Breast feeding in public?

This. Definitely.

 

If it's acceptable for a woman to bottlefeed her infant in public without ''covering it'' and it's acceptable for a man to walk around in public without any semblance of a shirt on, it's acceptable for a woman to breastfeed. No exceptions.

Breasts are not sex toys or genitalia and people need to stop treating them as such.

 

As long as she covers up, it's fine. It is important to breast feed the baby, even in public. However, one must also be respectful of others. Grab a blanket/towel on your way out, and everything is fine.

 

I think it's totally fine to do it in public.

However!

A lady should cover up. Not like... She has to wear a huge blanket. A simple cover can do it!

The thing is, it's more of a decency issue. I think breast feeding is far from crazy - it's just.. Well, a breast! In public!

 

Breast feeding in public is fine and perfectly natural. For that matter there really isn't any reason that women shouldn't be able to run around shirtless just like men if they wish.

The whole idea of women being covered up is just a pointless cultural relic that need to be tossed in the metaphorical trash can and forgotten. Same goes for the idea that a woman needs to cover up out of some notion of being 'respectable' or worse 'respectful'. What about respecting the woman who is rather busy raising a new human being?

I'd also point out that if we are going to start down the road of considering a display of a natural act to be 'disrespectful' and worthy of shame and covering up, then the same argument could be applied to LGBT people for anything from holding hands to even acknowledging we exist.

Todd

 

I don't think the better majority of breastfeeding mothers are going to take the effort of making a sexy display of breastfeeding just to titillate whoever might be watching when there are squalling screaming babies hungry for food.

In other words, a breastfeeding mother showing her breasts in the majority of cases is to FEED a hungry baby. She isn't trying to show off or offend anyone AND she herself actually needs to breastfeed.

A little biology information: If a woman doesn't feed her baby on time, her breasts can become 'too full' as her own body -expects- her to feed at an established time as breastfeeding is something of a codependent relationship between mother and baby. Just because she's not somewhere where she can be discreet doesn't mean her breasts will agree to stop producing milk. The engorgement I mentioned in turn can lead to breast-related health problems.

 

I didn't realise they needed feeding.

 

I breast fed my son in public. Yeah, I tried to be discreet, but when he started getting a bit older he'd often pull off quickly to have a nosey at something, leaving my breast and nipple briefly exposed. You do your best.
People who think it's wrong have issues. That's what breasts are predominately for.

 

No. Nobody should be taking off their shirt in public (this includes everyone, and I do mean everyone). I don't have much of an issue if the woman in question is being discreet about it, but honestly, it just makes me really uncomfortable. It's better if she covers up. It's not a "stop looking at boobs sexually" issue. It's a public decency issue. You know how attraction works. People cannot choose what they are attracted to, and I expected you guys to understand that...

Do what you have to do, but don't make others uncomfortable. That's what I'm trying to say.

 

I'm not trying to attack you or anything with this, this is a general thing, but I'm using your post since you posted about how we are supposed to understand.

I believe we should understand better like you said, but you pointed out something that is not really important here. Yes, we know how attraction works, we know that some things can't be change, but come on, we should also understand the reason why it shouldn't be uncomfortable. We, as trans, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and every other sexuality and gender identity, want others to respect the way we present ourselves. We want others to not feel uncomfortable when we express our gender identity or when we express our sexual orientation, we actually want this to be viewed as something completely natural and normal. So, why do some people feel uncomfortable seeing a woman feeding a child? But we get angry when other people state that they feel uncomfortable looking at two guys holding hands or kissing in an appropriate way, we wish for equality, but we can't see something that is part of every mother's life, which is breast feeding, like something okay to be done. I'm pretty sure that many of this mothers try there best to cover the best way possible, it's not like they take of their shirt and bra and swing their boobs around for everyone to see.

I'm sorry if you feel attack by this, which is not my intention at all. I just get rather frustrated when I read this things from people that get upset when others look at them weird for being who they are. We should understand this because we, and I include myself, know how it feels like and I'm sure we don't like it when it happens to us. We want equality? Well equality is for everybody, not only for a community, or a race, or social class or gender, it is for everyone and I believe we should understand that more than anyone.

 

Is it so awful to observe something that does absolutely no harm to you or others? Really? Particularly when no one is obligated to look?


:eusa_doh:

 

If anyone has a problem with it, they don't have to look.

 

Breastfeeding in public is absolutely acceptable. To say otherwise is nothing more that misogyny.

 

Eh...I guess I'd rather see breast feeding than babies who only get formula.

 

It's not hard wired. A few centuries ago, even showing an ankle was a gross indecency. Meanwhile in other parts of the worlds, people don't wear almost any clothing and are still decently clothed for their culture.

People need to get over that Victorian attitude.

 

Ever since I could remember... I've always wondered why the f*ck women's breasts are this taboo sexualised organ that can't be displayed in public... whilst males walk around shirtless all the time and it's fine...

It's so stupid... get over it people. The kid needs food... if you don't want to see it, look away...

 

I love how people are saying that breastfeeding mothers should be aware of others feelings and not make others uncomfortable. They seem to forget that the 'others' they so quickly mention are also the ones that may be 'uncomfortable' that we are gay, lesbian or trans in public.

How dare we be born male and dress female? How dare we kiss our same sex partners in public? This makes others uncomfortable. How about gay marriage?????? How can we do this type of thing in public? And attempt to make it legal????? What about those of us that have tatts or piercings? This can make others very, very uncomfortable. So, before people go about saying that nursing mothers should cover up to keep others from being uncomfortable, they best be thinking about how THEY may be making others uncomfortable, and change accordingly.

 

Breastfeeding in public is voluntary, but sexuality and gender are not a choice. Isn't that a false equivalency? Is it so bad if it makes me uncomfortable to see a tit in public?
I am not even asking to ban public breastfeeding. I'm just saying that we should respect that partial nudity can be controversial. So will tattoos and piercings. Those who stand proud against that controversy are admirable, but there's a time and place for things.

 

And that time and place shouldn't exclude public spaces and daylight. Seriously, it's just a breast, and shaming someone for feeding their child is ridiculous. People effectively choose to be offended by seeing a breast in public; a mother does not choose when her child is hungry.

 

Breasts are NOT sexual organs, male or female. It's unfortunate that they were made to be ones at least on females.