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Reply by Neatha
author of A Twinkle In Time
2/6/2010 10:39 PM
I am breastfeeding and I still haven't braved breastfeeding in public while covered (I am envious of those who do though)....I am really not the shy type but I think people will stare? As for being uncovered....well....that's is asking to be stared at. I think that it's great she is breastfeeding, and great that she does it in public, but I think she shouldn't put it on display quite like that.
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Reply by Jimmi
author of Mudpies and Lullabies
2/6/2010 10:47 PM
I breastfed my babies, but not in public. I am a very modest person and just didn't feel comfortable doing that. If they got hungry in a store, I went to the bathroom. I'm not opposed to breastfeeding in public, but I think it should be done with class. I do get annoyed when I see someone (on occasion) whip it out without any kind of cover whatsoever. I know it's natural, but it's still you boob!!!
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Reply by Jane
author of
2/6/2010 10:52 PM
I must admit that I don't think I ever covered up while breastfeeding any of my three children.
Not sure if it makes a difference. But I received many many compliments from people who were surprised to realize that I was bf while talking to them. Most of the time people never even noticed.
In fact I was at a friends wedding (out on her dad's farm) and the photographer was walking about taking pictures of the guests. Low & behold I was bf when she took my group's picture. I don't think the photographer noticed nor did half the people I was sitting with. We did have a laugh about it as the photographer walked away.
While I wasn't shy at all, I really think for the most part that no one really noticed. I have a really short torso & never really showed any skin while I did it. I'd say 95% of the time it just looked like I was holding a sleeping baby.
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Reply by Debbie
author of
2/6/2010 10:53 PM
Jimmi---I love your last few words! "its still your boob!!" I totally agree! I was in the airport and a woman near me just pulled it out and started breastfeeding. I couldn't help but stare! I know it is a natural thing, but come on! Put a blanket over yourself!
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Reply by Brae
author of I am NOT a VOLCANO and other such stories.
2/6/2010 10:54 PM
I am ALL FOR breastfeeding in public. But I believe women should make an effor to cover. Even if your child doesn't like their face covered, you can still cover most of your boob.
I know a common argument is that people need to realize that a woman's breasts are FOR breastfeeding and they're not just a sex object. Unfortunately for people who think that the world needs to change their perspective just because they feel that it's the natural thing to do, this outlook is never going to change completely. Yes, 'normal' everyday people on the street need to realize taht breastfeeding is a good thing, and they need to be not so dumb about it. But women who breastfeed in public also need to realize that men, boys, and even a lot of women see breasts as a sexual object. Children are taught to cover their bodies and they don't always understand it when they see a woman breastfeeding. Not every mom breast feeds, and not every mom tells her children what is going on.
Both sides need to be more respectful of one another, and realize that they're not going to be able to make everyone else see it they way they do.
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Reply by Kylie
author of The Barnes Fam
2/6/2010 11:04 PM
I love to nurse my children. It's one of my favorite things of parenting. My background is also in social work. I have worked with young mothers for 8 years.
I believe in nursing in public. My children both hated having a blanket over their heads, and mostly I wanted to look at them when I was nursing.
I do believe in modesty....I cover my breast by pulling my shirt down and I wear a belly band to hide my tummy. However, I believe it's my right to feed my child when they are hungry wherever I am just like someone who bottle feeds their baby.
I also believe that it's important to show other's that you breastfeed....thus my comment about working with young mothers. Many of them were horrified at the thought of nourishment coming from their breast. Or they were fearful of more adults glaring at them as nursing moms as well as young moms.
I think that is sad. I want it to be normal for women to feed their children. In that normalcy I do believe in tact. I do have to say that I feel MORE comfortable nursing around non-Christians than I do nursing around my church friends. I think that is sad. With my current nursing child I am working on not caring when I'm around Christians either.
So, there is a REALLY long answer....I am obviously very passionate about this topic. In fact I just joined blog frog moments ago so I could comment. Hee hee. I'm excited to read more about what people think.
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Reply by S
author of The Diva's Mom
2/6/2010 11:06 PM
I'm probably the weird one here.
I breastfeed. In public. All the time. If I'm out and about, I breastfeed covered IF I CAN. Sometimes my daughter is adamantly hungry and will not allow herself to be covered. I can't always make it to a private location and I refuse to BF her in a bathroom (GROSS!). 9 times out of 10 though, she is covered.
I wear clothing when going out that allows me to breastfeed easier. I wear a tank top type shirt and then a shirt over top. I pull the top shirt up, leave the bottom shirt to cover my belly, and then just the nipple has to show. Keevia covers that quite nicely. I try to cover her head because she has a tendency to pull off without notice.
I do not cover up in my car usually. Usually she's STARVING by this time (I babywear and by the time we get to the car, she's been asleep for a while and wants food and wants it NOW), and its generally just easier not to cover. I'm in my private car, I have tinted windows, if people look, thats their problem.
My child's right to eat trumps everything else. I have pulled my breast out in the middle of wal-mart before because she was screaming bloody murder. Granted I was in the baby section, in a corner, with my back to the store, but had anyone saw me, I would not have been ashamed. I'm pretty darn modest when it comes to anything else, but my child has a right to eat.
So, I try to cover, and normally do. I don't have a problem with the women who don't cover -- that's what God made breasts to do, and I believe that breastfeeding is a beautiful thing. I don't judge them, because having a baby who is a hard latch sometimes, I realize that you will do just about anything to get your baby to eat. I chose to cover myself because of my religion mostly, but I can't believe that my God would want my baby to starve either.
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Reply by Amy
author of Our Crazy Love
2/6/2010 11:12 PM
I am a breastfeeding mom and while I see nothing wrong with breastfeeding in public, I do believe it needs to be done with respect of others in mind. If my daughter wants to breastfeed while we're out I will not deny her so I will cover myself. Even if it's just a small cloth used to cover any part of my breast that may chance exposure. I don't do it out of personal modesty so much, but out of respect for myself and for other mothers who don't want their child seeing a strange lady's boob. The funny thing is that it has been adults that didn't realize what I was doing (one woman thought I was trying to get her to take a nap and a 50+ y.o. man asked his wife what I was doing... she laughed!). Kids don't really care and when told that she's eating or drinking milk, they just say okay and walk away!
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Reply by Ali
author of an ordinary mom
Really, I'm just an ordinary mom!
2/6/2010 11:13 PM
I breastfed in public all the time- even stopping at Walmart or the grocery store to find a bench when we needed to... I often threw a blankie over baby and my shoulder, but not always, though I don't think anyone ever saw my breasts.
It is possible to breastfeed discreetly, and I do wish more women would realize that, like the woman at a talk I was at, with her entire breast just hanging out there waiting for her distracted child to realize and decide to nurse... just completely bare. I'm pretty sure that's called indecent exposure. I don't get it, I just tried to look off to my right and reminded myself to never do that, ever, never, ever...
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Reply by Melody
author of My Blog
2/6/2010 11:29 PM
To me "covered" doesn't really mean you have to have an actual cover-up or blanket or anything. You can be covered with a shirt or whatever. I agree with Ali on everything except that I can't breastfeed so I don't do it in Walmart or the grocery store.
I see people here doing it all the time in Target or wherever and nobody seems to mind or notice. I have also seen people totally expose themselves for a really long time and make a huge scene, sometimes on purpose. I think that is totally uncalled for.
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