Is it okay to breastfeed in public?

Posted on 02 08, 2007 under Master Debaters by Paul Simpson | View Comments

lucy-lawless-breastfeeding-_small1Your 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?

 

Related Posts

  • Rev_BreastLove
    I can remember the day that I was converted to the \"path\". I decided, on a whim, to go to a play group to meet some of my wife\'s friends from La Leche Leauge. It was in a park on beautiful spring day. As I watched several of the women feed thier kids under the dappled shade of a large oak tree, I suddenly felt closer to creation - to understanding the beauty and simplicity of creation. Breast feeding is the way.
  • Eric
    I lived in a small African village for a couple of years doing volunteer work. Naked boobs and babies were everywhere. For the first week, it startled me, but you get used to it. Later, I would carry on long, serious conversations in foreign languages with women while they breastfed, at it all seemed natural, because it is. Unfortunately, most American men and women are so far removed for nature that they no longer understand what\'s good for themselves. Viva Les Breasts!
  • BigDaddy
    I don\'t care to see it.
  • rupertz
    Didn\'t miss your point...in fact, I was the one who originally made it with my caveat :)
  • latiamh
    Cool it guys.
    Let\'s play nice.

    It\'s all just opinions here.
  • jeaton
    Rupertz,

    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.
  • rupertz
    Jeanton,

    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/archive/2003/09/10.html ) except for those with health reasons, or adoption, etc).\"

    I stand by what you say, and next time, read before you rant.
  • Stephanie
    I will NEVER understand why this is ever a discussion. They were MADE for feeding babies, not JUST for Daddy\'s enjoyment. I think it is the OTHER persons proble if there is an issue. I am doing what my body was ment for. AND PLEASE don\'t bring up the \"We don\'t poop in public.\" thing. As if it\'s the same thing...NOT!
  • Ladydragonflagg
    It is definately ok to breastfeed in public. I mean really, this is the actual reason for having breasts in the first place! I have actually heard people describe it as \"discusting\", when it is most natural thing that any woman could possibly do.
  • jeaton
    [QUOTE]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.[/QUOTE]

    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.
  • Of course it is ok to breastfeed in public...and if someone has a problem, they can look else where.
    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.
  • rupertz
    Of course it is. Anyone who disagrees is puritanical, bottled-up or otherwise repressed and can go screw themselves as far as I am concerned. Of course a woman shouldn\'t have her tits hanging out, but I don\'t think 99.9 percent of women do.

    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.
blog comments powered by Disqus