Public breastfeeding?

Question

What's your opinion? What do you think about the woman who refused to cover up while feeding her kid on the plane and then got kicked off? What about all the clever slogans the protesters came up with? (Got breast milk? Don't be lactose intolerant, etc.) Do you think we need to nip(ple) public breastfeeding in the bud?

Here's a link to the story for those not familiar with it. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15755898/

One more detail - the mother refused to take the blanket the stew offered her to cover up with.

Answer 1

Let me just say that I was raised on a farm and "cows don't care who looks at their nipples". A lady would cover up.

Answer 2

It is for the baby and doctors have been saying for years, Breast feeding is best. I don't see anything wrong with that. BUT, it's up to the woman to decide how she wants to handle this. There's nothing wrong with breast feeding in public, as long as women cover up. I don't think people, passers by need to see this. There is a way to do it right and not offend anyone. I was with a friend of mine and her 1 month old son. The baby got hungry, her instinct of course was to feed her child. At the time we were sitting in a food court during lunch time. People were so squeesed in their seats because it was packed. She, my friend, pulled down her shirt, exposed her breast, and started shoving it into the baby's mouth. It took a few tries before he accepted the breast. People all around us were staring and wispering. Young men, older folks, it was clear that they were bothered by this. Nobody said anything, but as soon as they found other seats they moved. There's alot to say about this subject. And I don't want to offend any mother with a young child, but is it too much to ask if they would just throw a sheet over their shoulder.

Answer 3

The woman was aware of her baby's needs and schedules, and her travel plans, and should have made reasonable accomodations to handle this discretely as possible (pack a carry-on with a baby blanket to cover as she fed her baby, or worn clothing that would have allowed room for her to do it). I believe that breastfeeding is natural and there is nothing wrong in breastfeeding in public, however, I do believe that women should take reasonable measures to make it less noticeable and to be discrete as possible. Without her making reasonable accomodations in advance (which I believe the mother should have and could easily have done), then I also think it was unreasonable to expect her to attempt feeding in a small, dirty airline restroom (which from the flights I have taken are usually pretty busy, and would have been tied up the restroom for some time) or to cover with a blanket provided by the airline, without knowing of how often or how they are cleaned.

Answer 4

i don't want a blanket with someone else's drool/germs on it , either. IT'S FLU SEASON!
breastfeeding is a natural thing. if you have a problem with it you have a sick mind! that's about as ignorant as saying a 13 year old girl is hot. it's sick!

jenv: when have you ever known airlines to be on time? i get what you are saying, though.

if, as a child or adult on a flight, only like 1-3 oz. of liquid can be brought on a plane in a clear plastic bag. women should pop their babies food out in front of everyone the way these rules are going at airports. you can't have jelly on a pbj sandwich, and people are complaining about seeing a woman feed her child!? no open toothpaste, but people are complaining about a woman feeding her child?!
people, if she has her child covered up , she could have a bomb in there (under there), too.

Answer 5

At the end of the day the primary function of the breast is intended to be as a source of feeding for a baby. I do not think that you should have your whole top off when breast feeding but mothers should be able to feed their child without being asked to cover up. I have actually never seen a breast feeding mum feeding in any other way but discreetly. Its no wonder that breast feeding rates in the uk are the lowest in Europe with attitude like these prevailing. I bet any man who complains is just scared of any reaction he may actually have when he sees a little bare flesh.

Answer 6

What exactly do you mean by cover up? Was her nip(ple) hanging out for all to see? If that's the case then, yes, I think that should be stopped.

However, if she was being discreet and had on a top used for that purpose and was attempting to sheild herself from the rest of the people on the plane, then no, I think that somebody is angry that they didn't get enough nip(ple) when they were little! Lighten up.

It comes down to how she handled it. If she attempted to be accomodating but still trying to feed her child, then she was in the right. If she was nasty and didn't try to be accomodating then she should have been kicked off the plane.

Just my opinion.

Answer 7

I breast fed my son and yes at times it was in a public setting (movies ) I do not believe in exposing your breast in public when breast feeding. There is no reason that a women can not put a light blanket or large scarf around her shoulders and the baby. As long as we have laws that state it is indecent to expose our private parts this should include ever one. I would not want to think that women would have to use a dirty restroom, but have respect for those who choose not to do this or have their family exposed to it and use a simple cover up. My self I would not be offended if I had been ask to cover up. In a Private home do as you please, public is just that public and should be comfortable for all with laws and rules that apply to all. Had a young women taken off her top and walked down the center of the plane she would have been ticketed or received fine for indecent exposure. Women for years have breast fed in public without showing what is going on.

Answer 8

breastfeeding is a wonderful thing, it's the best thing a woman can do for her baby so she should not be sent away for that. breastfeeding women should not be banished to a nasty bathroom when their child wants to eat, thats gross.

as long as the woman is not just sitting there flashing her boobs around then there should be no problem with it. she can use her hand or a blanket to cover a little and there ya go. in fact, the baby pretty much covers up anything there is to see so no cover up is really necassary.

a baby has to eat!

Answer 9

Whether she should have covered up is not really the point. The point is that public breastfeeding is NOT ILLEGAL. Regardless if people think the baby was too old to be breastfed, or she should have covered up so no one could see, the flight attendant was out of line for kicking her off the plane. She wasn't standing in the middle of the isle with her breast hanging out and a baby sucking on it. She didn't have to cover up because she wasn't breaking any laws. Period. If people didn't like it, what the hell were they still looking at her for?

Answer 10

I agree with all the people that find the attitude of many people here just SICK!
A woman is entitled to use the natural source of nourishment for her baby wherever she chooses. She does not have to cover up, a decent person who is embarassed just finds something else to look at.
Anybody who thinks otherwise has a severe problem.
"Everything is pure to the pure".

Answer 11

Well, I don't think that lady should have been kicked off the plane...HOWEVER, I do feel discretion should be used. Not everybody really want to see that. She also could have used a breast pump before taking the plane trip so that she could have fed the baby out of a bottle. Problem with just using discretion is that it's a gray area and what may be discrete to some isn't to others. I guess my overall opinion is that unless it's somewhat of an emergency it should not been done in public.