Is it okay to breastfeed in public?
Posted on 02 08, 2007 under Master Debaters by wahoodad |
Your newborn’s eyes are closed and her jaw moves with a subtle rhythm as she draws milk from your wife’s breast. You smile down at your peaceful little one, completely amazed at her innate ability to feed…. Unfortunately, the guy at the next table trying to decide on one of the 210 tasty possibilities of T.G.I. Friday’s 3 Course Combinator isn’t as impressed. He tries to resist his innate male response to look at any available naked breast , and manages to pull his eyes away from the Boob Tractor Beam long enough to shoot you a look that smacks of “WTF?”. You give him a well-the-kid’s-gotta-eat shrug and place a burp cloth over your wife’s shoulder to block his view.
While breastfeeding is a completely natural act, the sight of a mother nursing her child while sitting on a bench in the park, enjoying a decaf latte at Starbucks, or waiting to bowl her frames at the local candlepin lanes can cause some people to be taken aback. Some argue that there’s no need for public breastfeeding. Whether it’s in a dressing room at Macy’s or a designated family restroom at the mall, most businesses are sensitive to breastfeeding; and you can find a safe, private area in which to whip out the milkers in most public places.
Maybe you think breastfeeding belongs in the home and any public feedings should be done with a bottle. Maybe you think your baby should enjoy fun-bag fuel right from the tap wherever and whenever she wants. Either way, we want to know:
Is it okay to breastfeed in public?
This is the latest installment in our Master Debaters Question of the Week Series. There are some topics that seem to fall into the consensus category: drunk driving is bad, guns kill people, Transformers are better than GoBots. But that only covers less than 1% of the decisions you and your spouse make towards the upbringing of your kids. The majority of issues tend to fall more in the gray area.
Here at Noodad.com, we take pride in delivering important advice for dads. But we realize that some of our advice is subjective. The collected readership surely has things to add and unique perspectives to contribute.
So where do you weigh in?
Add New Comment
Viewing 12 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
If anything, I\'m all for scowling at women and men who bottle-feed (caveat, except those who for health reasons, or adoption, etc) in public. If you can breastfeed and you chose not to that is far worse than breastfeeding in public.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
It\'s totally natural-it\'s the most natural thing in the world, in fact...
I breastfed in public-I\'m modest so I covered up...but if you don\'t want to cover up, fine..it\'s your boob and your baby.
It isn\'t porn, it isn\'t indecent, it isn\'t gross...
You have the problem. Not me.
So I tell them to get over it.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Except that you have no idea why someone is bottle feeding, so scowling at them is just being an ass.
Maybe the mother has medical issues and can\'t physically do it. Can you tell by looking if that\'s the case?
Maybe the child is adopted. Can you tell by looking if that\'s the case?
Maybe the mother pumps and is feeding the baby breast milk from a bottle. Can you tell if that\'s the case?
Unless you can universally know why a give person is bottle feeding, keep your scowling to yourself. No, actually, no matter what, keep your scowling to yourself. It\'s frankly none of your business why someone bottle feeds or not.
We plan to breastfeed, but if for whatever reason my wife can\'t do it, I have no problem with bottle feeding, and I have no tolerance or respect for any ass who would question my parenting because of it.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
before you go calling me names take half a second to read what you quoted me saying. I clearly say,
caveat, (if you aren\'t sure what that means, look here, http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/ar... ) except for those with health reasons, or adoption, etc).\"
I stand by what you say, and next time, read before you rant.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
You clearly missed my point, which is that you can\'t possibly know why another person choose to breastfeed or not to breastfeed. There are many reasons one could choose not to bottle feed which wouldn\'t be obvious to a stranger in public.
If you\'re in the habit of scowling at anyone for bottle feeding, you are no better than those who scowl at women who bottle feed.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Let\'s play nice.
It\'s all just opinions here.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks