Breastfeeding in Public  

What is your opinion on it? Do you have a problem with a woman next to you, nursing her baby in a public place? What would you consider indecent or rude?

My opinion:

I nursed my daughter for 8-9mos. I had no issues with nursing in public. I would do it very discreetly, my breast covered with a blankie. But even in doing so, I found I recieved glares from a few people and had one person comment to me about using the washroom to feed my child. (I was in a restaurant, and noone could see my breast. I was covered and still, a man one table over said "You should be doing that in the washroom"....very rudely. I did not respond to him as it would not have been nice ) I "overheard" other negative remarks too, which shocked and offended me.

I also had some funny moments where people would not realise I was nursing and come up wanting to see the baby. They would blush when I said she's eating, and they realised I was not feeding out of a bottle. We'd all laugh, but the odd one would be truly embarassed about it.

Breastfeeding is natural to me, and I am very happy to see alot more women doing it. Alot of malls in the area have breastfeeding rooms. (I for one, refused to nurse my baby sitting on a toilet in a stall) The breastfeeding rooms are essentally washrooms, but they have chairs in them so you can sit in comfort.

I am quite comfortable with the act of nursing, but I also understand that some people aren't. Which is why I would make sure that I was covered with a blankie or a nursing shirt while nursing. I didn't just "whip my boob out" to feed. Yes, if you actually caught me latching her on, you might have seen a little bit for a brief moment untill she was latched on right.

I wasn't as comfortable with my first daughter, and ended up only nursing for a week. I was not educated, young, and had no support. With my second daughter, I had a public health nurse as well as a breastfeeding support group which helped me with both the initial bf'ing issues and the self conscious issues. After a month, I was quite comfy with myself, my body and feeding my baby with my own milk.

I hope to see more women continue to follow with bf'ing and hope that more people can "accept" how natural it is.

The only situation I would have a small issue with is if the woman fully exposed her breasts in a public place where it is not acceptable to be without a shirt. (ex. restaurant) I have the same issue with a topless man in that situation though.

Although it is legal here for women to go topless, in places like stores and restaurants, both men and women need to have a shirt on.

Don't be sorry, it is your opinion I hope you don't take this the wrong way, just expressing myself, and trying to understand the other side.

Breast pumps are used alot so the spouse can bottle feed the baby as well as give the mom a break if need be (I don't think breast pumps were made just so you can give your baby a bottle in public... honestly I think they were made to save a woman's hands from handpumping which can be time consumming). I don't think breastfeeding even remotely compares to urinating in public. Urinating in public is illegal and disgusting. Breastfeeding is natural, and if the baby is hungry, why should we deprive them of food? Breasts were functionality before they were fashion accesories, or things for sexual partners to play with.

I can understand that completely. As much as I'm comfortable with myself, I would be slightly offended at that

Is it the bare breasts that make you uncomfortable, or the act of breastfeeding itself or something else? I'm just curious, and am trying to see "the other side"

When I was nursing, honestly if given the choice of a breastfeeding room like some malls have vs right in the dining area of a restaurant, I would prefer the room where I could sit in total comfort without worrying about covering up

Thanks for the replies, even if I don't agree with you, I appreciate you being honest and helping me to see the other side of this issue.

Actually, some babies who are breastfed will not accept a bottle. I have to disagree with you in your statement of there is no reason why it HAS to be done in public. Is a breastfeeding mother expected to stay at home because she chose to feed her baby in the most natural and healthiest way possible?

I, as a woman, and a mother...wouldn't appreciate being told where I can or cannot feed my child in the way it was intended to be fed. ( NOT directed at anyone, spoken based on the rude comment I recieved in person while I was nursing). I don't tell others where they can or cannot eat, so why should babies be any different?

I completely understand that some people are not comfortable with seeing a woman's breasts. Unfortunately society has made it that way, female breasts = sex when they should be seen as female breasts = food for babies.

But if you don't actually see the breast, what is wrong with it?

Women have hidden nursing for too long, keeping themselves inside and feeling tied down due to nursing, which is not how it should be. It's natural, its the best food for your baby, its free, its convenient and there are way more pro's to it.

I agree that there's some women out there who "ruin it" for people who are uncomfortable with seeing another woman's breasts. Those of us who breastfeed do need to keep in mind that others can be bashful about it, and try to cover up

I'm obviously pro-breastfeeding as you can tell LOL.

People think of sex when they think of a woman's breasts. It's sad but unfortunately its reality.... how many movies have ever shown a woman breastfeeding? How many movies protray breasts as sex objects?

Based on breasts being sexual, it seems to make alot of people bashful persay.

Breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful and serene things I have ever seen.

I wasn't always as comfortable with my own breasts or breastfeeding. Definately not with my first daughter, but it changed with my second daughter whom I was able to nurse. The content look on her face while she fed as nature intended, and the peaceful calmness through me while I nurtured her from my own body.

Alot of the comments here, one thought that has run through my head is lack of education. Lack of education is why I couldn't nurse my first daughter.

Comments about giving a bottle while out.... Some breastfed babies will not accept a bottle at all. The nipples on a bottle are so different than those of a woman, and the baby does not get that skin to skin contact. I know a few moms whose babies wouldn't touch a bottle and went straight from breast to cup.

Or breast pumps being made so you can bottle. In all truth, women can manually express milk, there is no need for a pump. I "think" pumps were made for convience, for women who cannot manually express, or want it done faster than manual... as well as hospitals. A premature baby cannot usually latch on properly, so they end up having no choice but to bottlefeed. Breastmilk contains so many important nutrients, immunities from the mom, etc. so hospitals encourage women to pump if their baby cannot nurse.

Yes, having children most certainly changes a person's outlook on alot of things, this topic as well.

Yes, some women are never comfortable enough to nurse based on how they were brought up, how society is (I knew one girl in my bfing class who gave it up because someone commented she was "scarring" her son by letting him suckle her breast.... she left the group after that).

I guess it all comes down to respect for another human being. If nursing makes you uncomfortable, don't look...noone is forcing you to watch another person eat whether it be by suckling at the breast or eating by a fork.

And for the woman doing the breastfeeding, she also has to respect that it makes some people uncomfortable and should try to help by covering.

I truly hope that none of my posts have made it seem like people who are uncomfortable are wrong for being so. No way were any of my posts meant to be like that.

I respect other people, and understand that some people are uncomfortable with it. I would never think of forcing an uncomfortable person to talk to me while I was nursing, and always tried to do it discreetly.

All we can do in many issues, is respect that everyone is entitled to their own feelings, everyone's comfort level is different, and to educate where we can because there's a lot of mis-impressions (not sure if that's the right word) which can cause discomfort.