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

I'm all for it. I breastfed both of my children, well beyond 2 years each, and had no problem feeding them in public. I think it would be sexual and inappropriate to have my husband suckling in public, but when it's your child, then it's the most natural thing in the world and folks that are uncomfortable with it should just get over it.

There are many, many great works of art of mothers nursing babies and toddlers. (See http://www.promom.org/gallery/index.php)

I think all the people upset about breastsfeeding in public are upset about suckling (no amount of blanket coverage will negate the babe suckling.) Otherwise the anti boobers would be using their energy to protest Victoria's Secret, MTV, VH1, etc.

I think the problem has nothing to do with breastfeeding at all but with the breast being used as a sexual instrument. It's kind of hard to get all hot and bothered when you have an image of a baby on the end of a nipple locked in your head.

It's a form of control. Thank goodness women have wisened up and are fighting for their rights to breastfeed when they want, where they want. It's time the breast was de-sexualized a notch.

My two cents.

I think public breastfeeding is great, but I also think that a bottle feeding mother should not be critisized for her choice. Some people just can't breastfeed, because of lack of milk, work, etc. Both ways are fine. No one gets "uncomfortable watching a baby drink a bottle and shouldn't when they are nursing either.

Breastfeeding is a beautiful and wonderful experience and I for one (having nursed 3 babies for approx up to 12 months each) am so thankful that I persevered with it when the going was tough at first! If other people have a problem with us baring our breasts to nurse our babies - then to hell with them!!!

I spent 9 years breastfeeding my 5 children wherever I was - I wore a loosely fitting shirt or blouse and lifted it up far enough for baby to latch on but not expose my breast.

I am unfortunately not suprised that this is such an issued but nevertheless disgusted that it is. Breastfeeding is the most natural thing a mother can do for her child and the fact that anyone would be "uncomfortable" with it just proves how breast obessed we are as a society. My family and I were in an amusement park last week (HerseyPark) when my 8 month became hungry. I chose a bench that was out of the way and got a blanket out and nursed him. Within 10 minutes I was approached by a SECURITY GUARD and told that there is a private room in the first aid building for that and that people consider what I was doing to be offensive and that this is a "family park" . I was so appalled at these comments that I told him I will nurse my child whenever and wherever I feel like it. He then told me that other security officers would approach me if they saw me nursing in the park. I will just say that my husband and I had words with the park manager and needless to say we won't be back to Hereypark unless the change their policy and I strongly encourage other families to do the same. I am going to try to get some friends from my breastfeeding group to have a "nurse in" at the front gate of Herseypark. I won't be made to feel like a criminal or ashamed for doing something good for my child.

story - a woman was in a waiting room (at the hospital of all places) and was nursing her newborn. Another woman approached her and said "We're humans, not animals, give that baby a bottle, you're making my son uncomfortable."

Can you believe it? The only reason her son noticed was because she pointed it out.

My baby has every right to eat in public as anyone else does. If you dont eat in a bathroom my baby shouldn't have to either. If you don't like looking at it, don't look.

I have never understood the problem, really. No one would be here today if our ancestors didn't breastfeed, and formula hasn't been around all that long.

I guess if they aren't jiggling on a dance floor they aren't supposed to be "out"...it's sad.

I've breastfed 3 of my 4 children, in public and elsewhere. Thankfully there are laws in many states to protect nursing moms!

meg

It's the proper tool for the proper job.

My oldest son would allow me to have a blanket over my shoulder and his head. No one knew when I was breast feeding.

My youngest son has always gotten over heated. At the age of three months he would pull the blanket off because it made him too hot. It was never a desire expose myself, but I wasn't going to make my son physically uncomfortable just because people are uncomfortable with the bodies that God gave us.

I nursed my daughter anywhere she wanted until she chose to stop nursing at 27 months. Like so many others have posted, breastfeeding is not only natural, it's the right thing to do for our children... anywhere, anytime.