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

What's all the HOOT about? Sadly,Americans have lost sight of what the mammary glands are for because western culture has sexualized the breast so completely and so successfully. Visit any non-western culture and you'll see bare-breasted women who 'wear' their babies alongside men who don't give a HOOT about boobs, knockers or titties. Silicone implants would be a non-issue.
I think the time has come for lactating mothers and their babies across the country to take back their breasts! How? Organize 'nurse-in's at businesses who cultivate and thrive on the sexualization of the breast. What better place to start than at "that" restaurant? Now, wouldn't that be a HOOT?

I absolutley think that breastfeeding in public is 100% okay. What's more natural then feeding your baby the best food available? I think most woman are going to try and be descrete when doing so but even if they aren't I don't see anything wrong with it. It's completly natural and our society needs to encourage mothers to do so, not discourage them.

I have no problem with it so long as the boob isn't hanging out for all to see....

It is a natural way to feed babies and should never be frowned upon.

Who cares if it is hanging out for all to see? In many cultures breast are just another appendage, like an arm or leg. They are only sexual because we, society, have made them sexual. In countries that do not sexualize breast the women go around topless, and you do not see any men walking around sexually aroused because of it.

But I think we need to be fair about all of this. How can we say it is okay to breast feed in public and then ostracize Janet Jackson for showing her nipple?

As long as it is done with discretion, I do not have an issue with women who breastfeed publicly. I do NOT think that they should be sent off to the restroom, but I have great respect for restaurants and business who provide a lounge for women to use to breastfeed. At same time, a woman who is willing to drape and shawl over herself and her baby as she breastfeeds is not revealing anything to the world and should feel perfectly comfortable feeding whenever and whereever her wee one demands.

I breastfed my daughter until she was three years and eight months old and I certainly breastfed her in public. If I couldn't have I don't think I would have gotten out much. She nursed a lot!!

I saw a woman breastfeeding at the airport yesterday and it made me long for a baby. It is such a wonderful experience.

I have never understood the issue about it and even though I am not a very outspoken woman, if anyone said anything about it to me I would have jumped up on my soapbox. There is nothing more valuable to a precious baby.

Oh my GOSH & WOW! is my reaction to it when I see a lady breast is out there (the one that I saw). Its fine with me the child have to eat like any and everything else. Okay the first time I saw a lady breastfeeding was on a subway in Brooklyn I was shocked I never saw anything like that except in church nursing room. I didnt have my sunglasses I just couldnt help but to stare (dont ask me why I was in shock ok it was a breast I know I have a pair too)Its not the fact that she was just breastfeeding in public but its the safety of the mom and child that shocks me because there are alot of freaks everywhere in NY. But to all the hot mommas out there just want ya'll to know I cant wait to be a hot momma and breastfeed too!

Well With the Janet Jackson issue, that is something totally different. She was popping it out for a baby. She was popping it out for the world to see.

I breastfed both of my kids until they stop by themselves. The comment I ever received on several occasions (usually by upper class white men in the mall) was "You should take the baby in the bathroom to do that." I would ask them "Do you eat your lunch in the bathroom?" Of course they said no, and I would tell them then my child is not going to eat his lunch in the bathroom. Most would walk away then, I only had one guy be persistant and eventually a security guard came by and ran him off LOL