Being able to breastfeed is a natural thing to be able to do to feed your off spring. Why is it so many people look down on it? Are they imbaressed? Even when I am covered, people act wierd. My Baby is hungery, if they were hungrey they would bring something to eat, I supply her something to eat. Can anyone supply any insight?
2006-09-01 03:42:46 · 22 answers · asked by TIA 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I think it is because the "normalness" of breastfeeding has been lost. For a couple generations now formula has been the more common way babies are fed. This means a vast section of the population has never seen a woman's mammary glands fulfill their biological function.
We all know how some people react to the unfamiliar... fear, distrust, anger, disgust. These are all knee-jerk reactions because of ignorance and lack of experience seeing breastfeeding.
The more you and others like you just calmly go about your business feeding babies when they are hungry, the more people will become familiar with breastfeeding, and accepting of it.
Pumping and bottle-feeding in public, besides being very time consuming and inconvenient, does nobody any favors. It reinforces the incorrect cultural bias against breastfeeding. Certainly, being considerate and discreet is always appreciated, like with any other issue. However hiding in the bathroom is gross and unnecessary.
I hope by the time my girls are raising their children that breastfeeding will be welcomed, accepted, and encouraged everywhere. I am doing my part to help by breastfeeding my children, teaching my boys what "baby feeders" are meant for, and doing my best to help other mothers find answers to their breastfeeding questions!
2006-09-01 05:01:27 · answer #1 · answered by Kathryn A 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think breastfeeding is a good thing, I think formula is just as good. With that said I'm all for women who breastfeed or bottle feed. I do get uncomfortable when out and about I see someone doing it only because I don't know what to do. It's like am I supposed to just talk to the person normally or should I leave them alone. It's an awkward situation because it's been "out of style" for such a long time. I agree with most people here who said that breasts are now considered more sexual than a source of nutrition. Anyway...you wanted and honest answer and here you go: Yes, I get uncomfortable when people are breastfeeding...I just stay out of there way. It is illegal to ask a nursing woman to stop so...I just go about my business. Actually, I can't understand why someone would feel that people wouldn't get uncomfortable around it. I'm not saying I don't accept it...I just don't feel comfortable around it.
2006-09-01 04:22:11 · answer #2 · answered by .vato. 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I wasn't able to breastfeed because my son refused to latch on. I tried for weeks and he wasn't getting anything except more hungry, so I started giving him formula. I never knew how mean women were until I told them I was giving my baby formula. My own sister had a fit when she found out. You would have thought I was giving him something poisonous. I saw the exact opposite, that formula feeding was not accepted, and actually looked down upon. It made me feel like I wasn't a good mother because I couldn't nourish my child from my breast, and I talked to some other women who felt that they were being treated the same way.
2006-09-01 04:10:59 · answer #3 · answered by BAnne 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The people who act offended or embarassed are simply ignorent. They have forgotten that humans are mammals and that nursing at the breast is how our young are supposed to be nourished. They have bought into the breast as a sexual object and forgotten it's intended purpose. Honestly, I feel very sorry for the people who think this way and for their children. They have missed out on so much.
Breastfeeding in public is legal in all states in the USA and some states have even passed laws to protect nursing mothers rights.
2006-09-01 06:01:39 · answer #4 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
people are strange creatures & often project their own issues onto other people.
good on you for breastfeeding your baby - i didnt have the courage to breast feed my first 3 babys as not only was i just so incredibly self concious, but i also believed that formula was just as good for babys & that only middle ages hippys breast fed. lol. gosh, i didnt know anything really & i think thats the main problem - education & societies influence.
i breast fed my 4th baby & continued to breast feed him in the mornings & at night after i introduced foods into his diet. i intend on breast feeding a 5th child too someday... it wasnt easy, i still remember the cracked bleeding nipples & sore engorged breasts from those early weeks, i would cry at every feed - but i am glad i did it as it is better or both mother & baby in many ways, & i am also proud that i didnt give up. thats a buzz.
i am a convert of the worse kind - i hate to hear all the silly excuses of why a woman cant breast feed. there are very few who truly cant, but mostly they give up either through lack of effort on their part or through lack of pratical support. there have been women with triplets who have breast fed, women with misshaped nipples & even adoptive mothers - it can be done, with effort.
breast feeding can be done so descretely that hardly anyone even notices - i never had any negative comments or looks, but what i did have was loads of women decide that they felt the need to tell me all the details of why they couldnt possibly breast feed their babys - almost like confession. weird
2006-09-01 04:49:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Breast feed or not, it should not be an issue. It should be a personal decision taken for personal reasons.
yes, people act wierd. Hey, people are wierd, and many are prudes. You will never get 100% approval! so just do what is best for you, in accordance with what you feel.
I always told people would would ask me to go breast feed in the toilets to go have THEIR lunch in the public toilets. just try to find an area that is not in full view... anyway, a bit of quiet is good for baby's sake too.
2006-09-01 03:50:01 · answer #6 · answered by OneLilithHidesAnother 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Breastmilk is best.. Babies are born to breastfeed.
Unfortunately breasts are used to sell beer in the US and people are dense. Formula corporations are largely to blame, too-- along with the doctors who are uneducated on breastfeeding.
Check your state's breastfeeding code (did you know only 34 states have codes on the books to protect a woman's right to breastfeed in public?).
Come out of the closet-- Breastfeed in public! And if people are negative, use it as an opportunity to educate them.
2006-09-01 08:27:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it's because number one some people are pig headed and think that it is just somthing that is wrong in public. Which is 100% incorrect. And then some people just feel weird around it or embarrased. I wouldn't worry about it. I was breast feeding my youngest one day in my car outside of Wal-Mart and the car next to had a guy walking to it and stopped and starred at me. And I was fully covered as well. So there are sick people out there. But you have to do what you have to do when your baby is hungry. I would suggest maybe getting a breast pump and pumping before you go that way you don't have to worry about the looks. Because there's not much you can do a lot of people have become so dumb. Back in the day it used to be a beautiful natural thing now a days it's like it's foregin now. Hope I helped! :)
2006-09-01 03:52:23 · answer #8 · answered by Missy 2 · 2⤊ 3⤋
It looks such as you're having a complicated time breastfeeding and generating milk. i understand that breastfeeding is meant to be the final for the toddler and that that's loose yet sometimes breastfeeding in basic terms would not artwork out. My sister tried to breastfeed along with her first toddler and it in basic terms did no longer artwork. Her son refused to latch, so she pumped, yet she might desire to purely pump 2 oz. each and each time. She at last converted to formula all at the same time. Your toddler is rather small and clearly you at the instant are not generating what your toddler desires, to no longer point out your toddler will want extra as he gets older. WIC is designed for pregnant women individuals, toddlers, and teenagers. they do no longer choose to help purely breastfeeding mothers. they can help any form of mom. My sister is on WIC and purely formula feeds with the two one in all her sons. WIC won't supply adequate formula to final the entire month, yet that's the way it continuously works. many times, WIC will supply extra effective than what's needed while the toddler is first born and since the toddler gets older the supply of formula is going down. So while the toddler is first born and you have extra effective than adequate formula you purely ave the formula for while the toddler would not obtain as lots formula from WIC later on. i might recommend switching to formula for the sake of your son and utilising for WIC. while you're authorized, you will get a minimum of a few formula loose. you will probable nevertheless might desire to pay for some formula, yet no longer an entire month well worth such as you will possibly might desire to in case you probably did no longer have WIC.
2016-11-06 05:24:36 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Somewhere along the line it became taboo. For a while there nearly ALL babies were being fed formula. We are only now as a society going back to breastfeeding more. I'm sure as we go along it will get better.
I heard there is a card you can get to give to people who look at you while breastfeeding, saying it is your right, etc...but I don't remember where I read that at.
2006-09-01 04:24:05 · answer #10 · answered by Sherry 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋