Public breastfeeding

[Jazzy]

Debate Statement

People who are offended by it can just look away, it is a natural way and the healthiest way for a baby to get their needed nutrients.

Debate Question
Is public breastfeeding appropriate? (Please explain your answer)

 

[~KAGE-008]

IMO, i dont think its appropiate if it is being done in public..many see it as disgusting..we have fair share of detractors in my hometown

Sad to say this, but I'm one of those who see it disgusting if it's done in public. Quoting my post from another thread:

I'm not against breastfeeding, but I HATE seeing women doing that where they shouldn't do. Those people maybe don't really know there IS another way to feed a baby, with breast milk substitutes (might do this alternative in the future) or just extracting part of the real thing and bottling it separately.

 

[beowulf]

perfectly natural

why is it considered disgusting?.....cos a woman has a boob out in public?......sheesh, these days music videos leave nothing to the imagination so seeing something as natural as this shouldnt be a problem

 

[DrLeftover]

There is something to be said for discretion. But, it is the best for the child.

As for "alternatives", if it's all the same to you, YOU can have a smoothie made from the table of contents for a chemistry book, I'd rather my child/grandchild have the milk made for them.

But again, there is such a thing as a basic level of modesty and discretion.

And NO, I do NOT want you staring at me while I'm eating either.

 

[Nebulous]

The breastfeeding mother needs to be discrete. Keeping things out of view, maybe with a blanket? ...then all is fine.

 

[Jazzy]

I definitely believe that public breastfeeding is appropriate. It is simply a mother meeting her child's most basic need. I also believe it should be done discreetly. There is a whole industry devoted to creating clothes, blankets, bras, etc for breastfeeding mothers to easily cover themselves.

 

[Jazzy]

I've seen women breastfeed without being discrete. Good example was a very crowded waiting room. There were small children in that room. This woman decided to whip her breast out before the baby was even near her breast. One little boy said loudly: "Mommy, look at that ladies boobie. Why does she have her boobie out?" The mother and a lot of others in that room were very uncomfortable. Does a little boy need to see that? For that matter, does anyone have to see that?

 

[DrLeftover]

It is up to the mother.

Most recently I remember seeing a rather large woman who was breastfeeding a child who may have been about a year old, with BOTH of her breasts out in the breeze on a bench in the shopping mall.

The impression I got was she was daring somebody to either stare or say something.

Fortunately, I had other business to attend to or I would have asked her why she was being ignorant about an otherwise very personal activity.

 

[Dee]

Honestly? I don't care. However, we live in a society where women's breasts are not viewed as natural and they are not viewed as having uses other than for pleasure. Yes, they are for feeding their children, but as much as we don't like it (or some of us do xD) the fact of the matter is our society has highly sexualized women's bodies, and therefore I think it's best if a woman does use a blanket. But I don't think they should be hiding in a bathroom because it makes someone uncomfortable if a woman whips out her breast and starts feeding her baby. If people are worried about a kid asking or having to explain, then that's their issue, but it shouldn't prevent a woman from feeding her child.

 

[Jazzy]

Your response to this?

Public breastfeeding is not appropriate because it violates common standards of decency. Public breastfeeding exposes everyone in the vicinity to a view of private areas of the mother's body. This is offensive to many people, and particularly inappropriate when the children of others are present. There are innumerable other ways to feed babies without breastfeeding in public. Often one hears that this is a natural function and so it should be acceptable in public. Sex and defecation are also natural functions, but no one is suggesting they take place in public.

 

[DrLeftover]

Which reminds me....

We don't have much longer to worry about such things.

Under Sharia, breastfeeding in public won't happen.

Or if it does, it won't for long.

 

[+paradox]

me personally, i don't mind nor care if i see it, it's not like i'm going to stare and be weird about it...

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Breast feed how you want. Whip it out for all to see or do it discretely if you wish. Neither impede me or effect my rights so I just do not care. If it was my wife I admit though I would prefer it discretely.

 

[+paradox]

Breast feed how you want. Whip it out for all to see or do it discretely if you wish. Neither impede me or effect my rights so I just do not care. If it was my wife I admit though I would prefer it discretely.

does parents have the right to keep their children eyes censored from seeing "nudity" in public or elsewhere until they deem a good time for their children to see and learn about it?

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Breast feed how you want. Whip it out for all to see or do it discretely if you wish. Neither impede me or effect my rights so I just do not care. If it was my wife I admit though I would prefer it discretely.

does parents have the right to keep their children eyes censored from seeing "nudity" in public or elsewhere until they deem a good time for their children to see and learn about it?

And they say conservatives are the ones all prudish about nudity. LOL! Dear god a little child saw a boob! Will the child be able to cope! A future childs mental state ruined forever because of that booby. And then little Timmy goes back to slaughtering people on his game boy.

 

[Damian]

Breast feed how you want. Whip it out for all to see or do it discretely if you wish. Neither impede me or effect my rights so I just do not care. If it was my wife I admit though I would prefer it discretely.

does parents have the right to keep their children eyes censored from seeing "nudity" in public or elsewhere until they deem a good time for their children to see and learn about it?

And they say conservatives are the ones all prudish about nudity. LOL! Dear god a little child saw a boob! Will the child be able to cope! A future childs mental state ruined forever because of that booby. And then little Timmy goes back to slaughtering people on his game boy.

I completely agree, how can seeing boobs ruin a childs mental state? It's natural! It's the human body!

 

[Dee]

Breast feed how you want. Whip it out for all to see or do it discretely if you wish. Neither impede me or effect my rights so I just do not care. If it was my wife I admit though I would prefer it discretely.

does parents have the right to keep their children eyes censored from seeing "nudity" in public or elsewhere until they deem a good time for their children to see and learn about it?

And they say conservatives are the ones all prudish about nudity. LOL! Dear god a little child saw a boob! Will the child be able to cope! A future childs mental state ruined forever because of that booby. And then little Timmy goes back to slaughtering people on his game boy.

This is the way people need to act in order for it to be no big deal at all. A child isn't going to automatically relate the breasts to something sexual unless there has been some abuse or he's been exposed to pornography. Children's minds just don't work that way, not like adults. They are curious, yes, but if we downplay the things that get people riled up, then it's not going to be a big deal. It's natural, it's like eating a milkshake or something. And it's how babies get their food and their nutrients. It's the adult's job to explain the logic behind it, to explain what it is and not what THEIR dirty and tainted minds are thinking about. Otherwise, yeah, it will be a big deal but only of their doing.

 

[Bluezone777]

I think the reason this has become offensive is because more and more children are not getting fed this way as babies anymore due to the creation of formula. They(people who complain about public breastfeeding) see the creation of formula as an excuse to end this practice whether it be through choice or by shaming those who still breastfeed their children.

I'd say discretion would be nice in how you go about feeding your child as well as doing it in a place where it would not be a problem but other then that I don't really have any issue with it.

However I would say demanding a mother feed her child in a bathroom is wrong as I hardly call that a suitable place for the feeding of a baby. That sort of demand comes from someone who is focused on pleasing themselves rather then thinking of others.

 

[yugasini]

Hi Friends,

In India most of the mother covers while they are giving breast feeding to the baby, so that no evil looks on her baby.

 

[Gizmo]

If a baby is hungry feed it we all if we are hungry buy or find something to eat. No matter where we are