Public Breastfeeding Naysayers: Your Guide On How to Deal With the Sight of a Baby Eating
My friend amileegirl was inspired to write a journal about nursing in public -- after getting very annoyed by reading some people's thoughts on it. You know, the majority of Americans disapproving of it. Yeah. Lame.
Amileegirl says it better than most. So I present to you her guide on what to do when you see another breastfeeding in public.
When a mother is breastfeeding her child in a public space, these simple courtesies will help you in any situation.
1. When you happen to see a mother feeding and you make eye contact but are unsure of what to do, just smile (perhaps give a nod). CAUTION: Do not grin, she may get the impression you are a perv.
2. When you happen to get flashed (as can happen with a mobile, fussy, or curious baby), do not panic. It was an accident, not a deliberate attempt to ruin your lunch. The world survived Janet's wardrobe malfunction and your eyes will not bleed and your dinner will not spoil. After all, there is that other table with the public display of thong that you are ignoring quite nicely. Remember that your eyes are on her breasts, but her breasts aren't on your table. Turn your eyes back to your plate and resume eating.
3. When you happen to see that a mother sitting near you is struggling, sweating, and looks about to cry because the hooter hideawayer is not pleasing the baby, you can: Offer to put the titty-tent over your own head, or you can tell her not to worry about the cover and offer to stand as a shield so that she can latch the baby with a bit more freedom.
4. When you feel the compulsion to scowl because your gaze wandered to a nursing mother, remember that you were born with a neck. Turn your head before you frown. Frowning causes wrinkles.
5. When you see a mother feeding her baby in the bathroom (and you happen to be under the impression that the bathroom makes for fine dining), offer to bring your soup and sandwich into the lavatory so that you can chit-chat in side by side commodes. Otherwise, assure her that she doesn't need to nurse in an unsanitary place. Inform her that other people just don't know proper etiquette and she isn't the one being offensive. Offer to walk her out of the cloud of stench into the fresh air.
6. When you see that a woman has more breast exposed than you think is decent, ask yourself these questions: Is it more than you see on a public beach? Is it more than the bra-less double-D Harvard college nymph in the size small tank top? If the answer is no, zip your lip and turn your head. After all, are you going to walk up to those other women and tell them to cover it up? Just because the breastfeeder looks like an easy target, it doesn't mean you need to aim and fire.
7. When you see that the feed-ee is older than you think they should be to be nursing, only say something or give a disapproving snort if you're willing to write a check on the spot for the cost of formula for the next year and a half. You may also offer a cashier's check, money order, pre-paid credit card, or cash.
re-posted from http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/104478/public_breastfeeding_naysayers_your_guide?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=socialshare_thestir_baby
Saturday, July 10, 2010
"You wouldn't breastfeed in church would you?"
This is a reposting of an article written by Kate Hansen. What a wonderful perspective on breastfeeding in public!
"Couldn't she have done it in the car on the way there?"
That comment was probably the worst from Lisa of the Russ and Lisa Morning Show after witnessing a woman breastfeeding her baby at a Chick Fill A restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.
She seems to be suggesting we take our babies out of their carseats and put them in the front seat of the car with us, risking that they might fly through the window in the event of an accident... all to spare someone the discomfort of witnessing them feed in a restaurant. She also said "why isn't this indecent exposure? I think there should be indecency laws." Perhaps we should make it public indecency, on par with exposing one's genitals in a restaurant, then hire a special division of the police force... let's call them the Boob Squad. They can keep all the women and children in line.
She suggested that her views might have something to do with the way she was raised, that someone with more traditional values might be more discreet than to nurse in public.
She also suggested women stay at home rather than expose the public to an "intimate moment" like breastfeeding. Her suggestion implies that a breastfeeding mothers in the past would have to stay at home rather than participate in public life. Certainly this would be their only option, before formula was widely available...
She suggested mothers come prepared, pump and bring a bottle rather than breastfeed. She told one caller that pumping is no more difficult than preparing a bottle of formula and bringing it to the restaurant. One caller commented that "If you wouldn't do it in the front pew of a church, then don't do it in a restaurant."
What about this church? Surely the mother of God might object if you didn't use a bottle, come prepared as she suggested. Jesus himself would certainly object to public breastfeeding, wouldn't he?
What Lisa fails to realize is that bottle feeding as a conservative value is actually fairly recent. Women never used to feel shame at public breastfeeding, nor were they pressured by their communities to keep "such an intimate act" private. Breastfeeding was considered to be quite matter of fact most of the time, and rather beautiful and womanly some of the time. It wasn't equated with sexuality as it is now, or else we would never see an icon of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding
in public
in a church.
Or perhaps she's suggesting that the mother of God was a little loose in her morals?
"Couldn't she have done it in the car on the way there?"
That comment was probably the worst from Lisa of the Russ and Lisa Morning Show after witnessing a woman breastfeeding her baby at a Chick Fill A restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.
She seems to be suggesting we take our babies out of their carseats and put them in the front seat of the car with us, risking that they might fly through the window in the event of an accident... all to spare someone the discomfort of witnessing them feed in a restaurant. She also said "why isn't this indecent exposure? I think there should be indecency laws." Perhaps we should make it public indecency, on par with exposing one's genitals in a restaurant, then hire a special division of the police force... let's call them the Boob Squad. They can keep all the women and children in line.
She suggested that her views might have something to do with the way she was raised, that someone with more traditional values might be more discreet than to nurse in public.
She also suggested women stay at home rather than expose the public to an "intimate moment" like breastfeeding. Her suggestion implies that a breastfeeding mothers in the past would have to stay at home rather than participate in public life. Certainly this would be their only option, before formula was widely available...
She suggested mothers come prepared, pump and bring a bottle rather than breastfeed. She told one caller that pumping is no more difficult than preparing a bottle of formula and bringing it to the restaurant. One caller commented that "If you wouldn't do it in the front pew of a church, then don't do it in a restaurant."
What about this church? Surely the mother of God might object if you didn't use a bottle, come prepared as she suggested. Jesus himself would certainly object to public breastfeeding, wouldn't he?
What Lisa fails to realize is that bottle feeding as a conservative value is actually fairly recent. Women never used to feel shame at public breastfeeding, nor were they pressured by their communities to keep "such an intimate act" private. Breastfeeding was considered to be quite matter of fact most of the time, and rather beautiful and womanly some of the time. It wasn't equated with sexuality as it is now, or else we would never see an icon of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding
in public
in a church.
Or perhaps she's suggesting that the mother of God was a little loose in her morals?
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