Breast Feeding In A Public Place

[querelle]

I was in a shopping centre earlier today and saw a woman sit down on a bench and breast feed her baby. No big deal. Right? What shocked me was the reaction of people around her. Some sneered at her with unconcealed disgust. Teenaged boys smirked. But you know, for the most part people just went about their business as if it were a perfectly natural thing to see. Which it is. How do my fellow DU'ers feel about this?

Q

[SeattleGirl]

1. I have absolutely no problem with a woman breastfeeding in

public. It is an act of nurturing, nourishing, and love. I don't think it's sexual at all, but apparently some people do. And those "some people" need to grow up.

[reformedrepub]

2. Because those uptight fundie

morons, probably couldnt contain themselves. Just like their hero Ashcroft covering up the breast of the statue "Justice" at DOJ...Frightening that these people is running our country....

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. I think the more that women do it

the quicker it'll come to be seen as what it is — no big deal.

I mean, that's what breasts are for. :shrug:

But teenage boys will smirk at nearly everything. So will teenage girls. Matter o' fact, I bet girls would react even more rudely to a nursing mother.

[Nicole]

4. It doesn't bother me at all

I'd rather see a baby nursing than some of the "adults" I see eating. Adults who talk with their mouth full or chew with their mouth open are a turn off, a baby being fed is not.

[tjwmason]

5. Babies need to be fed

They don't understand "can you wait until we're home, dear?"

I think that discretion would lead mothers to prefer to feed in private - but that just doesn't always happen, and so now and then it is inevitable.

As to the smirking and sneering - that's just frightfully rude, and those people need to be bitch-slapped. I'd be in the "just went about my business" group.

I can well imagine that many of those who sneered would think nothing of eating in public - adults can wait a few moments to be in private before eating (unlike infants)...so they deserve to be doubly bitch-slapped.

[Guava Jelly]

6. I get jealous i mean

why the heck is this kid getting something i am not? :rofl: Kidding of course

[benny05]

8. Of Course they are, silly

We don't need what the baby needs...

[benny05]

7. And are those teens sons of pro-lifers?

This is pro-family business. Sorry, but babies need to eat and they need their mamas for awhile.

[NMMNG]

9. There's nothing wrong with it

And I'll bet half of those idjits who were sneering have no problem seeing women walking around in skimpy bikinis either in person or on TV. But bare part of a breast to feed a baby and it's OMG!!!!, look what that horrible woman is doing in public!!!!!. Give me a break.

[benny05]

10. Agree w/u Buffy n/t

[Kutjara]

11. For those who think public breastfeeding is fine...

...I submit the following, for your consideration:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/42497/breastfed_for_life/

[radwriter0555]

13. Little Britian is our favorite show.... they really get into some of the

FREAKIEST stuff imaginable.

There is one skit where the main character is deeply attracted to really, really, REALLY OLD women.

[Kutjara]

14. Oh yes...

That one was really hard to watch. Particularly when the David Walliams character gives his geriatric love a big hug and she says, "careful, or you'll bust me bag." Who says romance is dead?

[radwriter0555]

23. he does the humping of strange things VERY well. "just a moment..."

SUCH a sick and wonderful show!

lol bust me bag, I forgot about that one. ewewewewewewewew......

And vicky.. dear, dear vicky. I hear her mother is going to be putting in an appearance.

[philosophie_en_rose]

12. Usually not a big deal.

A woman breastfeeding on a bench is not a big deal. Much more sanitary than breastfeeding in a bathroom or whereever.

I do think it's fair that mothers be reasonable, though. It's not fair to hold up the grocery line, because you've decided to breast feed. (which has happened). It has nothing to do with breastfeeding, though. That's just courtesy.

And I once saw a woman breastfeed in a car! She was in the passenger seat and was clearly breastfeeding a baby, while traveling at 30 mph. But, again, the issue there wasn't breastfeeding; it was safety.

[bertha katzenengel]

15. I'll never understand the aversion. If you don't like it, don't look.

It's a simple as that.

Go, mothers, go. You've got it hard enough -- do what you need to do.

Crap -- I gotta gather my lunch & go to work!

[Kutjara]

17. My only problem is that...

...I want to look. Then I feel like a big perv. Which I quite like. You can see my dilemma. I need to buy mirror shades.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Katina]

35. my FIL used to do the same thing

and then when I would refuse to leave the room, he would then try to chase everyone else out. They all finally told him he was being silly since half the time I nursed, my FIL didn't even notice. He was still uncomfortable with it, but he stopped being silly.

[calico1]

18. I don't have an issue with it. But I think that

if you are in public a little discretion is a not a bad idea. I once saw a woman breast feeding and she brought on a LOT of attention to herself. Why? Because she had pulled up her shirt and totally exposed her breasts. Most of the women I see do it are discreet enough but you can still tell they is breast feeding. Some people have aproblem no matter how discreet a woman is. That, I don't get.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

37. My sister was one of those!

Back in '78 when my nephew was born she would just hoist up her shirt, pop open both bra cups and latch the kid on. When he was done, she'd just sit there with her tits leaking, in no hurry to cover up. She did this everywhere -- and was asked to be more discreet on many occasssions.

Hey, I'm a woman and she was my sister, but it even grossed me out. :D

[Scooter24]

19. I don't have a problem with it.

A few months ago, there was a woman who went to the park I used to frequent when I went rollerblading. She would sit on this bench by the water and breastfeed her baby. The baby was always covered though and she looked very serene. I thought it was beautiful.

[LynneSin]

20. LOCK HER UP - SEND HER TO GITMO

:sarcasm:

[LostinVA]

21. Oh gods, please -- not another public breastfeeding thread!

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. almost anything that only a woman can do is designated a private act

people get really weirded out if someone is visibly holding a tampon in their hands on the way to the bathroom etc

its part of society's desire to keep women and womens activity out of sight...

[youthere]

24. I gotta' admit...

I get a little jealous when I see a woman nursing. My kids are all done with breastfeeding and I miss it. I miss the closenes and I miss having them all to "myself".
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[wildhorses]

25. self delete

wrong thread, sorry:hug:

[Divameow77]

26. I'd prefer if she was discreet

not because I think it's shameful, but its not really fair for her to expose her breasts when I can't walk around topless like I want to :evilgrin:

[nosillies]

27. You can in Daytona -- get on down here!

http://www.local6.com/news/10062697/detail.html

You can whip 'em out as long as you're protesting. And it's Biketoberfest, so what better timing? :evilgrin:

[Divameow77]

30. I'll be in Florida in February

at least that's the plan right now.

If a man can go topless a woman should be able to too :-)

[izzybeans]

28. Some people are just afraid of breasts.

They don't know how to act around them. When they think they do, they wind up smirking and eroticizing a mother and her infant. Freud was right on occasion. Some dudes have mommy issues.

[Phillycat]

29. Ooh, fun!

:popcorn:

[MrCoffee]

31. MrsCoffee is a militant lactivist.

she's been to nurse-ins to protest the stuipd shit people do to hungry babies.

[Katina]

32. I have no problem with it

since I used to nurse my babies whenever they needed it. The thing is to be discreet, and not go flashing your leaking boob all over the place. (ok, that was a bit graphic but you know what I mean.) No matter how discreet you are however, there are going to be jerks out there who will be offended. It's their problem.

[Arugula Latte]

33. I used to breastfeed in public when my kids were babies/toddlers.

I didn't have any trouble except for one leering freak. :eyes:

[BarenakedLady]

34. Gah!

:eyes:

I just sneered back at them.

[ThomCat]

36. I Dare some fool to oppose breast feeding.

:popcorn: