yes i know it's a woman's right...and i know it's good for the baby...i know some people will think i'm insensitive...but i think it's just downright tacky to publicly breastfeed...your thoughts....
2006-12-26 07:46:05 · 54 answers · asked by Vox Populi Vox Dei 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
i see alotta good answers on here...i definetly see both sides...
2006-12-26 07:56:33 · update #1
wow...there are alot of great answers here..i think everyone made a good point honestly...i do see both sides and agree that it's good for the baby and that it's natural...i am very happy to see good discussion with rational thought on both sides...well done everybody!!!
2006-12-26 13:43:56 · update #2
both yes & no. It can be done w/tact or w/ crass. Done tactfully it's the most elegantly beautiful thing in the Universe, done crassly it's obsecene. The right of a Mother to feed her child publically should not infringe on the public to enjoy the public.
2006-12-26 07:56:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
Im 40wks pregnant and about to become a mother for the first time. I can see both sides for consideration, but i definately do not see breastfeeding as being "tacky".
I do believe in discretion - as there is no need for a woman to just "flop her tit out" in public. There are maternity bra's and great maternity tops that dont show anything when a woman is breastfeeding.
I saw some replies that say "well you wouldnt have sex in public, so why would you show a breast for breastfeeding?" The two topics are in no way related to each other. How do you compare copulation for self gratification to feeding a child? There is no comparison!
When a child cries for food it is out of sheer survival. You dont suppress yourself from eating in public and you wouldnt do it with your own child either.
Yes, there is such a thing as a breast pump and they can be used. But when milk comes from the breast it is EXACTLY the right temperature, the right nutrition and if you run out of bottled breast milk the supply is always there.
The stigma of breastfeeding really shouldnt be there at all. People see breasts as sexual objects and dont stop to think about what the baby see's first. They see their own lifeline when breastfeeding. If all people could see breasts from a child's eyes then maybe it wouldnt be so frowned upon.
2006-12-26 12:02:38 · answer #2 · answered by gr33n_3y3d_grrl 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it's tacky at all, as long as it's done discreetly. By discreetly I mean the woman is showing as little breast as possible. I definitely do NOT think breastfeeding women should be forced to feed their babies in public restrooms, but on the other hand they shouldn't be sitting in the middle of the mall with half their breast hanging out either. A light weight receiving blanket draped over the shoulder works nicely.
What I think is tacky is young women walking around wearing less clothing and showing more skin than swimsuit models. What's up with women's clothing today?
Also tacky are people who use poor table manners (chewing with mouth open, elbows on the table, etc.). These people should be banned from public places.
2006-12-26 08:22:46 · answer #3 · answered by brevejunkie 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't understand why so many people have such a problem with a woman feeding a child. I am a mother of three grown children and I also breastfeed my children in public. I used a light weight blanket to cover us because of people with your insight on the most beautiful bonding experience between a mother and her newborn child. Even fifteen years ago I got those looks from people with your point of view. But I also got looks of approval from people who seen the most natural event taking place, a loving mother feeding and bonding with her child. There is also more going on then just feeding, the mother passes immunities to her child, a bonding that is stronger than a bottle-feed child is also formed, the love being shared between mother and child that words cannot begin to express is happening during feeding times.
There is nothing sexual about breastfeeding and yet so many Americans have viewed breastfeeding as disgusting, gross, uncalled for, she's just wants attention, or whatever else people think of this wonderful experience going on between the mother and child.
I hope when you read this maybe you will have a change of heart on what you believe is so tacky. Next time you see a mother breastfeeding her newborn child please think about and actually see the beautiful bonding connection that is taking place.
2006-12-26 08:29:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am fine with it. I do think people should be discreet though. (no need to take off your whole shirt and bra)
People who would banish nursing mothers to a restroom should try breastfeedng in a restroom. It is really uncomfortable for you and the baby- and when uncomfortable the baby won't nurse as well. If there is a room set up for this purpose that is great but otherwise no one should complain.
In a place with no alternative where should she go? Maybe mothers should just stay home? There are nursing covers so that nothing is revealed. If the mere idea is what bugs people then they seriously need to grow up. Tacky is not a word I would relate to this subject at all. (even people who expose themselves to breastfeed aren't being 'tacky', they aren't doing it for your benefit--they are feeding a baby.)
2006-12-26 08:05:18 · answer #5 · answered by artimis 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I breastfed my baby and it is super easy to cover up with a blanket or breastfeeding shirt. I think people want to make a point and breastfeed without covering up which is tacky. Everyone says it's nurturing and babies should be able to eat anywhere but when you turn it into a mini protest to demand your rights to breastfeed anywhere it's just as bad as making it a sexual thing. But on that note breasts are always gonna be sexual and that's never gonna change and it shouldn't because they are also meant to be a source of pleasure.
2006-12-26 11:14:01 · answer #6 · answered by chombli72 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's all in HOW it's done. Is it discrete or is a breast/nipple being WHIPPED out in public for all to see?
The questions of Etiquette usually involve how to make someone else feel comfortable.
If the woman breast feeding is making everyone around her uncomfortable then yes, it's tacky. If not, then of course it's a natural thing and no, it's not.
2006-12-28 01:48:58 · answer #7 · answered by sassyatlantanative 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would be inappropriate only if the women's breast or breasts are visible while the feeding is going on. I have known many women (including my wife) who have breastfed their babies and many have done so in public. They have all been sensitive to the public and have looked for the most discreet place to feed the baby and then covered themselves. More and more places nowadays offer special rooms for a mother to use but a bathroom is not one of them. That seems a little unsanitary to me. If you are put off by the knowledge that a baby is nursing at her mother's breast then I say, get over yourself. If you are offended by a clearly seen breast, then maybe you've got a point.
2006-12-26 15:56:23 · answer #8 · answered by Unorthodox 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure if "tacky" is the way I feel about it, but I don't think breastfeeding should be done in public, at least with the breast exposed. I don't randomly show my breasts in public so I don't think it would be appropriate to do so with a baby on there either. Underneath a private blanket is much more appropriate to me.
2006-12-26 13:13:26 · answer #9 · answered by drshorty 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Is bottle feeding in public tacky? Neither is breastfeeding. Would you rather hear a crying baby or have the mom feed her hungry child?
Of course the mom should be discreet as possible, like wearing a button down shirt, nursing bra, etc. As my sister said, the important part of the breast is covered by the baby's mouth. :)
2006-12-26 12:00:50 · answer #10 · answered by Inquiring Mind 19 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I breastfed my child in public. Never had any problems with anybody. It is not tacky, it just not something people are used to seeing in this modern world. As for the person who suggested using the ladies' restrooms, I tried it and found them to be uncomfortable cramped and dirty places to feed a baby in. If I knew it was close to time to feed him, and I was out in public, I usually could find a restaurant with booths, and I had something to eat while I fed the baby. Waitresses never minded, and I always tipped them for the extra time I spent in their section.
There are special made nursing bras, when used with a button down shirt, you only expose what the baby needs, then lay a blanket over him. No one is forced to see anything.
2006-12-26 08:20:51 · answer #11 · answered by Cosmic I 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋