and local gypsies, have a strong aversion to the Roma. Anything the Roma do that is different is construed as further evidence of their foreigness and their low-class status....and the fact that no one in the local community wants them here, including the local gypsies who seem to thoroughly detest the Roma.
Somehow the idea that a woman "should" cover up when breast feeding strikes me as somehow (perhaps unconciously) putting this act in the same category with taboo things like copulation, defecation and urination.
My mom worked at the Humane Society years ago and a lady came in with a kid around 4 years old. Kid strolled over to mom, demanded a drink, and the lady yanked out a boob. Kid stood there with both hands on it, having a snack.
Methinks that's overdoing it. The kid was big enough to go find a water fountain or something.
I have no issues with breastfeeding babies in public. Discretion is always welcome.
Breastfeeding baby in public discretely, yes. A baby usually eats every few hours, needs to eat every few hours, gets very hungry and cries if he doesn't and it is easy to cover said breast while feeding baby.
Toddler breast feeding in public is a NO. Whatever you do in your home or in private is your business, but a toddler does not NEED breastmilk and can eat/drink/ get comfort from something else while he is out in public.
Not always.
So you would also ban bottle feeding a toddler? all children must be completely weaned before they can toddle? What about the plugs you see in children's mouths - age 5 and still walking around with a plug (binkie if you want to be a baby about it). Ugh - it's still a NIPPLE!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by CSD610
I have no problem at all with breast feeding anywhere you as a nursing Mother see fit. My issue is that I personally do NOT want to actually see your boob flesh; especially if I am in a restaurant/bar and trying to eat. There is no reason you cannot cover your boob flesh, you do not necessarily have to cover your child just your flesh. In my mind as a Mother it is common courtesy to do so.
My boys were 100% breastfed, no bottles. I tried every bottle and nipple on the market. They were using a cup at around 3 months old - for juice, water, etc. There was no way I could leave the youngest until he was close to 8 months old - he screamed the minute I was out the door regardless if he was sound asleep. I stopped even trying to leave him after the 4th or 5th time finding out that my 5 minute drive to the corner store for milk or bread or whatever meant that my son screamed unconsollably the entire time no matter what his father did. I only could leave him with another nursing mother.
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. It is those few, rare ones that feel the need to display and put on a show that make it difficult for a mom just minding her own business, trying to feed her baby. I've never personally saw someone whipping it out and displaying it for the world. Every breastfeeding mom I've ever seen or known, including myself, has used discretion and has never had an issue with rudeness or glares. It's the stupid stuff you see in the news, like the "feed in" at Target because a woman was told not to sit ON THE FLOOR and was offered a more comfortable place like a dressing room. Or the idiot who felt like she could drive and breastfeed. You have some people who want to categorize all breastfeeding moms with these fools, which isn't fair. Most moms only care about feeding their child, not making public statement or crusade.
