Seriously. Why do people in America have such a problem with breastfeeding?

Question

It seems most other places in the world it is a normal, accepted practice. Why do women get so mad at other women for breastfeeding? Can you offer some logical reasons, other than the opinion :" He is too big for the boob" ? And where do you get your information from? Thanks!

Butterfly-do you know how to read? PLease explain YOUR opinion and where you get information from. Is it a fact or just a social opinion? Come on now. I know you HAVE to be smarter than that.

Zachery's MOM: you stated that after one you should no longer breast feed, but you did not state specific FACTS. Saying: "There is no reason to do that", is not good enough. I am really looking for substantial reason here. Not; "JUST BECUASE"

Alot of you have said why YOU have a problem with breastfeeding. NONE of you have stated any place from where you get your facts. What a waste of my time you have been!

Jenn A. Thank you for your answer-it being the most ignorant, self-righteous brick head thing I have ever had the displeassure of reading.
You say:
" in north america we are worried about modesty"
Really? The land of fake boobs and mini skirts worried about modesty? R U kid'n me? I am not buying it sister.
Then you say:
"tooo many men sit jerking off or having sexual thoughts when the see a nursing mom"
You are a sick individual. Really You are.
Then you say:
" i find it very disrespectful to see a mother feeding at a restaurant table if you must go to the bathroom. think about others around you, i know the baby must eat but do it in private. not in front of God and everybody. "
The BATHROOM? Would you EAT in the bathroom? Would you feed your baby a bottle in the BATHROOM? As far as it being in front of GOD, I would think he wouldn't mind. He isn't the overly sexed pervert who masturbates to females breastfeeding- like your husband.
Get a life woman, you are sick sick

I really find it funny that a woman (jenna a) who brings up masturbation of the male species in on a question about breastfeeding would email me demanding that I not "trash talk" on an open forum. I am chucking inside. really. I am.

Jenn A - please pull your head out of your A-s-s. I did not post this question to stir people up as you auggest, rather to see what FACTS people have on thier opinions. I find you very amusing...from the non stop harrasing emails you have sent me, to saying I violated yahoo chat by my question. (correct me if I am wrong, but calling somebody a biotch is a violation as well? Eh? ) You are a very disturbed individual. I laugh at you. LOL.

Thanks to the ladies who could respond without out of control emotion. (even if you disagree with breastfeeding.) As far as the nit-wits-and you know who you are (jenna a) you have given me a good laugh today. Quit being so damn self-righteous. You are entitled to your opinion, by all means. BUT this does not make your opinion a FACT. Read up on FACTS before you become so catty, in the end, you look foolish. And you know it. (what else could explain such EMOTIONAL responses?) Cheers!

By the way, I breastfeed BOTH my 2 1/2 year old and my 16 month old. Cheers!

Answer 1

Where do they get their information? Nowhere of any medical or scientific merit, that's for sure! I asked a similar question myself not too long ago, with no real results. I even told a nosy neighbor one time, who was bothered by my breastfeeding my 18 mo old (shock, gasp, awe!) "If you can find me ONE piece of evidence showing that what I am doing is ANYTHING but beneficial to my daughter I will quit today!" Fact of the matter is that the worldwide scientific community KNOWS that there are numerous benefits to breastfeeding well past one. If you try and find one doctor that disputes this you will be out of luck. Even the AAP says,

"Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)

Deep down, those who are apposed just can't bring themselves to admit that their position is based SOLEY on cultural influences. That is why, no matter how hard you try, you will never receive an educated response to this question. NEVER.

What a bunch of WEANERS!

As for JUSTME: Oh what a clever little response. Did you give yourself a pat on the back for that one?

You ARE right about one thing. Toddlers DO need vitamin D for brain development . . . vitamin D.H.A. that is, as in docosahexaenoic (DHA), a nutrient that is directly linked to IQ . . . and freely available in breast milk!

While vitamin D IS very important (FOR BONE DEVELOPMENT), and is lacking in breast milk, one can easily acquire the necessary amount through regular sunlight (roughly 15 minutes a day).

You do have the right to give YOUR child WHATEVER you want. Give him/her soda in a cup for all I care. I ALSO have the right to continue to feed my toddler breastmilk. It's between me and the EXTREMELY supportive medical community.

Thanks.

Answer 2

Im now not stricken if I see one other lady doing it and I realize its flawlessly authorized in my state to breastfeed in public however I do want there have been extra personal areas. Im a bit shy approximately breastfeeding in public additionally so if we move wherever, I pump earlier than we move. If there have been extra areas for breastfeeding mothers to visit have a bit privateness, I wouldnt need to fear approximately that.

Answer 3

Cuz people here can be totally weird conservative tightwads...

I was watching "The Breakfast Club" on TV the other day and they cut out the part where Bender says "Eat my shorts!" but they went ahead and showed Molly Ringwald's crotch shot underneath her desk?? Huh? There are gigantic fake boobs plastered all over billboards (at least here in Los Angeles), on TV shows, movies, etc. but people can't handle the sight of a mother feeding her baby! I dunno - our society has come to a strange place.

Answer 4

I dont know what the problem is. It disgusts me that other people have a problem with it. It is such a natural thing that is a wonderful bonding experience that women can have with their baby. Americans (myself not included) are too hung up on nudity, even though you dont see anything!

Answer 5

I think breastfeeding is great. I don't think it should be done in public without a cover. I know it's natural, but so is masterbation, but it's done in private. Not that the two are linked (though both have medical advantages) but it just makes some people uncomfortable with the sexaulity placed on the breast. Again, I think it's great, as long as it's covered. It makes people uncomfortable, especially men, and that's the best way to be considerate is to consider the feelings of others.
As far as an age-appropriateness...I think that one is a good age to stop. Or when they ask for it. I mean, there has to be a point where they are weaned. Babies are weaned from the bottle at that age, so isn't it best to do the same with the breast. There is an age that it looks and, in my opinion, is inappropriate to have a toddler hanging off your breast. Just MHO.

Answer 6

What a remarkably good question. Unfortunately, those that are so vehemently agaist feeding babies the way they're supposed to be fed are rather inarticulate and often uneducated about the dangers of premature weaning. Good luck in finding out the reason!-)

Answer 7

Seriously, let's start to correlate grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors to opinions on breastfeeding. Has anyone else noticed that the breast-bashers can't read or write? That's because those of us who do our reading already know that breastfeeding is awesome. Those who can't read (or don't) have ideas about how breastfeeding should be stopped at a certain age. The people who advertise for the formula companies are extremely talented, aren't they?

Someone else said that we need to wean our grown men off of the breast in this country. SO true. Our babies need those breasts, but as long as we Americans perceive breasts as sexual, we will never be able to give breasts back to babies. We're such a big bunch of prudes!

I agree that women who don't breastfeed (or stop very early) feel guilty about not continuing to nurse. Most of them make up excuses and claim that they were not able to breastfeed. Some of them really belive that they cannot breastfeed, too.

Which brings me right back to the beginning--lack of education. Obviously, the pharmaceutical industry works hard to prevent the government from educating the public about the risks of formula. Another problem is the lack of practical breastfeeding knowledge. How many questions do you see on here involve serious breastfeeding issues that require face-to-face help? The women who post them don't know where to find help! It's tragic that so many women turn to formula feeding just because they have a simple breastfeeding problem that they don't know how to fix. Most problems are so easy to fix!

It will take years of talking about extended breastfeeding, encouraging younger mothers to continue breastfeeding and nursing in public to cure this society. My dream is for my daughters to be able to nurse their babies in public without fear of harrassment or judgement from others. My kids are one and three now, so let's get to work!

Shera and justanother_supermom--those are the kind of smartass answers that totally crack me up! Weaners . . . that's hilarious.

Masturbation and breastfeeding? wtf? Have you ever seen a normal woman breastfeed? My breasts are not even kind of sexy, and my belly makes my mom gag a little. No one in his right mind would stare at me while he could be down at Abercrombie watching those little girls "work" in their tiny skirts.

Answer 8

Women get mad at each other over this? Well they are prolly just catty because they feel like the other girl's tatas are better.

Answer 9

Because they're jealous!!?? The only reason I can think why woman get mad at others who's breastfeeding is because they know that this is the best for the babies, but for some reason (maybe they're afraid to get their boobs look ugly), they just choose the formula (poor babies)... Some women really can't breastfeed their babies, but most of them, choose no breastfeeding.

Answer 10

America?? Okay. That was general. But I will give you the otherside of the coin:

Personally, I am all for breast feeding - to an appropriate age. I want to give my child the best start possible, so I am going to breast feed, and I am going to pump for those times when I can't be there, so my husband can feed her. Now, when the kid can ask for t!t (that was intentional), they are too old. "Breast thumpers" would say the same thing if they saw a two year old with a bottle, so let's not be hypocritcal here. If you want your kid to have breast milk after that, that is your choice. But bottle fed babies are put on a cup, I don't see why breast fed babies can't be the same.

I just think breast feeding a 4 year old borders on sick. They have a diet of solid foods that provides everything they need...so, why?? What is the justification for it? What logical reason is there for extended breast feeding? For the kids comfort? But let's bash parents who have 4 year olds that suck on a pacifier, because the mom is SOO much better? No. It gives MOM comfort, and a "bonding". I can think of soo many ways to bond with my kid at that age that are also educational, confidence building, character building, etc. I just don't buy that. It isn't for the nutrients, because if you are feeding your child a well balanced diet, they are getting their nutrients. And it has been proven that breast milk doesn't conatin enough vitamin D, which is esential after age 1 for brain development.

If you want to breast feed until your kid hits puberty, that is between you and child protective services, though. As is my right to say at a year, you have a great diet, and don't need this anymore - Here's a cup.

And I am an educated adult with a professional career, thank you.