Breastfeeding/Pumping in Public?

I'm a guy but this topic has been on my mind because I'm a relatively new father and my significant other has been pretty determined to exclusively breastfeed even though she works. Studies show breastfeeding is healthier for babies than formula in general, but sometimes the logistics can be difficult and cause women to need to pump while in public in order to have enough milk. For example they can store milk for her family to give the baby while she's at work, but if she doesn't pump while she's away her supply will go down.

I didn't really think it was an issue anymore, since my significant other has had almost no issue with it and she does it in public, usually with a light blanket over her, regularly. Nobody has really reacted to it in public, not even a dirty look as far as I've noticed. Then I saw a video on CNN about it:

http://www.cnn.com/videos/entertain.../video/playlists/breastfeeding-controversies/

I have no idea who those celebs are, but apparently breastfeeding is still controversial somewhere in America.

Is it okay to breastfeed in public? Why or why not?

My opinion is a little biased, because I would be okay with topless nudity in public anyway, but being against breastfeeding in public seems strange to me because it's not really a sexual thing and it's a very healthy thing to pump and breastfeed. What do you think?

 

Absolutely fine, particularly being discrete like your partner with the light blanket. However I'd admit the first few times id seen mums feeding in public i didnt know where to look, but thats more about me than them (not any more). Breast feeding is natural, its best for the child and thats all that matters.

 

What is it with America's fear of the breast? Zombies eating brains is practically family entertainment, but show a boob on TV and people's heads explode. Attention American public, a woman showing a breast in public is not going to turn men into crazed rapists. A child seeing a breast is not going to become a satanistic serial killer. A woman breastfeeding her baby at the mall is not going to cause the collapse of America.

We sit there and call Muslims backwards and barbaric for making their women cover up, yet don't understand why Europe looks at our puritan ways a shakes their head.

 

Fear of the breast? Oh, the ridiculous drama! The outrage! Disturbing!

Have I covered all the goofy liberal talking points?

Someone needs to find something productive to do.

 

So your position is that breastfeeding, and the health of babies, is not important?

 

There are always insecure jerks who get off on being outraged over matters of no significance. It's best to just ignore them and move on with your life.

 

People who are disturbed by breast feeding are just projecting their own insecurities onto others. They think that just because breast feeding elicits strange or disturbing thoughts in their own mind that it must be the case for everyone else. This kind of projection is usually (but not always) more pronounced in "conservative" puritans who are incredibly disturbed by a woman's sexuality.

 

Indeed. A woman pumping/feeding is exercising a small measure of freedom that women of the past wouldn't dare do. I say anyone who has a problem with it can take a long walk off a short bridge. The health of my children supersedes your ridiculous insecurities.

 

No harm, no foul.

Women are well within their right to whip a tit out, and feed their babe. But, if you're going full tit without a blanket, it's going to bring attention. It is what it is.

 

People who make a scene are usually jerks as a matter of course. They love to complain and rage about anything. They are losers and nobody should change their behavior on their account. Screw 'em.

 

True. They can do what they need to do, but don't blame me if I catch a glimpse or two. It's a reflex - I can't help it.

[video=youtube;dbsmbCWUNEE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbsmbCWUNEE[/video]

 

I got the side glance down to a art.

 

It's a good skill to have.

 

lolol. Did I say or even indicate that? Why, no, I didn't.

This is why sane people laugh.

 

There are some people who can take a photo of a woman breastfeeding in public and put it on the Internet. Therefore, I don't think it is wise for a woman to breastfeed in public. Also, if there are kids around, they will start giggling and get their first Anatomy lesson.

 

I'm fine with breastfeeding in public. Babies don't know about our arbitrary rules on clothing and sex and all that. They just know they're hungry. And it's not like we as a society are shy about boobies. They are everywhere, even in children's cartoon characters. And none of those places, none of them, have anything to do with using a breast for what it's actually for. If we can handle that without flipping our lids, we can surely handle a woman feeding her child.

However, much like the open carry retards when it comes to guns, any woman doing it as a spectacle or to flaunt the fact that they can is annoying. But they should still be allowed to do it.

 

Get a good look, Costanza?!?

 

This is simple:


A woman who makes a big show of showing her breasts to breast feed has MENTAL ISSUES.


A woman, is quite capable of covering it up.

I once ate lunch with some friends and never knew that one of the women breast fed her baby while we talked and ate. THAT is a mentally healthy woman.

 

Then she should lay on the restaurant floor and have sex with anyone she wants, nobody should mind this oh-so-NATURAL sexuality....I'm sure she'd do it in the street , too , since it's "natural.


I am not disturbed by breast feeding. I am disturbed when mentally disturbed people feel the need to get naked in public...

 

Classic example of projection. Just because you associate a breast with perverted sex acts does not mean everyone else does.

 

I remember seeing a movie on American TV. It was called Longitude (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192263/). In one scene, aboard an 18th century sailing ship, a sailor was flogged and the blood was clearly shown spilling onto the deck. Later in the film an autopsy on a woman was performed and her breasts were pixelated out. I am European and I shook my head.

 

The thing is women do not have to breast feed in public to breast feed. They can milk themselves and just carry a bottle along with them when out with a kid. I guess it boils down to what is "in public". Walking around Walmart doing it is kind of different than say doing it discretely in the car in a Walmart parking lot or something.

 

I dont understand why americans view nudity in such an odd manner. women in other countries do it all the time and no one cares, just feed your kid, like come on.

 

It has a lot to do with the influence of puritans on our society. Paradoxically, these people are quite comfortable with violence. But anything associated with sexuality, especially women's sexuality, they find horrific and disturbing.