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Hooray for Boobies, a pro-breastfeeding group, organized mothers, babies and their supporters to bring breastfeeding into the light of day at this year’s ComFest in Columbus, Ohio.
Hooray for Boobies event co-founder and Lactavist Lauren Damon described her reason for organizing the nurse-in by noting that, “breastfeeding is not the norm in our culture, and it is my goal to normalize breastfeeding.”
Lauren strives to give facts about breastfeeding benefits versus the risks of choosing to formula feed. She’d like to get breastfeeding mothers out of toilet stalls, back rooms and chemical closets.
A Dayton area mothers group met and discussed breastfeeding and the Hooray for Boobies event at ComFest. Sara, a three-time breastfeeder, was informed by a stranger that she was inappropriate for breastfeeding inside a ladies room because the door opened and closed and "men might see her".
The majority of the Dayton group felt that breastfeeding should be done discreetly. Hooray for Boobies responds with a copy of the indiscreet breastfeeding manifesto:
- I will nurse my child anytime, anywhere, no matter who is present or what I am wearing.
- I will bare my breast with pride and confidence.
- I will not apologize for nourishing and nurturing my child.
- I will not smother my child with a napkin or blanket.
- I will smile at everyone around me and ignore rude stares.
- I will know that I am giving my child the perfect infant food from the most efficient, ecological, and economical delivery system.
- I will know that I am giving my child the healthy start that is his or her birthright.
- I will set an example for women and girls, educate the public, dispel breastfeeding myths, de-sexualize the breast, and make the world a better place, all through the simple act of feeding my child.
Lauren and the other Hooray for Boobies participants want mothers to know that there is nothing to hide or be ashamed of when breastfeeding.
Where do you stand on this issue? Should mothers cover up when breastfeeding?
Comments
Sorry, I think women should cover up.
There is a curious dissonance primarily in Anglo-Saxon cultures where highly ambivalent attitudes toward the female breast prevail. The only thing worse than adopting legislation to protect the right of mothers and children to breastfeed anywhere they otherwise have a right to be – in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and many US states for example – is the very need to do so. Bottom line: As long as it’s acceptable to feed children in public it should be acceptable to breastfeed children in public. We are mammals; this is what we do, or at least what we should be doing. And the gentle irony here is that the more breastfeeding we see, the more breastfeeding will become invisible, that is once more totally normalized behavior.
James Akre
Geneva, Switzerland
Sorry, "S", breast feeding is quite natural. When my wife was breast feeding our daughter she was very careful not to offend sensibilities, and was very modest. We were both opposed to the bottle, and wanted to reinforce the mother/daughter bond. For those to offended but watch TMZ, maybe just turn your head.
I'm not a prude, but I don't want my children seeing breasts at public places. There ARE ways to do this discreetly.
James Akre said:"Bottom line: As long as it’s acceptable to feed children in public it should be acceptable to breastfeed children in public."
- I don't this it's acceptable to feed children in public. They are entirely too messy. In fact, keep them out of the stores I frequent also. No need for your toddler to be running around Victoria's Secret putting his/her sticky fingers on the panties.
Breastfeeding is the normal way to feed an infant. Human milk is made for human babies and a hungry baby does not distinguish whether a mom is in a "suitable" place for feeding. The baby has a need and the breastfeed mom fulfills that need. What is shameful is that some people believe that women should have to worry more about what they deem appropriate rather than feeding their child. It is about nourishing and nurturing one's baby not about whether you see some skin (less than you would see at a pool or beach) while feeding. It is natural, it is normal. If you feel as though you can't witness it, look away.
"While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby." (quote from Amy Spangler, IBCLC)
Kudos to Hooray for Boobies and hooray for Jennifer O'Hern for writing this piece.
Gina Ciagne, CLC (and U Dayton Grad '94)
Director, Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations
Lansinoh Laboratories
www.bymomsformoms.net
also, there are as many definitions of 'discrete' as there are people. i think nursing exposed is discrete, another thinks that it is being covered, someone else says it's going to the restroom stall, and yet another thinks that it is staying home... and i am not going to conform to someone else's definition. often the use of the word discrete is just a way for others to control and infringe upon another individual's rights. i say a mother and her baby should decide what is best for them.
The problem is that America has turned breasts into sexual objects, so it seems weird for them to be exposed in public to feed a baby. This is very sad. I usually covered up while nursing when I was first starting out and things were rocky, but now that we know what we're doing I can usually get her latched on without anyone seeing too much. It's really sad that we put blankets over our babies faces just because they're having lunch.
"I'm not a prude, but I don't want my children seeing breasts at public places." Then you are a prude. You're also penalizing your children to make yourself feel better about something you don't understand.
This whole demand that women be "discreet," "modest," etc. is a demand to keep them in their controlled place. Exposed breasts don't harm anyone; making women hide them, especially in breastfeeding, just leads to more ignorance and repression, and the obsessions built on both.
Stop telling women what to do. Stop telling them that their breasts are obscene. Stop making breastfeeding harder. If you don't want to see it, turn away in your cluttered unreason, and take responsibility for your own error.
Breasts feed babies!!!
Breasts feed babies!!
Boobs are to feed babies. If you have a mindset where they are sexual objects only & having them in a babies mouth, or seeing them in a babies mouth, or fearing your children seeing them in a babies mouth (instead of an adults mouth on tv?) Then that is entirely your hang up & issues that you should really work on. Or you can just make cleavage illegal, men going topless illegal in inappropriate too. Otherwise you are a hypocrite. Simple.
I feel so enraged when people expect women to FEED their children in BATHROOMS and sitting on public toilets and such. Yeah, because feeding is so unnatural and seeing the woman's body as shameful and dirty *is* natural.
Oy.
What Ameya said! Amen.
After reading all of the comments last night, I asked my 6 year old if he'd ever seen a woman breastfeed a baby. He made a face and said, "No." I asked if he knew what breastfeeding was and he didn't. Wow! I guess breastfeeding is being done behind closed doors. Don't worry, I showed him a picture and explained.
my comment is towards 's.' I don't cover up when i eat a cheeseburger, but that could be offensive to vegetarians. Yet they still do not demand that I cover up while I eat my meal. How can you demand that babies place blankets on their heads just because they are eating?
What I have never understood is how people get offended by seeing a woman breastfeed in public. Yet these same people do not even bat an eye when they see a woman wearing skin tight, low-cut tops. Women are free to wear what they want, but I see more breasts of non-breastfeeders than I do of a mom who chooses not to cover herself. I think that this is because breasts are so oversexualized in our culture.
I think that as breastfeeding becomes the norm in our culture, and less and less women choose to cover themselves, then instead of becoming more of an issue, it will actually become less. People will no longer stop and stare, and breastfeeding will become the background. If something is normal, then people will not stare at it. I am glad that women are taking a stand against our puritanical heritage!
Cover it up. It's not that hard to cover up and still feed.
Beth, You eat your next meal with a blanket suffocating you. I personally prefer my child to get access to oxygen AND food simultaneously.. though maybe I'm a spoiler.
My comment is towards Beth, you assumption a few things- 1 being that breasts are obscene, which they are not. Humans are mammals, and breasts purpose to to feed babies and 2 is that a baby will allow you to cover them while eating. Obviously you have never tried to breastfeed while staying prudishly hidden a nine month old baby!
I am pro breastfeeding in public, especially since I have breastfed my two sons and plan on breastfeeding my child thats on the way. I agree that women should feel comfortable to perform this very natural thing anywhere that they choose. However, I have to disagree, at least for myself, when women do not cover up. I view breastfeeding as a healthy bonding experience between my child and I. I do not think think that women set out to be stared at, but people are naturally curious, and sometimes rude. They WILL stare, and this is not ok with me. I prefer to feed my child naturally in private or under a blanket.
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