Breastfeeding in Public

[Lilani]

To me it seems a little rude to do it in restaurants and places like that, provided you're not being remotely subtle with it that is. Obviously shouldn't be illegal or anything, it's just common decency IMO.

Aside from that I don't really care.

Babies have to feed fairly often, and while you're having a meal is a very logical and normal time to feed a baby. Baby's got to eat, and I think it's common decency to feed them when they're hungry. Especially given the way babies get when they are hungry.

Anyway, I'm of the line of thinking that women should be able to be topless in public just like men, since there's really no logical reason to allow men but disallow women. So needless to say I'm perfectly fine with breastfeeding in public, and get rather bristly when people take something which is a problem of personal tastes and project it upon people who are doing nothing wrong.

 

[Kerethos]

I've barely ever seen it, and when it happens it happens because the baby needs food and the food is in the boobs. It's natural and the best food for the baby (as long as the mothers milk production works as intended) and I don't see why anyone should be upset about it. It's like getting angry about a dad hugging his children in public.

You're watching a mother give the best food[footnote]Bacteria and anti-bodies from the mother is great for the baby's still developing immune system.[/footnote] available to an infant, that is a good and beautiful thing.

As for pumping, I've never really though about it. But if it needs to be done then it needs to be done. It would be foolish to waste good baby food and if you can take care of that, without it interfering with your work, why not? It's not like it stinks or soils the workplace, does it?

 

[Foolery]

Well, I do love a nice pair of tits.

In all seriousness, why would I even care? It's a woman feeding her child, not an erotic display.

 

[Aesir23]

I don't see anything wrong with it. I would prefer that breastfeeding women have a towel or small blanket to cover themselves for decorum's sake but I have no issue with women breastfeeding in public.

Besides, when a baby is hungry it is hungry at that very moment. It's definitely not going to accept a "please wait until we get home".

 

[laggyteabag]

No problem with it whatsoever. The baby needs to eat, and I would much rather feed it in public than have to travel all the way home with a crying baby.

Also; Da booby is for da feedy. AKA They are there for a reason.

 

[Gretha Unterberg]

Okay, so this seems like an odd one but I was listening to a discussion about breastfeeding in public on the radio and I was quite surprised by the attitudes of some people towards it.

By public, I mean in restaurants, in shopping centres and what have you.

A few questions to start discussion, inspired by some of the answers people gave on the radio regarding the topic:

Does it make you feel uncomfortable when you see a woman breastfeeding her child in a public area? If so, does it always make you uncomfortable or is it okay provided that her breasts are completely covered?

Alternatively, do you just see it as something natural and non-sexual, something women should be free to do whenever and wherever they please?

Do you think that instead of possibly making people uncomfortable, women should have to go into private areas, such as bathrooms, to breastfeed?

Do you think that women who do so are exhibitionists? Should they just always have bottles prepared to feed their child when out and about?

You don't have to stick to these questions, I'm just interested in people's opinions on the subject in general.

My, if people are uncomfortable with seeing an baby having lunch then I have bad news for them.

There are situations where I can be disturbing,but those are situations where you shouldn't bring a baby along in the first place. Because There a LOT more unpleasent things they can ,and will, do.

 

[Iwata]

I have a baby daughter. Breast-feeding, in public or otherwise, isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. When my daughter (who doesn't like bottled milk) is hungry and we go out, my wife breast feeds her because the alternative is to let her starve. My wife does cover her breast and our daughter while doing it, though.

That said, I've heard a lot about this topic, but I've never actually encountered anyone bothered by it, so I think it may be more of a general misconception than an actual issue.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

If it shuts up your spawn, thats fine, as long as that spawn isn't nine years old or something. That's kind of weird.

And the problem there isn't that she's breast-feeding, it's that she just slapped you with her boobs.

Yeah sure, "problem".

 

[Vault101]

Do you think that women who do so are exhibitionists? Should they just always have bottles prepared to feed their child when out and about?
.

.....WUT???

so seriously wut?

I'm pretty sure a mother with a newborn baby does not give a fuck,

 

[Happiness Assassin]

I fully support a woman's right to whip a tit out... for the babies of course... and in other cases.

I feel I should add more to this to not sound creepy. Um... food is good and babies need it more than most. Yeah, that'll do.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Breastfeeding? Who the heck has a problem with that? "How dare you display your evolutionary biology in front of me!"

 

[Mezahmay]

Breastfeeding? Who the heck has a problem with that? "How dare you display your evolutionary biology in front of me!"

The issue is not with "evolutionary biology". The issue some have is perceived public indecency based on one's individual beliefs and/or their society's view of breasts in general. For one to argue from a moral stance that a mother should not feed their newborn child is just flat out wrong. To argue they shouldn't breastfeed around other people since not everyone wants to see bare breast is another thing.

 

[thundra]

Breastfeeding? Who the heck has a problem with that? "How dare you display your evolutionary biology in front of me!"

mysogonistic cunts have a problem with it. Just like conservatives have problem with minorities civil rights.

 

[Agayek]

I don't see any issue with public breastfeeding at all. It's unusual, so it might garner a second glance, but that's about the entirety of my reaction to it. There's nothing wrong with it.

If I were a woman, I couldn't imagine ever actually doing it, but I don't see anything wrong with someone else doing so.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I've seen it happen a few times. In restaurants, parks, supermarkets, etc. I don't think my day was changed in any meaningful way. If I were to guess, I'd say the vast majority of people don't mind it either.

 

[Major_Tom]

I don't understand why women can't feed their babies in public, but men can parade around shirtless, proudly displaying their useless nipples.