Breastfeeding in public, why do people still freak out about this?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Here's a new viral story:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/the-internet-is-freaking-out-over-a-picture-of-a-woman-breas?bffbnews&s=mobile

A woman graduating college in an outdoor ceremony breastfeed her infant. I can certainly understand why she would want her child there and why, if it is warm outside especially, she wouldn't want to cover. That said there ia nothing sexual or (pardon the pun) tittilating about breast feeding. Why should there be anything untoward about a woman feeding her child?

[Elder Sister]

Because our society sexualizes breasts to the point that it's obsessive. And ridiculous.

Don't even get me started on this topic. I cannot even begin to describe how ridiculous our society acts about boobs. I had a double mastectomy due to cancer and a woman asked me about reconstruction and why I opted not to do it; she asked, "But what about your poor husband?"

Seriously? I was so pissed. I still get livid over this topic. It's the reason why breast cancer pink crap pervades October and has ruined Halloween for me. It's why we have stupid bumper stickers that say, "Save the Tatas," and it's why grown ass women who should know better would ask me a question like the above.

[Crixus]

Word, Elder Sister. How ludicrous and ignorant, saying shit like 'your poor husband' in that context, when you're the one who suffered through cancer and surgery. Really?

I'm sick to death of my boobs being constantly ogled... and I say this as a woman nearing 40. Wtf does it end?

I don't think it's a particular society, really. The boob fixation is universal!

[sj4iy]

I was banished to the bathroom of my former workplace to pump milk for my newborn...they added a chair and a nightstand to the last stall to make it feel 'nicer' (than sitting on the toilet, that is).

As for breast feeding out in public, I did it occasionally. If anyone cared, they didn't say it to my face...but I did catch some looks. It's ridiculous how our society treats breast feeding as 'unnatural', all leftover from the days when doctors told women it was bad for their children and that formula is better. Even my grandma still questioned me breast feeding because she worried the baby wouldn't get enough milk.

Hopefully education will change all of this.

[scotcat]

I have to admit to being uncomfortable around breast feeding women.

I am aware it's a natural act, I just fail to see the need for it to be done in public. In this day and age, where breast pumps are readily available, a woman can express milk for her child if they are going out. There's little need to breast feed in public.

Sex is also a perfectly natural thing, but we don't need it done in public.

[Isis]

Because our society sexualizes breasts to the point that it's obsessive. And ridiculous.

Don't even get me started on this topic. I cannot even begin to describe how ridiculous our society acts about boobs. I had a double mastectomy due to cancer and a woman asked me about reconstruction and why I opted not to do it; she asked, "But what about your poor husband?"

Seriously? I was so pissed. I still get livid over this topic. It's the reason why breast cancer pink crap pervades October and has ruined Halloween for me. It's why we have stupid bumper stickers that say, "Save the Tatas," and it's why grown ass women who should know better would ask me a question like the above.

Wow. I feel so much rage on your behalf for that thoughtlessly hurtful comment.

The thing is, you people who feel uncomfortable around women who are breastfeeding - it's YOU that has a problem, not the person doing the feeding. Feeding your child is a natural, normal behaviour which women should never be made to feel ashamed of. It's not something that needs to be hidden away to make other people feel better - that's a completely unfair expectation.

[Raja]

, "But what about your poor husband?"

I don't even..how do people think let alone say these things? That's ridiculous. I would have no idea what my reaction would be to something like that, walking away and not speaking to that person is all I can think of.

[Prosesskrift]

I have to admit to being uncomfortable around breast feeding women.

I am aware it's a natural act, I just fail to see the need for it to be done in public. In this day and age, where breast pumps are readily available, a woman can express milk for her child if they are going out. There's little need to breast feed in public.

Sex is also a perfectly natural thing, but we don't need it done in public.

Why should your, as you yourself describe it, irrational discomfort count for anything? It would surely be more inconvenient for the women needing to feed their kid to have to use breast pumps and carry bottles around.

[north of the wall]

I have always breast fed wherever and whenever i want. If we are out to dinner or something I might have thought to take an extra blanket as a cover but rarely.

I dont really care if people are uncomfortable and would have a few choice words to say if anyone told me I couldn't breast feed in public.

My in laws are probably the ones who are the most uncomfortable about it and have said stuff before about. My response is usually something like "so I'll see you again once bubba is weaned?" Now the worst I get is an eye roll or "are you STILL breast feeding?!" After 4 kids I would have expected them to get used to me breast feeding. lol.

My eldest told me not to breast feed my youngest in public becaude I'd be arrested. Lol. He got a lecture about it but still tells me off. His new thing is to say baby brother (19mnths) is too old.

Strangers have never been an issue for me though.

[Gillio]

Because our society sexualizes breasts to the point that it's obsessive. And ridiculous.

Don't even get me started on this topic. I cannot even begin to describe how ridiculous our society acts about boobs. I had a double mastectomy due to cancer and a woman asked me about reconstruction and why I opted not to do it; she asked, "But what about your poor husband?"

Seriously? I was so pissed. I still get livid over this topic. It's the reason why breast cancer pink crap pervades October and has ruined Halloween for me. It's why we have stupid bumper stickers that say, "Save the Tatas," and it's why grown ass women who should know better would ask me a question like the above.

I feel your rage! :grouphug: (all the way to Australia!) so have opted out of jokes about who wears the boobs in your family! :p

I have to admit to being uncomfortable around breast feeding women.

I am aware it's a natural act, I just fail to see the need for it to be done in public. In this day and age, where breast pumps are readily available, a woman can express milk for her child if they are going out. There's little need to breast feed in public.

Sex is also a perfectly natural thing, but we don't need it done in public.

Sigh. People need to stop thinking about breastfeeding as being like sex. :rolleyes:

Straight from the breast is better for the baby than - sterilise pump. use pump, sterilise bottle, put milk into bottle, reheat milk to correct temp, discard unused milk, back to sterilising!!!

Straight from the breast is the right milk at the right temperature at the right time. While the pump is often necessary in this day and age for various reasons, I would not go so far as to mandate it for all occasions.

Here is a useful site Australian Breastfeeding association, they exoplian better than I

i think in the situation described, comfort and wellbeing of mother and child should trump any vague discomfort experienced by an onlooker.

We used to have people breastfeed in our cafe. I just used to make sure they had access to a glass of water.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Scotcat,

Why should your discomfort have any impact on a woman who is feeding her child? Why should she have to pump to address your discomfort?

[E-Ro]

Isn't it like indecent exposure or something?

I don't really care either way but I get why some people don't like it. Just try not to look I guess.

Eta: also boobs are sexualized because of biology not society. Blame evolution for that one.

[MinDonner]

Yeah, and keep those ankles covered, too! That's just biology, not society!

FFS.

[E-Ro]

Yeah, and keep those ankles covered, too! That's just biology, not society!

FFS.

There's no need to get all feisty. I didn't say you should cover up, my point was that saying society is the reason people like boobs is false.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Isn't it like indecent exposure or something?

Says the dude with a shirtless avatar...

[E-Ro]

Says the dude with a shirtless avatar...

Fair point.

[MinDonner]

And I was saying that you were wrong, and that all sorts of body parts get sexualised by society without any input from "evolution".

[straits]

Eta: also boobs are sexualized because of biology not society. Blame evolution for that one.

There's no need to get all feisty. I didn't say you should cover up, my point was that saying society is the reason people like boobs is false.

You can say that people like boobs because of biology, but they aren't sexualized because of biology.

People also like faces because of biology, but those aren't sexualized. You can be attracted to features of the opposite gender without sexualizing them (often society does that part for you).

[Larry of the Lawn]

There's no need to get all feisty. I didn't say you should cover up, my point was that saying society is the reason people like boobs is false.

Well, indecent exposure is a social creation, not a biological fact. And not all cultures sexualized breasts. So its easy to see why someone could miss your point, since you know, its social not just biological.

[E-Ro]

And I was saying that you were wrong, and that all sorts of body parts get sexualised by society without any input from "evolution".

Alright, I'm backing down from this. I was wrong. Might as well cut my losses.