BellaOnline Forums Family Daughters What is your stance on public breastfeeding?

Breast feeding is a beautiful thing between mother and child. It is too bad men cannot experience this. Spread the beauty.

I am 100% for it and live for the time that bf is the cultural norm, so others will be for it too.
Here's to that time coming soon...
Cheers

I'm an advocate for breastfeeding and in public too - only wish that I'd had the guts. I breastfed my three children all up to the ages of approx one years old. I tried not to breastfeed in public unless absolutely neccessary and can even remember once sitting on the toilet in the shoppping mall just to feed my middle child due to lack of facilities - in England we don't have too many facilities available for breastfeed mothers. Mothercare is the best store for encouraging baby feeding/changing rooms etc.

Go for it! I nursed all three of my kids when and where they needed to be breastfed. I think I was discreet,but I nursed them in the mall, in church, in restaurants and on planes. I doubt many people knew what I was doing, but if they did they didn't "see" nearly as much skin as is shown in lots of ads for clothing or lots of other things these days. I really do not see what all the fuss is about. And I wish more woman would just do it and not question if it is okay or not.

I think it definitely depends on the place. If i was at a nice restaurant and someone started doing it, I would prob. feel uncomfortable but if someone did it discreetly at a park or something i wouldn't care at all.

I am saddened that people don't understand the importance of breastfeeding. It is what nature intended and I cannot stress enough that if it weren't for breastfeeding, years ago, babies would DIE. Yes, that's right there was no formula. I also think that people that are uncomfortable with it are those that couldn't do it for "whatever" reason. It's extremely difficult (I know, I have a 2 1/2 year old that I fed for 12 months and I now have two month old twins.) Society should be proud of these moms who give of themselves for their childrens benefit. Anyone can shove a bottle in a babies mouth but the dedication required to breastfeed is enormous.

There is a balance between nursing rights and public concerns. C'mon, people, there are modest ways of nourishing your baby in the most public of places that are both comfortable and non-intrusive. I figured it out without having to be apologetic or compromising my views, so why is this such a big deal?

Wow! It is ridiculous and I am udderly appalled that anyone would have the nerve to downplay breastfeeding. We try so hard to do what's best for children by censuring what they watch and listen too, by keeping them warm when it's cold. But when it comes to making sure they start off in this world as healthy as possible we have issues? I'm just not understanding this at all. Women should be commended for doing what's best for their child and having the courage to breastfeed in public when so many are not. It makes me very, very angry to hear that people feel uncomfortable around it. Do me a favor and DON'T LOOK!!! It's just that simple.

I breast feed almost everywhere. Asking to cover up is sometimes too much to ask - on a hot day, when I did try to cover up, my baby girl got all sweaty. I do agree there are some limits - two weeks ago at a business lunch I didn't fed my baby at the table, but went outside on a bench. I don't know why anyone should care what strangers think anyway. It's your right to nurse in public, and it should be taken!

I suppose we should feed babies formula, as God intended?