Side-By-Side Photo Shows Hypocrisy Of Suggesting Women Should Breastfeed In The Bathroom

[FourScore]

Side-By-Side Photo Shows Hypocrisy Of Suggesting Women Should Breastfeed In The Bathroom
The Huffington Post | By Caroline Bologna
Posted: 03/10/2015 3:44 pm EDT Updated: 03/10/2015 5:59 pm EDT

When Israeli photographer and mom Tamar Shugert saw 52Frames' "Make A Statement" photo challenge, she knew exactly which topic she wanted to cover for her entry: respect for breastfeeding mothers.

The mom-of-two (and soon-to-be three) told The Huffington Post that although she's never experienced disrespect several friends of hers have been asked to relocate to the bathroom when breastfeeding in public places.

Shugert submitted a side-by-side photo collage -- in one photo, she pretends to breastfeed in her bathroom, and in the other, her husband poses eating spaghetti in the same bathroom. The caption reads in part, "If you are not willing to eat your lunch in the bathroom, then don't expect me to feed my kid there!"...



...Still, the mom hopes viewers can agree with the photo's main message. "Women should not be asked to go feed their children in bathrooms," she said, adding. "Nobody wants to be eating in bathroom. I wouldn't breastfeed in a bathroom even if I was asked to."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/10/tamar-shugert-breastfeeding-in-bathroom-photo_n_6816086.html?cps=gravity_1787_7707684930037032211

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

1. K & R...nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. kick

[laundry_queen]

3. K&R nt

[pnwmom]

4. knr

[Takket]

5. What kind of sick person

Would ask a woman to breast feed in a bathroom? Bathrooms are meant to be a place to expell bacteria laden filth from our bodies. You sure as he'll don't want to eat in that environment!

[Hekate]

6. "Person"? Actually, Society does, and often laws forbid public nursing.

It's not like women take their entire tops off, or just whip out a breast and wave it around saying "Looky here, boys, here's a boob!"

40 years ago I breastfed my babies very modestly under a light blanket when we were out of the house. >smh< No one but another mother could even tell that's what baby was doing under there. We never had any problems, and no one ever complained.

[haikugal]

8. I did too and had a different experience.

I got very disapproving looks and mutterings, I was told to nurse in the bathroom and I refused. I stared them down and ignored their prudish remarks. Like you I was very modest but some women, yes they were women, are just fucked up. I felt they were religious. I met women that said they could nurse a daughter but not a son...how messed up is that? This country is really fucked up.

I know a young mother who nurses her babies and she does it the same way I used to. I can't for the life of me think why anyone would object.

[Hekate]

10. There's such a huge disconnect... In advertising and movies, the female breast is commodified....

Women -- or rather, their breasts, are used to sell stuff. (Have you seen the new Carl's Jr. ad? The one that gets shown on the Comedy Channel about the time Jon Stewart is on.)

The breast is commodified and sexualized out of all proportion. Sometimes nearly all the rest of the female model is cropped out of the picture in advertising.

Of course it's a secondary female sex characteristic, of course it signals fertility and is sexually attractive. I have no problem with that; it's part of the male-female interaction.

But breasts are there to feed babies. We give birth, they fill with milk. Breasts are not the exclusive visual property of the male world.

And you are right -- when even women get sucked into this twisted attitude, the country is effed up.

[haikugal]

13. Well back then...a long time ago

I thought it was because only Hippys breastfed, right? Even my mother didn't want me to breastfeed, said it would ruin my breasts. There we go again...unbelievable that breast feeding women are subjected to this nonsense 40 years later...when will we grow up?!

[Adrahil]

19. I don't wanna be a creepy guy....

But my wife breast fed our daughter (now almost 13). It was great for both of them, I think. No one ever SAID anything to my wife while nursing in public (see sought an out of the way place and used a light blanket cover), but she did receive a few hard glares which she returned, with interest!.

The sexual fetishization of breasts is the reason, of course. Instead of being something beautiful between mother and child, they have become "breasticles," sexual organs for the entertainment of sexual partners. Not that they can't be that, of course, but they also serve a pretty useful function!

The bathroom is NOT an appropriate place to feed a child. I do know of some places (like a local mall) that has a nursing lounge for women to use who want to use it, but should not be required.

[CTyankee]

20. It seems to me that a nursing lounge could be a good place for nursing an infant.

A place where a woman could nurse comfortably and away from crowds. It should not be required; it should be an option and as convenient and comfortable for both mom and baby as possible. It would offer an option. But not for the sake of some BS "modesty" reasons.

[kimmylavin]

32. I agree.

I would never tell another woman not to breastfeed in public, but I was just not comfortable doing it myself.
I usually took my baby & sat in the back seat of my car (tinted windows, lots of room, quiet) when I was out and about.

But I have to say that Disneyland has the absolute best setup I've ever seen.
There's a family station, where you can go & change your baby, heat up a bottle, or breastfeed.
The breastfeeding area is monitored by a woman who will only let mom & baby in, and it was so quiet & peaceful there - SUCH a nice experience.
I was so grateful, I actually wrote Disney a letter thanking them for thinking of us!
(And it's not an all-or-nothing proposition, either. Before I knew of the family station, I breastfed my daughter under a blanket by the Rivers of American. No biggie, but I was so happy to find the alternative...)

[haikugal]

31. Creepy guy...LOL

Never! I welcome the inclusion of the male take on this, and I thank you! Kudos to your wife for standing up to the prudes.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. How long ago?

I do think this is one area where there has been a sea change. Our kids are older now, but when my wife did it no one said "boo" or batted an eye.

[haikugal]

12. This was early 1970's..

And it was California....I didn't expect it.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. I do think things have changed a great deal around this, since then.

For the better, singificantly.

[haikugal]

16. I'm very glad

However the OP suggests we haven't come very far...

[Warren DeMontague]

18. It is a point that still needs to be made, unfortunately.

But also women should know that establishments can't make them shunt off to the bathroom, at least not in most states.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. I'd be interested to see exactly where laws still "forbid public nursing".

I'm not disagreeing with your underlying point, however, most states now have laws that PROTECT the right to nurse in public. When my kids were breastfed that was the case, and that was a while ago. Admittedly we were in a progressive part of the US, but even then we knew that if someone suggested "cover up" they, not my wife, were breaking the law.

And that's why it's important, I think, to correct the erroneous assertion in your post that laws against public nursing are commonplace, at least in this country. Women should know that their right to breastfeed publicly is protected in most states (see below)- and if someone of authority in an establishment "suggests" they "take it to the bathroom", the establishment is likely, again, breaking the law.

Also, while modestly breastfeeding under a blanket may be how some choose to do it, many babies don't want to eat under a blanket (do you?) and certainly "modestly covering up" is not required either.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx

Forty-six states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location. (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.)

[haikugal]

15. Thank you!

Welcome information on all accounts. As you know a baby can be very enthusiastic about nursing and you make a great point about eating under a blanket, lol. I used the blanket for the 'delicate pearl clutchers' so they didn't faint at the sight of a breast with a baby attached. My son and I were perfectly happy together.

I'm very happy to learn that breastfeeding is protected. Odd that it would have to be.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. right on. i do think this is one area where things have improved markedly.

And like i said, back when our kids were still nursing no one ever batted an eye.

[SunSeeker]

7. K & R

[niyad]

21. k and r

[niyad]

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[Initech]

23. I don't have a problem with women breastfeeding in public.

I do however have a serious problem with public diaper changes. Leave poop in the designated poop areas please.

[valerief]

25. Bingo! I'm with you on that 100%. nt

[NickB79]

26. That seems reasonable

I've seen parents change diapers on tables in restaurants!

And since we had a baby of our own at the time, we knew damn well those restaurants had changing stations in the bathrooms.

[Initech]

27. Ewwwwwwwwww!!!!

If there's one place I never want to see those fluids, it's at the dinner table.

[NickB79]

30. Sure, we can call them "fluids"

Whatever helps you sleep at night

[valerief]

24. Certainly, they don't expect BOY babies to breastfeed in bathrooms, just GIRL babies.

It just makes sense to the "Go to the shitter" assholes.

[SheilaT]

28. When my sons were being breastfed,

sometimes to my husband's consternation, I nurse whenever and wherever. I was NEVER asked to go into a public bathroom to nurse, and I certainly wouldn't have. And I never covered up the baby with a blanket, either. If someone didn't want to see me nursing, they could just look in some other direction.

[Enthusiast]

29. The USA is a sick nation, in so many ways.

[FourScore]

34. Actually, this was in Isreal. But I think your statement is still valid! n/t

[Orrex]

33. I hate to say it, but...

Last edited Mon Mar 16, 2015, 10:57 PM - Edit history (1)

I've known quite a few guys who would have thouht nothing of eating in a bathroom, so I'm afraid that the message might be lost on them.

Still, k/r!