A Mother's Milk

[unholypet]

...going into the baby's mouth, direct from the source in you shirt is not.. NOT.... something I wanna see at a little pizza parlor. I doubt the other Bible Belts we serve like it either.

Hey.. HEY, you, yeah.. you, the horny old man at the buffet trying a peek, keep walking.

Disgusting.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Was she not covered up? I know there's debate about the whole breast-feeding in public issue...it doesn't bother me as long as things are covered up. I mean, baby's gotta eat and I wouldn't expect anyone to hide in their house until the baby is weaned, or do it in the bathroom or anything, but you gotta keep some decorum about it. I think once they get some practice, most women can do it without anyone even knowing they are. It just looks like the baby is sleeping.

[Subspace_Relay]

Well how was it being done? My friend's mom could breast feed her youngest and no one was the wiser (other than the fiddling with her shirt before and after), it in fact looked like she was simply holding the baby. Unless you came up behind her though (that wasn't very pleasant).

[AriRashkae]

Now see, I'm mixed on this. (my nursing days are a year behind me, but my views still stand.)

On one hand, I refused to try to cramp into a tiny bathroom stall or some other ridiculous place because I might upset someone by using my breasts as they were intended. (some bathrooms in nice places have lovely retiring rooms. That's different.)

However, I would not just "whip it out" in public. I'll drape a blanket over my shoulder first and make the necessary adjustments underneath. At home, I wouldn't cover up, but my shirts were usually oversized Ts, so it didn't matter.

I'm not body shy, but I am aware that there are people who are extremely uncomfortable with the human body, and I really didn't feel like explaining to the cops that my "indecent exposure" was feeding my son.

I did get congratulated one time when I was nursing while waiting for my car to be worked on (again, covered). He girlfriend looked like she wanted to sink into the floor.

[Eben56]

No worry

Breast feeding is natural.

Yes, I would have a problem if someone was whipping out a breast and screaming "I am going to expose my breast now"

Since in my 51 years and have never seen that, I would not think it a problem.

Feed your child as needed. Anyone that thinks different can GTH.

[Banrion]

Like others have said, it depends on HOW it was being done. I have seen mothers who dress appropriately in nice v neck or wrap shirts and nursing bras so that when they are feeding, even without a blanket over the baby's head, you would not know they are feeding the baby, and they aren't sitting around topless in public. These mothers are the ones who are truly more concerned about feeding their baby and doing it naturally, rather than upholding the principal that it's their right to do so.

Then there was the rather disgusting experience I had in the waiting area of a restaurant. It was a very popular new restaurant which meant long wait times. I was sitting on a long bench in the waiting area. A woman came and sat down almost on top of me, despite the fact there was more than enough room for her to at least leave me my personal space, pulled her arm out of her t-shirt, then pulled the t-shirt up over her shoulder. THEN, she pulled the baby out of it's carrier, and proceeded to feed it. I did make a comment to the SO, to the effect of "Well, I guess she's not shy", I did not say anything directly to the woman, but nonetheless, she ripped the baby off her boob and handed it to her husband while she then decides to rip into me about how it is her right to feed her child in public for the what seemed like the next 10 mins, all the while her boob is still hanging out, and she was leaking as she had barely started the feeding process. Eventually, we just had to walk away. It was very obvious that she really wasn't concerned about the child's health, she was looking for someone to say something about the fact that she was being incredibly indiscreet so that she could go off. These are the women I have a problem with.

[HowMayIHelpMe?]

The sight of a woman breast-feeding her baby in public is not offensive to me.

[Sliceanddice]

you see im the middle ground person too, if they do it right im ok with it, hell ive seen my cousins bring the babes from up under the shirt to be decent (they pull down their shirt alittle so they can make sure baby is ok) and ive seen them wear proper shirts.

but come on... im all for the womans right to feed her child and not treated like pariah but im not for women basically stripping down to do it. Either do it right or dont do it at all

[CrazedClerk]

As long as the woman is being respectful while doing it, I have no problem with it whatsoever. I see it frequently and most women use a sheet or small blanket to cover themselves.

No problem with that.

[Bright_Star]

Breast feeding is the BEST way to feed a baby. BUT there's a time & place for everything.
Breast feeding moms should excercise discretion because let's face it-this country has a HUGE hang up about breasts being exposed in public. Far too many people equate breasts with sex. They don't realize that breasts are a source of nourishment for babies.
PLUS there's no reason to force a breast feeding mom to go into a bathroom to do that when a bathroom is no place to be eating ANYTHING! At the same time, it should be done quietly & without drawing undue attention.
So if someone does see a woman breast feeding then they need to do ONE thing-keep walking! Yeah you can glance over BUT to keep looking is disrespectfull.
One more thing...a man giving his opinion on breast feeding really needs to shut up cause there's no way he'll ever relate.

[Misanthropical]

Why is it A-OK for men to go around without a shirt, even if their man boobs hang down to their waist, but the minute some woman is seen breastfeeding, it's a huge deal?

[Lace Neil Singer]

I have no problem with a mother discretely feeding her child with nothing being seen. No, she doesn't have to sit in the toilet; but it certainly is possible to exercise a bit of respect while feeding Baby in public. I've seen it done, and I was very happy that said baby was quiet and feeding rather than screaming bloody murder.

However, I agree with all the sentiments about disrespectful women who just whip off their tops and fling out their boobs, regardless of who wants to see them. I'm lucky in that I haven't been flashed in that manner, but a mate of mine was unfortunate in having a woman do that, right in front of him, in a shopping centre. He's no prude but does not like seeing a woman's huge veiny breasts being flung out needlessly, even if the woman did somewhat excuse herself by plugging a huge child into one. By the way, the woman was asked to leave the shopping centre due to complaints. Not about her breastfeeding, altho the child was at least four years old and surely should be on solids by now, but cuz she flashed a crowd of people. O_o

[rerant]

It's natural and I don't find doing it in public offensive in the slightest.

Why is it A-OK for men to go around without a shirt, even if their man boobs hang down to their waist, but the minute some woman is seen breastfeeding, it's a huge deal?

Here in Ontario women are allowed to go topless just as men are.

[AriRashkae]

Why is it A-OK for men to go around without a shirt, even if their man boobs hang down to their waist, but the minute some woman is seen breastfeeding, it's a huge deal?

I'd have to check Google and Snopes for details, but I think a woman beat an indecent exposure rap up here in New England (I'm thinking VT for some reason), by basically telling the judge that the only difference between her chest and his was the fat content, so why would she be indecent if she was topless, but he wouldn't.

Anyone else familiar with this?

[ArenaBoy]

I have learned a valuable lesson reading this: Don't drink milk (FROM A COW) while reading these sort of threads. This is also a first that I have been disgusted by something that I could no longer drink said beverage. And I've eaten and read some disgusting stuff on here.

NOTE: I am not disgusted by breastfeeding but just the imagery as I was drinking milk did.