Breastfeeding in Public

Discussion in 'Babies' started by Binu, Dec 5, 2016.

  1. Binu

    Binu Member

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    What's your opinion about breastfeeding in public. Do you think it is ok or do you believe it should be strictly avoided?
     
  2. Alexandoy

    Alexandoy Well-Known Member

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    When I was young, it is very rare to see a mother breastfeeding her baby in public although my parens say that poor people do that (I was not aware then). Now, the situation is practically the same that it is a rare sight to see a mother breastfeeding her baby in public but I usually see that scene inside the car. And to advocate breastfeeding, some malls have the so called breastfeeding station to give the lactating mothers some privacy with their baby.
     
  3. tony

    tony Active Member

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    I don't think it's proper for a woman to breast feed her child in the open public. One there is indecent exposure of the breast which responsible persons will most frown at. Again, breastfeeding your child publicly can be likened to an adult taking his meals in the glare of the public, this is quite obscene.
     
  4. Decentlady

    Decentlady Active Member

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    I don't really see the big deal in it as long as there is adequate coverage with blanket or the like.

    Besides one can't always predict when the baby will be hungry as in hospital setting, a bus, a park etc.

    It is just giving food to hungry baby who can't fend for himself.
     
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  5. James McAllister

    James McAllister Kinacle Employee Staff Member

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    I don't see anything wrong with it and I don't think women should be shamed for it. That's just my opinion.
     
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  6. moondebi

    moondebi Member

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    Often comes the situation wherein a mother needs to feed in public. This is not to show off or to prove a point about the benefits of breastfeeding like the celebrities. It's to meet the need of the hour. However, these days baby feeding rooms are there in almost all the places. Moms can take care of their babies hunger over there just to avoid the prying eyes.
     
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  7. kamai

    kamai Active Member

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    Breast feeding in public here is actually very common, woman don't have to hide it because it is seen as normal. I don't really see it as a bad thing as it is a natural and beautiful thing to breast feed a baby. What can help is if a mother covers themselves with a blanket to not expose too much since some people make take it as a bad thing and so men won't be thinking wrong.
     
  8. Nocturnal Writer

    Nocturnal Writer Active Member

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    Why should nursing mother be ashamed to breastfeed her child who is hungry? There are some mothers who couldn't to bottle feed their kids especially when they are poor. Well-to-do or rich mother won't do that in public. If they do, they will find a private place to breastfeed their kids. I don't think so. Those mothers being a socialite won't breastfeed their kids.
     
  9. kokimboka

    kokimboka New Member

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    Breastfeeding in public should be encouraged. I never used to feel embarrassed when breastfeeding my baby in public. What I used to do was to cover my baby with a flannel when feeding him. It can be uncomfortable for strangers to see that part of your body,but when the need arises,the baby is crying and wants milk, what can you really do and the baby doesn't know or even care where you are,for them when they are hungry they need their milk ASAP.
     
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  10. Jason76

    Jason76 Active Member

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    I don't see any problem with it, nor do I think it should be illegal. Nonetheless, if women expose too much, then they have to expect that some men might react rudely. In other words, there shouldn't be lawsuits from the women on the matter.
     
  11. tony

    tony Active Member

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    This is what I think if a child is hungry in public, the mother should make some little effort to go to any nearby private or a bit of a private place. It could be a shop along the road, an eatery, a relaxation center, or nearby houses and have the baby properly breastfeed there.
     
  12. thisnthat

    thisnthat Active Member

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    I don't even understand how it can be considered "controversial" in any way to feed your baby in public. That is all you are doing - feeding, nourishing, your child. There is not one thing wrong with it, if you ask me. I nursed all four of my children. I covered up in order to make others feel less uncomfortable, but in all honesty, if they are uncomfortable that's their problem.

    I would never be forced into the bathroom or something like that (which I have heard has happened to some nursing moms).
     
  13. Dandy Lion

    Dandy Lion New Member

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    If someone has a problem with me feeding my baby, that's their problem.. I mean really, I'm not going to let my crying baby starve because somebody else has issues.

    I still try to do it as much in private as possible but I'm not going to apologize for doing what I have to do.. and other moms shouldn't either
     
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  14. Vinaya

    Vinaya Member

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    When a woman breastfeeds her baby in public it is not because she wants to be indecent or want to expose her organ, it is simply because her child is hungry. Therefore, the act of feeding to a child that does not understand the ways of society cannot be termed wrong.
     
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  15. tony

    tony Active Member

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    You are right if a child is hungry and needs to be given breastfeeding, there shouldn't be a delay by virtue of being in the public especially if there are no private places around. You sure own no one any apology for doing that.
     
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  16. Jester85

    Jester85 Member

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    I admit I have mixed feelings on the subject. I don't really want to see someone's bare breasts in public, which I'm pretty sure qualifies as indecent exposure. I think at the very least, publicly breastfeeding mothers should make an effort to cover up as much as possible.
     
  17. Greengrl

    Greengrl New Member

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    Breastfeeding is a natural way of feeding your baby. If you wouldn't be upset about someone giving a child a bottle, or a snack, then you shouldn't see it as wrong. It seems that it is now more socially acceptable for women to wear extremely revealing clothing than it is to see a woman breastfeed. It's ridiculous in my opinion.
     
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  18. Mika

    Mika Active Member

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    I don't see anything wrong a mother breastfeeding her child when he is hungry. Isn't it like asking someone to stop drinking a coke in public because your mouth is open? It's funny to ask a mother to wait till she reaches home or go in a private place to feed her baby. What if she is travelling and her baby is hungry? It is the duty of co-passengers to look other way while mother is performing her duty. The right or wrong is in the eyes of onlooker and not in a mother's breast.
     
  19. thisnthat

    thisnthat Active Member

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    Exposing your breasts like it's a Mardi Gras parade is one thing. Nursing a child is quite another. The latter is not indecent exposure. In fact, I've never seen a nursing mom just bare her breasts for all to see, although you'd think it's a common scenario by the way people react to such discussions.

    The nursing moms I have seen in public were all quite discreet, including me when my kids were babies (most don't want you to see their breasts either). ;)
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2016
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  20. Miches

    Miches Active Member

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    I admire moms who breastfeed their babies in public whenever the need arises. Who would want to expose their breast in public? Yet these women brave the stares, sometimes ridicule, just to give their babies the best milk they can have. It's the most natural thing to do when the baby is hungry and crying. It's unfortunate that some establishments (like restaurants or malls) have rules that disallow women from breastfeeding in areas other than the designated station.
     
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  21. Holmes22

    Holmes22 Active Member

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    I have always kind of wondered about the whole history of this. I would have to think that it is kind of gone in waves, but maybe there is a lot of cultural things at work too. Might be interesting.
     
  22. Binu

    Binu Member

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    I am soon to become mother. Once I am a mother, I would not mind to feed my baby in public. However, I will make sure not to expose my breast unless some peeping Toms are around. Breast feeding becomes a necessity especially if you are outdoors for a long time with your baby.
     
  23. pwarbi

    pwarbi Active Member

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    Recently there seems to have been a lot in the media regarding this, and to be honest I think women are breast feeding in public more just because they are trying to make a stand and prove that it should be accepted and it can be done. Personally I have no problem with women breast feeding in public as it's completely natural and if the need arises then that should be fine.

    The only issue I do have is that most of the time there is no need to breast feed a child in public, and some people are doing it just because they can and want that attention. If you are out and about and your baby needs a feed then feed them no matter where you are, but don't go out and deliberately do it just so you can cause a stir and post stories and videos all over social media like some people are doing. That's my take on it anyway...
     
  24. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    They are feeding their child not uncovering their breasts for everyone to gawk at. If people don't like it, they should just walk away and that's it. Adults should be mature enough to realize it's a natural thing and I think anyone who feels uncomfortable is a bit immature. It's a breast; it's no big deal. I think women should breastfeed whenever and wherever they want.
     
  25. thisnthat

    thisnthat Active Member

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    I didn't know this was a thing. If they are out to prove something, then yeah, I'd have to agree that doing so is a bit much. It almost seems like exploiting their babies for their fifteen minutes of social media "fame." Ridiculous.

    For me, it's about the baby and what is best for the baby. I wouldn't have allowed anyone to keep me from doing what was best for my children just because they didn't like it or it made them a tad uncomfortable. On the other hand, I also wouldn't use my child to get attention.
     
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  26. Jasmin Cottontail

    Jasmin Cottontail Active Member

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    I've seen mothers who breastfeed in public and for me, I think there's nothing wrong with that since their just trying to feed their babies. There are also a few breastfeeding areas in public places wherein mothers can go there if they want to do breastfeeding, and that's common nowadays. I even saw a mom who breastfeed in a public transportation and people seem to not care at all, it's just like a normal thing.
     
  27. pwarbi

    pwarbi Active Member

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    That's pretty much how I feel, and while when I was growing up it wasn't a common sight, that didn't and still doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it. It seems to be the older generation that have an issue more than the younger one, and I know that my grandparents would be mortified to see a mother breastfeeding in public, but that isn't because it's wrong, it's more because they aren't used to seeing it and they saw breastfeeding a child as something personal between mother and baby.
     
  28. msyukionna

    msyukionna New Member

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    The primary function of a breast is for breastfeeding. It's the current culture that overly serializes a woman's breasts and makes some people feel uncomfortable. Breastfeeding is not an offensive gesture. On the contrary, it's loving, nurturing and natural. If you try to hide it on purpose, it is mentally harmful for the mother, as she will feel ashamed if she accidentally got caught "hiding". A proud mother should not be forced to shun from public just because her baby is hungry.

    So you're saying if an adult ate a McDonald's burger or a sandwich at a bus stop is "quite obscene"? This argument does not make a lot of sense. A shop, eatery or relaxation center etc are still considered public places. Say you are in the mall, and your baby is hungry, the only truly "private" place are the toilets, which can be very unhygienic. I have a friend who used to go to the public bathrooms to breastfeed and I feel sorry for her.

    This thread makes me think of this video:
     
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  29. worldsbestdad

    worldsbestdad New Member

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    I don't really think that it's a bad thing, but I do understand people that frowns upon them. If you're a mother breastfeeding her hungry baby in public, I think there should be at least some cover so that your breast wouldn't be exposed. Here in my country, only primitive and poor people breastfeed their baby in public, people who had no educational background. It's not a bad thing to feed your hungry baby, but they bad thing comes when you don't offer some sort of cover.
     
  30. naruto100

    naruto100 Active Member

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    I guess it depends on the location. If this is common thing then it is okay, otherwise better to have it inside somewhere. Here at my place I don't see people do it in public on regular basis. Sometimes I have seen this thing but it is very rare. Here people choose to do it privately. So I think it is depend on location.
     

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