Poll: Breastfeeding in public

[S_SienZ]

Why don't you just look at your food? Or anywhere else aside from that woman? I'm sorry but I find it very hard to symphatise with you unless for some reason you're stuck in a place filled with breastfeeding mums.

I'd assume you come from a fairly well-off country. It's when people having nothing else to worry about in their lives when they start making a big deal about things as trivial as this. Baby needs to eat, as many have said, it's a legitimate neccessity. The mother has just as much autonomy as you as an individual to do as she pleases. The line of public decency, which governs things such as public nudity in certain countries, sure as hell (everywhere) DOES NOT cover an activity that is a neccessity of nature.

 

[BabyRaptor]

also breastfeeding is shown to help the mother-child bonding process, if people have a problem with it, maybe THEY should leave. Also I don't really think breastfeeding counts as "public nudity" seeing as there's a large baby head in the way.

There are a myriad of things that help the mother-child bonding process. The bond can and will flourish even if the child never breastfeeds. Your point is completely invalid as an argument.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Baby needs to eat, as many have said, it's a legitimate neccessity. The mother has just as much autonomy as you as an individual to do as she pleases. The line of public decency, which governs things such as public nudity in certain countries, sure as hell (everywhere) DOES NOT cover an activity that is a neccessity of nature.

Your argument might hold water if breastfeeding was the only way to feed a child. It's far from the only way...It's not even the only way to make sure the baby gets breast milk.

Also, relieving yourself is a necessity of nature, but you can still get in trouble for doing it in public. How is breastfeeding any different?

 

[Xenetethrae]

If it is a crime to go topless in public without the baby, it should be a crime to do so with the baby too. I don't particularly care about seeing breastfeeding in public (except in restaurants, that's gross), but breastfeeding women should have to adhere to the same laws as everyone else.

I don't urinate in public and that's a perfectly "natural" act. If I have uncontrollable diarrhea while eating in an Indian restaurant, I don't let loose at the table where I'm eating, I go to the bathroom first. I realize that asking breastfeeding mothers to do so in a bathroom is probably too much, but maybe they shouldn't have gone out in public with a hungry baby in the first place?

But, I realize this whole issue can be averted if it was legal for women to go topless in public. Win-Win anyone?

 

[Oliver Pink]

It should be illegal.
If you're going to pull out your breasts, I will pull out my penis.
I'm warning you.

For the record, unless you're into some kinky sexual games, you don't 'feed' people with your penis.

You may disapprove of the breasts, but you can't deny the baby its food. I personally don't find it awkward at all, but I've grown up in a theatre group for whom nudity is as natural as bathing.

 

[crazyfoxdemon]

It should be illegal.
If you're going to pull out your breasts, I will pull out my penis.
I'm warning you.

Heck, just make that second clause legal.

The only problem with that is that a baby doesn't get fed via penis...

 

[Kakashi on crack]

I don't scratch my balls in public. It's just common courtesy. Nobody wants to see you doing anything like that. It's awkward.

This basically sums it up. It's not that I have a problem with them doing it in public, its just kinda courteous not to.

Maybe they should come up with a breastfeeding area, or something like that in public places...

 

[S_SienZ]

Baby needs to eat, as many have said, it's a legitimate neccessity. The mother has just as much autonomy as you as an individual to do as she pleases. The line of public decency, which governs things such as public nudity in certain countries, sure as hell (everywhere) DOES NOT cover an activity that is a neccessity of nature.

Your argument might hold water if breastfeeding was the only way to feed a child. It's far from the only way...It's not even the only way to make sure the baby gets breast milk.

Also, relieving yourself is a necessity of nature, but you can still get in trouble for doing it in public. How is breastfeeding any different?

That's because there are toilets for that. Maybe I should have been more clear: if there are no assigned facilities nearby that were designed for it, then the mother should be free to breastfeed. Also, feeding and providing one's infant with nutrients is hardly the same as excretion. I'm sure everyone will agree on that. Any reasonable person, which is the natural standard the law abides by, would find it grotesque on top of the fact that there's scientific evidence of harmful effects to prolonged exposure to ammonia and all that other good stuff in shit and pee.

 

[Cazza]

For it

I don't see why people see it as so bad. It's not like your eyes are locked on her. If it bothers you so much look somewhere else.

 

[SilentCom]

I don't really like it. I understand if a woman wants to feed her baby, but if it's in public, she should just use a bottle or something.

It's just common courtesy. It's not very fair that a women would be allowed to expose herself at the expense of others. If a woman is allowed to do that, I should be allowed to expose my dick and pee in public if there aren't any bathrooms in the vicinity.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

I actually believe public nudity should be 100% legal...

So you can guess my answer to something as measly as breastfeeding.

If you're weirded out by something as ordinary and natural as breast feeding, thats your own personal issues, deal with it.

 

[XandNobody]

It is feeding, a baby.

You make it sexual, you have your own issues with it that you need to deal with. Just saying.

 

[mjc0961]

It should not be done in public, no. In any other circumstance, whipping out a boob in public would be "indecent exposure" and you get taken away by the police. And considering that there are alternative methods of feeding a baby, I seen no reason to make an exception. If you know you're going out, know you're taking your baby with you, and know you're going to have to feed your baby, bring some bottles along (fill them with formula or use a pump so your baby still gets breastmilk). From where I'm sitting, not being prepared like that not only shows no respect for other people, but it also shows that you're somewhat of a bad parent. You bring other things along for your baby like diapers; you need to bring along some food in a proper delivery method for a public setting as well.

Okay, those are actors. But still, if that happened for real, the woman should leave. His cafe/restaurant/whatever, his rules. We've all seen the signs that say "no shirt, no shoes, no service". Well, it's a bit like that. If they don't want it in their establishment, they have the right to ask you to stop or to leave.

That's because there are toilets for that.

And there are bottles for feeding babies. Breastfeeding in public is thus unnecessary.

 

[Dags90]

In any other circumstance, whipping out a boob in public would be "indecent exposure" and you get taken away by the police.

Actually, a fair amount of states in the U.S. have had cases cementing chest equality. States which treat female topless as "person toplessness" and OK include New York, Maine, Ohio, and several others.

 

[kittii-chan 300]

It should be illegal.
If you're going to pull out your breasts, I will pull out my penis.
I'm warning you.

they are "pulling out there breasts" to feed a child. whats your reason for pulling out your penis? (on second thought dont tell me)
besides id rather see someone breastfeed in public than hear the sound that makes me want to punch infants. unfortunately it is also the sound that is made when if i punched an infant.

 

[emeraldrafael]

As long as they do that little towel thing where they cover it, I dont mind.

 

[mjc0961]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Look, we're not talking about women wantonly flinging off their bras and shoving their knockers in your face. We're not talking about doing something to get attention, and we're not even talking about anything involving adjusting certain body parts or clothing (not that, I argue, that should be such a heinous thing either. It certainly isn't on the cricket field). We're talking about a child wanting his/her lunch. It's completely unfair to say to a woman (not to mention said woman's child) that no, it is indecent and improper for you to want to feed your hungry child wherever you want. You must instead do it in a special often cold basement room, or order your child not to be hungry until you can find somewhere private.

And, er, seriously? If you don't like looking at it, a simple half-turn and the "horrific" site of a mother nurturing a child is completely obscured from your vision. Easy.

Or you do the right thing and bring a bottle or two along when you go out. Easy.

Nobody is asking a child to go hungry. We're asking a mother to have a little decency. That is nowhere near too much to ask from someone in a modern society.

 

[Wintermoot]

it has mostly too do with American prudishness when the baby has to eat it has to eat regardless of place.
On the other hand the mother could have put some of the milk into bottles.

 

[Bags159]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Look, we're not talking about women wantonly flinging off their bras and shoving their knockers in your face. We're not talking about doing something to get attention, and we're not even talking about anything involving adjusting certain body parts or clothing (not that, I argue, that should be such a heinous thing either. It certainly isn't on the cricket field). We're talking about a child wanting his/her lunch. It's completely unfair to say to a woman (not to mention said woman's child) that no, it is indecent and improper for you to want to feed your hungry child wherever you want. You must instead do it in a special often cold basement room, or order your child not to be hungry until you can find somewhere private.

And, er, seriously? If you don't like looking at it, a simple half-turn and the "horrific" site of a mother nurturing a child is completely obscured from your vision. Easy.

Or you do the right thing and bring a bottle or two along when you go out. Easy.

Nobody is asking a child to go hungry. We're asking a mother to have a little decency. That is nowhere near too much to ask from someone in a modern society.

I don't see why you're even trying to argue with these people. They pretty much came out and said on the first page that if you disagree with them you're an immature 12 year old kid.

If you wanna act like a 12 year old boy about it you should probably grow up and show some respect.

When I see stuff like this I just know there's no sense in arguing, as no opinions are going to be changed.

In response to the poll, I haven't seen it happen so I voted don't care.

 

[TheTurtleMan]

I don't see how it would be so hard to simply walk into a bathroom to breastfeed because even if it wierds out three out of ten people in the room, that should be enough. Although if women feel that they have to breastfeed in public, they will also understand my need to stare at their tits whilst feeding the baby.