The sponsor of a proposed bill in Washington wants women to feel comfortable feeding babies wherever they are.
How do you feel about mothers breastfeeding in public?
30 Comments
C said:
Whats the big deal about this? This is something that has been done for thousands of years and something that is part of our species.
We allow smoking in public and lots of other things in public, but something that is natural is prohibited. I can already see the comments coming from people .. probably from those that are also 'pro life'.
Charlie said:
There is already a federal law that protects
breast feeding mothers in public places. This
would just help to bring attention and help
prosecute those who would harass, or otherwise
a woman while she is feeding her child.
While I think its redundant, I do think more
people need to know these laws do exist. I also
think its ridiculous that we even need such a
law.
LSM said:
Breastfeeding is the most natural way of feeding a baby and bonding. It's beautiful and healthful. I support women breastfeeding their babies in public and anyone who doesn't like it, well, they don't have to watch!
Sarah harris said:
We are MAMMALS.. I can understand the desire by some to keep it PG-using a blanket or ones shirt to cover up a bit... But I don' t think it should even be an issue.
HY said:
Imagine a state that outlawed any act or body part over a few complaints. The state would be empty, everyone would be outlawed!
We do not need to smother our babies to HIDE breastfeeding, we do not feed our babies in places adults would not eat (toilets and closets). This is not our problem, it is the problem of those desperate to keep women as toys not humans.
I breastfed my son in the 90s (before there were laws to protect us) at work, Fred Myers checkout lines, restaurants, museums, parks... for a year and a half. It is time we stop listening to the village idiots and move up.
Kathleen said:
There is something wrong with a society where pornography can be viewed on cell phones but breastfeeding in public makes people uncomfortable. I think more women should breastfeed in public and I for one may stop covering up.
TLH said:
Well, I can understand why some women want this freedom even at the expense of everyone else, especially commercial property owners. Personally, I think public breast feeding is fine (on government property) just not on private property (restaurants, stores and other commercial properties). It's unfair to force people to watch a breast feeding if they choose to not see it. I personally don't want to see it. It's like picking your nose in public, nobody wants to see that either. We're not cave people any longer, we're an advanced society and women can either feed their infants in a secluded area or use a breast pump and bring ample supplies while in public. Commercial property owners should have the right to disallow it if they choose.
Annaberri said:
I can't believe we have to spell something like this out. Duh!! Also, I have never had a problem in this state, and neither has anyone I know, covered or uncovered, and I breastfeed where and whenever. Why do we need another law? Just leave it alone people. Sheesh.
Monica said:
I don't have any problem whit breast feeding in public. I think it is the most normal act in the word. Babies don't know about public and private. If some one think it is not right, must have a twisted mind. This doesn’t even have to be an issue.
Chris said:
As others have said, this is natural and the way it should be. Most mothers I've seen generally put a blanket over their shoulder out of modesty.
The ones who object the most are probably those who feel any infant — in the womb or out of it, is distasteful. I feel sorry for them and the beauty of motherhood they are missing.
FormerBreastFeeder said:
Cover up, and what's the big deal? It's the most natural thing. The only time I have a problem with it is women don't cover themselves or the baby.
Frank Morlan said:
i would rather walk around 10 times in public and have kids see a baby breast feeding everytime,then to have them see 2 men or women kissing in public once. the first part i can explain to them. the second i shouldn't have to.
Tony said:
Its really no big deal, its natural and people need to stop making it seem dirty or secretive. Its the best for the baby and maybe it should be more public. Having said that, I also am a big advocate of using a blanket to minimize the exposure of the mother. Mostly out of my concern about pervs getting turned on by this.
AG said:
I don't really see that a redundant law is necessary, but the heart behind it is good an right. To TLH ... it seems to me that a restaurant would be the obvious place TO breastfeed without recriminations. Everyone else there is eating, why should the baby go hungry? Stop thinking of the breast as a sex object and think of it as a food source. It isnt any different than the hand holding a bottle, its just another body part.
You should take a moment and think - do you object to seeing someone eat a hamburger on comercial property or drink a soda? If your answer is no, then you should really rethink what it is about breastfeeding that bothers you. The only reason women HAVE breasts is to feed babies. Everything else is just gravy, as they say.
erv said:
with alot of kids now still living at home up into thier 30s or so, what age limit are we talking about here?
I can not believe this is even an issue. If a baby needs to be fed, that mother should be able to to feed her baby. This process has been around since humans first walked this planet. It is a breast! Get over it! It seems every other country in the world has.
Tom Cat said:
I have no problem with this, nor should anyone else. This is totally natural, my wife is breast feeding our son and she respectfully covers herself not to offend anyone. Don't get me wrong people know what she is doing, but they can see anything. So what is the big deal? This is a great way to supply nutrition and the childs immune system. There should be no question about it. There is my 2 cents and future parents, I support you.
HAHAHAH.
wow. i have seen woman wear shirts that show the whole breast minus the nipple, there was no law needed to pass that. and with this there is a baby blocking the whole thing. why is this a issue, you were all feed this way, it is as natural as walking, and do people think that most woman are comfortable doing this in public? but hey sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Thats why moms are heros, give em what ever they want or need.
Angela in Bothell said:
I fed my kids whenever and wherever they needed it, even as young toddlers. On the whole, I think people were grateful not to have to listen to a hungry baby crying and being ignored because "we can't do that here" or a toddler who has fallen down and gotten a bonk, crying because their best comfort cannot be offered right now. You can choose not to look at breastfeeding, but how can you choose not to listen to a baby cry?
As my kids got older, and before they weaned, we got to where we only nursed at home - unless somebody fell down and got hurt. In ten seconds, you go from screaming baby to comforted baby. And this is bad....why?
To the person who suggested that mothers ought either to stay home, seclude themselves, or just use a breastpump...not every woman can use a breastpump successfully, the pumps worth using are very expensive anyway (the cheap ones may injure breast tissue), not every baby will accept a bottle-nipple if they're used to suckling at the breast, and tiny babies who are breastfeeding can become confused if asked to switch between breast and bottle, and begin refusing the breast because it's more effort. So, no. Not every woman can "just pump" and no woman should be expected to, just so she can be allowed out in public.
I fed my kids myself for about 7 years running, between the lot of them. That was far too long a time to expect me to 'just seclude myself', 'just stay home', or 'just pump'. Instead, I just went out about my life, tried to be discreet about nursing babies, and NEVER had a cross word from anybody.
I am a proud nursing mother and nurse wherever we go if the baby needs to... most people never notice, and those few that do, tend to be friendly about it. Bad reactions are very rare and I've met them with tact.
We are mammals. Mammals nurse their young. It's so much more natural than a lot of various behaviors that we tolerate in social settings that I can't believe this question still comes up.
Pumping is not an acceptable alternative for every mother and it's an unbelievable amount of work and expense to go to just so someone can pretend that we're not animals. Long separations are necessary sometimes and moms that need them should clearly have access to good, reasonably priced, effective and safe pumping gear ... but moms who don't HAVE to pump shouldn't be forced to just because you feel weirded out about how their baby eats.
And by the way, my son's eating manners are better than many adults' -- he doesn't talk with his mouth full, talk on the cell phone, drive, or smoke! :-)
The Man said:
They should cover up, plain and simple. Otherwise they need to stay home or in their car somewhere secluded and not publicize their great "miracle."
Breast feeing does NOT need to be a "spectator sport." Many people find it offensive in public, and I must agree. Men are not allowed to Penis Feed in public, so no Breast Feeding in public!!
C said:
@The Man I'm offended by Hummers, Bud Light and people that are obnoxious. I propose to make a law against these things to be visible in public.
michael said:
Iv seen men w bigger chests then half the weman I know! They don't get asked to cover up or stay home. So why should it be any different for weman that are breastfeeding? Last week I sat on the buss n watched a couple shop for adult toys on ther lap top! Witch would u rather see or have your child see in public a breastfeeding mother or some perv surfing porn!?
cyrixlord said:
God indended Man's property (women) to be covered up (in Burkas, puritan dress, menoninte/amish, etc) to keep men from getting distracted from reading God's word. Women who failed to heed these rules and showed a little skin in public were stoned (taliban, christian times, muslim. Women should continue to cover up themselves in the presence of men. after all, isnt that what God wanted? Otherwise they'll deserve whats coming to them!
AM I RIGHT, MY RELIGIOUS FRIENDS? scriptures don't lie!
well I guess we listen to scripture only when it suits us (like eating shellfish ((Leviticus 11:9-12)) and all that)
Remember, kiddies: WOMEN ARE PROPERTY, NOT PEOPLE.
Anti-GOP said:
The Republicans, on the other hand, have honed their economic message: Denial, Delay, Do Nothing.
Denial
It begins with denial. Former Bush adviser Karl Rove and Fox News host Bill O'Reilly opined in December that it's the media's fault. The said the press is overhyping bad news; the economy, they suggested, is not really all that bad. "So you are agreeing with me," O'Reilly said, "that there is a conscious effort on the part of The New York Times and other liberal media to basically paint as drastic a picture as possible, so that when Barack Obama takes office, that anything is better than what we have now?"
"Yes," said Mr. Rove.
OK. I guess if you're wealthy like Mr. Rove and Mr. O'Reilly you can afford to pretend the recession is a vast media conspiracy. But for the 3.7 million Americans who have lost their jobs in the Bush-Republican recession, Messrs. Rove and O'Reilly seem dangerously out of touch.
Delay
"Let's slow down. Let's take our time," said Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska). "Few things are going to be as important as this." Generally that's good advice. But with the economy losing 19,000 jobs a day, is delay really a wise strategy? Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) seems to think so. He told CNN's John King, "We could shelf this bill and start again. That's what we really need to do."
Do Nothing
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is widely considered a rising star in the GOP. He was even mentioned as a potential running mate for 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain. His strategy, again articulated to John King on "State of the Union," is to do nothing -- let companies, communities and families fail.
penny lacombe said:
The breastfeeding issue cannot ever be settled until it is properly framed: this is NOT about breastfeeding, this is about who OWNS a woman's nipples. Do the women themselves own their nipples, or do the men own her nipples?
Consider: whereas men's nipples are acceptable anywhere at any time, only the globe of a women's breast is acceptable in the same manner. UNLESS that breast has the permission of males to be exposed publicly, such as in men's bars, men's publications or places where only women gather.
Even Tiny Tots are socialized to wear a one-piece (boy) or a two-piece (girl) bathing suit, when, in reality, it is only the child's genital area that needs protection from sand and sea.
cyrixlord said:
Hi, does breastfeeding in public include the breastfeeding of kids over 3 years old? 7% of breastfeeding parents allow children as old as 7 to suckle on their teets.Regardless of what is permissable, there is no law presently that limits the age of a child to suckle on their mother. Just something to think about as laws like this start getting passed. Its not necessarily about morals, but about abuse of a system.
DOUBLE D said:
I have to say that im not for it at all. Yeah its natural and good for the baby but i dont want to see a mother lift up her top and let her baby go to town.I was at my doctors appointment and there was a lady across from me that started breast feeding so i turned my attention to her and started watching she suddendly said, what are you looking at? Well im looking at you and if you dont like it too bad cause i dont like what ur doing. If a mommy feels it's time to feed then people are going to look. After about 30 seconds she got up and left and i heard an older lady say how disgusting it is to do it in public. The funny thing about it was that i seen she had a pack of cigarettes in her purse so i guess that she's one of those mothers that smoke in the car with her baby in it.Im curious if her baby can blow a smoke ring?
Whats the big deal about this? This is something that has been done for thousands of years and something that is part of our species.
We allow smoking in public and lots of other things in public, but something that is natural is prohibited. I can already see the comments coming from people .. probably from those that are also 'pro life'.
There is already a federal law that protects
breast feeding mothers in public places. This
would just help to bring attention and help
prosecute those who would harass, or otherwise
a woman while she is feeding her child.
While I think its redundant, I do think more
people need to know these laws do exist. I also
think its ridiculous that we even need such a
law.
Breastfeeding is the most natural way of feeding a baby and bonding. It's beautiful and healthful. I support women breastfeeding their babies in public and anyone who doesn't like it, well, they don't have to watch!
We are MAMMALS.. I can understand the desire by some to keep it PG-using a blanket or ones shirt to cover up a bit... But I don' t think it should even be an issue.
Imagine a state that outlawed any act or body part over a few complaints. The state would be empty, everyone would be outlawed!
We do not need to smother our babies to HIDE breastfeeding, we do not feed our babies in places adults would not eat (toilets and closets). This is not our problem, it is the problem of those desperate to keep women as toys not humans.
I breastfed my son in the 90s (before there were laws to protect us) at work, Fred Myers checkout lines, restaurants, museums, parks... for a year and a half. It is time we stop listening to the village idiots and move up.
There is something wrong with a society where pornography can be viewed on cell phones but breastfeeding in public makes people uncomfortable. I think more women should breastfeed in public and I for one may stop covering up.
Well, I can understand why some women want this freedom even at the expense of everyone else, especially commercial property owners. Personally, I think public breast feeding is fine (on government property) just not on private property (restaurants, stores and other commercial properties). It's unfair to force people to watch a breast feeding if they choose to not see it. I personally don't want to see it. It's like picking your nose in public, nobody wants to see that either. We're not cave people any longer, we're an advanced society and women can either feed their infants in a secluded area or use a breast pump and bring ample supplies while in public. Commercial property owners should have the right to disallow it if they choose.
I can't believe we have to spell something like this out. Duh!! Also, I have never had a problem in this state, and neither has anyone I know, covered or uncovered, and I breastfeed where and whenever. Why do we need another law? Just leave it alone people. Sheesh.
I don't have any problem whit breast feeding in public. I think it is the most normal act in the word. Babies don't know about public and private. If some one think it is not right, must have a twisted mind. This doesn’t even have to be an issue.
As others have said, this is natural and the way it should be. Most mothers I've seen generally put a blanket over their shoulder out of modesty.
The ones who object the most are probably those who feel any infant — in the womb or out of it, is distasteful. I feel sorry for them and the beauty of motherhood they are missing.
Cover up, and what's the big deal? It's the most natural thing. The only time I have a problem with it is women don't cover themselves or the baby.
i would rather walk around 10 times in public and have kids see a baby breast feeding everytime,then to have them see 2 men or women kissing in public once. the first part i can explain to them. the second i shouldn't have to.
Its really no big deal, its natural and people need to stop making it seem dirty or secretive. Its the best for the baby and maybe it should be more public. Having said that, I also am a big advocate of using a blanket to minimize the exposure of the mother. Mostly out of my concern about pervs getting turned on by this.
I don't really see that a redundant law is necessary, but the heart behind it is good an right. To TLH ... it seems to me that a restaurant would be the obvious place TO breastfeed without recriminations. Everyone else there is eating, why should the baby go hungry? Stop thinking of the breast as a sex object and think of it as a food source. It isnt any different than the hand holding a bottle, its just another body part.
You should take a moment and think - do you object to seeing someone eat a hamburger on comercial property or drink a soda? If your answer is no, then you should really rethink what it is about breastfeeding that bothers you. The only reason women HAVE breasts is to feed babies. Everything else is just gravy, as they say.
with alot of kids now still living at home up into thier 30s or so, what age limit are we talking about here?
more info
http://www.007b.com/breastfeeding_public.php
And by the way... You dont have to watch!
I can not believe this is even an issue. If a baby needs to be fed, that mother should be able to to feed her baby. This process has been around since humans first walked this planet. It is a breast! Get over it! It seems every other country in the world has.
I have no problem with this, nor should anyone else. This is totally natural, my wife is breast feeding our son and she respectfully covers herself not to offend anyone. Don't get me wrong people know what she is doing, but they can see anything. So what is the big deal? This is a great way to supply nutrition and the childs immune system. There should be no question about it. There is my 2 cents and future parents, I support you.
Yes, it's natural, so is sex. What's next?
HAHAHAH.
wow. i have seen woman wear shirts that show the whole breast minus the nipple, there was no law needed to pass that. and with this there is a baby blocking the whole thing. why is this a issue, you were all feed this way, it is as natural as walking, and do people think that most woman are comfortable doing this in public? but hey sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Thats why moms are heros, give em what ever they want or need.
I fed my kids whenever and wherever they needed it, even as young toddlers. On the whole, I think people were grateful not to have to listen to a hungry baby crying and being ignored because "we can't do that here" or a toddler who has fallen down and gotten a bonk, crying because their best comfort cannot be offered right now. You can choose not to look at breastfeeding, but how can you choose not to listen to a baby cry?
As my kids got older, and before they weaned, we got to where we only nursed at home - unless somebody fell down and got hurt. In ten seconds, you go from screaming baby to comforted baby. And this is bad....why?
To the person who suggested that mothers ought either to stay home, seclude themselves, or just use a breastpump...not every woman can use a breastpump successfully, the pumps worth using are very expensive anyway (the cheap ones may injure breast tissue), not every baby will accept a bottle-nipple if they're used to suckling at the breast, and tiny babies who are breastfeeding can become confused if asked to switch between breast and bottle, and begin refusing the breast because it's more effort. So, no. Not every woman can "just pump" and no woman should be expected to, just so she can be allowed out in public.
I fed my kids myself for about 7 years running, between the lot of them. That was far too long a time to expect me to 'just seclude myself', 'just stay home', or 'just pump'. Instead, I just went out about my life, tried to be discreet about nursing babies, and NEVER had a cross word from anybody.
I am a proud nursing mother and nurse wherever we go if the baby needs to... most people never notice, and those few that do, tend to be friendly about it. Bad reactions are very rare and I've met them with tact.
We are mammals. Mammals nurse their young. It's so much more natural than a lot of various behaviors that we tolerate in social settings that I can't believe this question still comes up.
Pumping is not an acceptable alternative for every mother and it's an unbelievable amount of work and expense to go to just so someone can pretend that we're not animals. Long separations are necessary sometimes and moms that need them should clearly have access to good, reasonably priced, effective and safe pumping gear ... but moms who don't HAVE to pump shouldn't be forced to just because you feel weirded out about how their baby eats.
And by the way, my son's eating manners are better than many adults' -- he doesn't talk with his mouth full, talk on the cell phone, drive, or smoke! :-)
They should cover up, plain and simple. Otherwise they need to stay home or in their car somewhere secluded and not publicize their great "miracle."
Breast feeing does NOT need to be a "spectator sport." Many people find it offensive in public, and I must agree. Men are not allowed to Penis Feed in public, so no Breast Feeding in public!!
@The Man I'm offended by Hummers, Bud Light and people that are obnoxious. I propose to make a law against these things to be visible in public.
Iv seen men w bigger chests then half the weman I know! They don't get asked to cover up or stay home. So why should it be any different for weman that are breastfeeding? Last week I sat on the buss n watched a couple shop for adult toys on ther lap top! Witch would u rather see or have your child see in public a breastfeeding mother or some perv surfing porn!?
God indended Man's property (women) to be covered up (in Burkas, puritan dress, menoninte/amish, etc) to keep men from getting distracted from reading God's word. Women who failed to heed these rules and showed a little skin in public were stoned (taliban, christian times, muslim. Women should continue to cover up themselves in the presence of men. after all, isnt that what God wanted? Otherwise they'll deserve whats coming to them!
AM I RIGHT, MY RELIGIOUS FRIENDS? scriptures don't lie!
well I guess we listen to scripture only when it suits us (like eating shellfish ((Leviticus 11:9-12)) and all that)
Remember, kiddies: WOMEN ARE PROPERTY, NOT PEOPLE.
The Republicans, on the other hand, have honed their economic message: Denial, Delay, Do Nothing.
Denial
It begins with denial. Former Bush adviser Karl Rove and Fox News host Bill O'Reilly opined in December that it's the media's fault. The said the press is overhyping bad news; the economy, they suggested, is not really all that bad. "So you are agreeing with me," O'Reilly said, "that there is a conscious effort on the part of The New York Times and other liberal media to basically paint as drastic a picture as possible, so that when Barack Obama takes office, that anything is better than what we have now?"
"Yes," said Mr. Rove.
OK. I guess if you're wealthy like Mr. Rove and Mr. O'Reilly you can afford to pretend the recession is a vast media conspiracy. But for the 3.7 million Americans who have lost their jobs in the Bush-Republican recession, Messrs. Rove and O'Reilly seem dangerously out of touch.
Delay
"Let's slow down. Let's take our time," said Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska). "Few things are going to be as important as this." Generally that's good advice. But with the economy losing 19,000 jobs a day, is delay really a wise strategy? Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) seems to think so. He told CNN's John King, "We could shelf this bill and start again. That's what we really need to do."
Do Nothing
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is widely considered a rising star in the GOP. He was even mentioned as a potential running mate for 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain. His strategy, again articulated to John King on "State of the Union," is to do nothing -- let companies, communities and families fail.
The breastfeeding issue cannot ever be settled until it is properly framed: this is NOT about breastfeeding, this is about who OWNS a woman's nipples. Do the women themselves own their nipples, or do the men own her nipples?
Consider: whereas men's nipples are acceptable anywhere at any time, only the globe of a women's breast is acceptable in the same manner. UNLESS that breast has the permission of males to be exposed publicly, such as in men's bars, men's publications or places where only women gather.
Even Tiny Tots are socialized to wear a one-piece (boy) or a two-piece (girl) bathing suit, when, in reality, it is only the child's genital area that needs protection from sand and sea.
Hi, does breastfeeding in public include the breastfeeding of kids over 3 years old? 7% of breastfeeding parents allow children as old as 7 to suckle on their teets.Regardless of what is permissable, there is no law presently that limits the age of a child to suckle on their mother. Just something to think about as laws like this start getting passed. Its not necessarily about morals, but about abuse of a system.
I have to say that im not for it at all. Yeah its natural and good for the baby but i dont want to see a mother lift up her top and let her baby go to town.I was at my doctors appointment and there was a lady across from me that started breast feeding so i turned my attention to her and started watching she suddendly said, what are you looking at? Well im looking at you and if you dont like it too bad cause i dont like what ur doing. If a mommy feels it's time to feed then people are going to look. After about 30 seconds she got up and left and i heard an older lady say how disgusting it is to do it in public. The funny thing about it was that i seen she had a pack of cigarettes in her purse so i guess that she's one of those mothers that smoke in the car with her baby in it.Im curious if her baby can blow a smoke ring?