I'm astounded when I hear stories about women who are criticized or worse while discreetly nursing in public (or even in private, but not at home). If a woman has a crying baby and needs to feed him, of course she will- he's a baby! She shouldn't be forced to sit in a toilet stall (how disgusting- who eats in a bathroom? let alone a public bathroom??), or stared at by gawkers hoping to get a peek, or embarassed for doing what is natural and accepted in most of the world as the most normal thing.
Most of the stories I hear are about strange men verbally abusing a nursing mom, when he should be minding his own business. I was astounded to hear about a mom who was nursing her son in a dressing room, when the male store manager barged in on her to order her to stop, totally trampling on her modesty (she was exposed) and rights (in Texas, as in many states, breastfeeding in public is a woman's right). Video: Breastfeeding mom attacked.
I always imagined the issue people had with public breastfeeding was when a woman, in the middle of a crowd, whips out her bare breasts and starts feeding a baby while continuing her conversation, totally exposed. I can see how that might not be looked upon favorably (since I'm a person who thinks all women can stand to be more modest, breastfeeding or not, and public nudity by anyone is offensive to me). To discover that moms who are discreetly nursing a baby in a private booth in a restaurant, or using a nursing cover, or in a dressing room, are being attacked is very upsetting. If you happen to see her breasts while she is doing this, you are looking too hard and for too long- look away!
For information about your state's laws on breastfeeding, visit Breastfeeding Laws By State. Some states require being more discrete, others permit total exposure, but either way, a mother's and baby's rights are protected.
There is nothing offensive about a woman feeding her child, and if the rest of us can sit at a table in a restaurant and eat, so can a baby being nursed. It's unsanitary and disgusting to expect a baby to eat in a dirty, public bathroom, and I'm proud to hear that women are standing up to bullies. This joke says it best:
If the only thing a man finds disgusting about a breast is a baby attached to it, do we really care what his opinions are? Such a skewed view of what is natural kind of invalidates the opinions of a person who feels public nudity is great so long as there is nothing maternal about it.
Most of the stories I hear are about strange men verbally abusing a nursing mom, when he should be minding his own business. I was astounded to hear about a mom who was nursing her son in a dressing room, when the male store manager barged in on her to order her to stop, totally trampling on her modesty (she was exposed) and rights (in Texas, as in many states, breastfeeding in public is a woman's right). Video: Breastfeeding mom attacked.
I always imagined the issue people had with public breastfeeding was when a woman, in the middle of a crowd, whips out her bare breasts and starts feeding a baby while continuing her conversation, totally exposed. I can see how that might not be looked upon favorably (since I'm a person who thinks all women can stand to be more modest, breastfeeding or not, and public nudity by anyone is offensive to me). To discover that moms who are discreetly nursing a baby in a private booth in a restaurant, or using a nursing cover, or in a dressing room, are being attacked is very upsetting. If you happen to see her breasts while she is doing this, you are looking too hard and for too long- look away!
For information about your state's laws on breastfeeding, visit Breastfeeding Laws By State. Some states require being more discrete, others permit total exposure, but either way, a mother's and baby's rights are protected.
There is nothing offensive about a woman feeding her child, and if the rest of us can sit at a table in a restaurant and eat, so can a baby being nursed. It's unsanitary and disgusting to expect a baby to eat in a dirty, public bathroom, and I'm proud to hear that women are standing up to bullies. This joke says it best:
If the only thing a man finds disgusting about a breast is a baby attached to it, do we really care what his opinions are? Such a skewed view of what is natural kind of invalidates the opinions of a person who feels public nudity is great so long as there is nothing maternal about it.
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