Is there anyone who seriously objects to public breastfeeding?

[TerraPrime]

I've seen women breastfeeding before in social settings. I think what Zabz said bears repeating: they are typically exposing less skin and cleavage than most bikini swimwears allow for. For certain, there's less skin to be seen on breast-feeding mothers than the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, or a Victoria Secret catalog.

[Larry of the Lawn]

I see topless men showing full nipple all over the place in the summer.  No big deal.  Don't see why actually using a nipple in public should attract anymore attention than a topless man.

[IamMe90]

13 minutes ago, TerraPrime said:

I've seen women breastfeeding before in social settings. I think what Zabz said bears repeating: they are typically exposing less skin and cleavage than most bikini swimwears allow for. For certain, there's less skin to be seen on breast-feeding mothers than the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, or a Victoria Secret catalog.

But TEH NIPPLEZ!! THEY BURN! 

[MisterOJ]

I've never seen a woman breastfeeding while uncovered in public before. If/when I do encounter that, I will likely be taken aback by the sight of it, but I won't necessarily have any problem with it. 

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

2 hours ago, larrytheimp said:

I see topless men showing full nipple all over the place in the summer.  No big deal.  Don't see why actually using a nipple in public should attract anymore attention than a topless man.

The strange part is that the male nipple is identical in shape to the female nipple, yet a male nipple is not considered obscene, and the female breast is considered obscene only when the nipple is showing. This despite the fact that in beach/pool settings the clothing many women wear covers essentially nothing but the nipple. So the only thing that women have to do for their appearance not to be considered obscene is to cover part of their body that is definitely not obscene.

[TerraPrime]

Wherein the absurdity in having issues against women breast-feeding in public is underscored when we realize that the nipples are covered by the infants' mouths, thus rendering that image entirely safe for mass market consumerist propagation. For some people, having barely-wearing-anything swimsuit model on magazine covers or in TV ads selling you razor blades or beer is okay, but a woman whose nipples are hidden by an infant's mouth is not. It's a strange world they live in.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

13 minutes ago, TerraPrime said:

Wherein the absurdity in having issues against women breast-feeding in public is underscored when we realize that the nipples are covered by the infants' mouths, thus rendering that image entirely safe for mass market consumerist propagation. For some people, having barely-wearing-anything swimsuit model on magazine covers or in TV ads selling you razor blades or beer is okay, but a woman whose nipples are hidden by an infant's mouth is not. It's a strange world they live in.

That was my thought too.  The baby's mouth is covering the only portion of the breast that could be considered "obscene".

[DanteGabriel]

4 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

That was my thought too.  The baby's mouth is covering the only portion of the breast that could be considered "obscene".

Unless the baby can move at faster-than-light speeds, then there will be a second or so between the whipping out of a naked boob and the baby's mouth latching on, which may well cause discomfort to manly men and their social groups.

[TerraPrime]

3 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

Unless the baby can move at faster-than-light speeds, then there will be a second or so between the whipping out of a naked boob and the baby's mouth latching on, which may well cause discomfort to manly men and their social groups.

So what we need is the nipple equivalent of this. Get on it, internet.

[SheRa Seastar]

I breastfed for 18 months, never once used a cover, and only had one negative comment. Most of the time, I had people offering to bring me drinks. Admittedly I always did the two top method, but that's because England is cold. Most of the time, people didn't realise my son was feeding until he burped. It baffles me that people have a problem with it, and that they feel strongly enough about it to approach someone to impose their opinion. Perhaps their bravery comes from knowing there's little the mother can do about it while the baby is latched, except sit there and take it?

[Seli]

 

I don't recall seeing many women breastfeeding in public, so I assume there is still some bias against it.

23 minutes ago, TerraPrime said:

So what we need is the nipple equivalent of this. Get on it, internet.

Well, there are these http://jezebel.com/5882886/the-very-best-hat-for-a-breast-feeding-baby

[kairparavel]

The problem stems from viewing women not as equals but as baby factories or porn stars or feminazis. It gets confusing and uncomfortable when the parts from one role are being used in another, unrelated role. 

 

[James Arryn]

4 hours ago, Dr. Pepper said:

 

Since it's Wednesday, I'll upgrade that 'liar' to 'completely oblivious'.   

 

No, no...you were right the first time. I was lying about my personal experience with public breast feeding because, reasons. Nice catch.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Ken M takes on what we consider obscene.  This one especially reminds me of objecting to breast feeding in public.

[Kalbear]

1 hour ago, DanteGabriel said:

Unless the baby can move at faster-than-light speeds, then there will be a second or so between the whipping out of a naked boob and the baby's mouth latching on, which may well cause discomfort to manly men and their social groups.

Many babies can move at FTL speeds. Especially when they learn to crawl and you've put something vaguely dangerous or bad for them anywhere where they can reach. 

[sologdin]

4 hours ago, larrytheimp said:

I see topless men showing full nipple all over the place in the summer.  No big deal.  Don't see why actually using a nipple in public should attract anymore attention than a topless man.

huh? it's obviously the dispensing of lactose-based products that is objectionable.  

[Larry of the Lawn]

2 minutes ago, sologdin said:

huh? it's obviously the dispensing of lactose-based products that is objectionable.  

A separate but important issue, really.  The anti-dairy coalition is one of the most insidious special interest groups out there.  We had a gray market cheese merchant gunned down by crooked cops in broad daylight a few weeks ago.

[Whitestripe]

1 hour ago, SheRa Seastar said:

I breastfed for 18 months, never once used a cover, and only had one negative comment. Most of the time, I had people offering to bring me drinks. Admittedly I always did the two top method, but that's because England is cold. Most of the time, people didn't realise my son was feeding until he burped. It baffles me that people have a problem with it, and that they feel strongly enough about it to approach someone to impose their opinion. Perhaps their bravery comes from knowing there's little the mother can do about it while the baby is latched, except sit there and take it?

This. I've fed both kids all sorts of everywhere, and never used a cover. I had one person once tell me that there was a family toilet "in case I didn't want anyone to see what I was doing." I told the young lady that I hoped everyone saw what I was doing. Once, I feed my kid in the lobby at work during a dance performance  load-in. Mid-meal,  a big burly stage hand came up and asked if he could please borrow my keys. I juggled child, wiggled around and fished my keys out of my pocket without baby  ever latching off.  He said "thanks" and went off on his merry way. I later thanked him for normalizing breastfeeding and he said "Dude, my sister would slap me upside the head if I ever dared to consider it anything but normal!" 

[SheRa Seastar]

I breastfed for 18 months, never once used a cover, and only had one negative comment. Most of the time, I had people offering to bring me drinks. Admittedly I always did the two top method, but that's because England is cold. Most of the time, people didn't realise my son was feeding until he burped. It baffles me that people have a problem with it, and that they feel strongly enough about it to approach someone to impose their opinion. Perhaps their bravery comes from knowing there's little the mother can do about it while the baby is latched, except sit there and take it?

This. I've fed both kids all sorts of everywhere, and never used a cover. I had one person once tell me that there was a family toilet "in case I didn't want anyone to see what I was doing." I told the young lady that I hoped everyone saw what I was doing. Once, I feed my kid in the lobby at work during a dance performance  load-in. Mid-meal,  a big burly stage hand came up and asked if he could please borrow my keys. I juggled child, wiggled around and fished my keys out of my pocket without baby  ever latching off.  He said "thanks" and went off on his merry way. I later thanked him for normalizing breastfeeding and he said "Dude, my sister would slap me upside the head if I ever dared to consider it anything but normal!" 

My most adventurous place to feed was on a bus, after a quick dash to the walk in centre with a grumpy, poorly baby. I was offered a seat in a private room in a clothes shop, for no other reason than it was a very comfortable, high backed chair, but there was no pressure to take it. Attitudes to breastfeeding in Britain seem a lot more relaxed than in the USA and Canada. Of course there's the occasional one that has something to say, but I think us polite, respectable Brits are more likely to tell them to eff off. Surely a fleeting glimpse of an inch of skin is better than a shrieking baby?

I do feel, over here, some women try to make more of an issue out of it than it actually is. A woman has just been sentenced for accusing a security guard of removing her baby while she fed it standing in line in a shop. She went straight to the papers and caused uproar. The shop in question checked the CCTV and found that she had made it up for 15 minutes of fame.

[Lord Lannister]

Societal norms in America are kinda funny. I can see someone's head blow up on TV but forbid if we see a nipple. On a female anyways, it's completely different on a male. For... reasons. Maybe it would be more tasteful to cover it up, but frankly I'd rather see the nipple than hear the screaming baby.