Poll: Breast feeding

[Gilhelmi]

I never understood something. Why do people take offense when a woman is breast feeding in public?

That is what breast are for, it is healthier (in most cases) then formula, especially in the early months of life. The only, ONLY, thing I can think of is the sanitation argument and even that is rather weak, because the breast does not touch the table and the babies mouth (usually) does not touch the table. But the babies mouth is going too be dirty anyway so its a moot point.

I just say let women do what they believe to be best for their child and let them do it in public.

 

[the abyss gazes also]

At least in the US we are weird about breasts. Somehow showing a woman's nipple is like opening the Arch of the Covenant at the end of Raiders. If we could just get over the initial "OH MY GOD, A NIPPLE OR BOOB!!!!" we could all start realizing that boobs are just boobs. While you can view them in a sexual context you can also view them in a non-sexual context. It is all situational.

 

[Screamarie]

I've always been for the allowance of breasts in public. I don't understand why women aren't allowed to go topless just like men are. It's not like you're whipping off your pants. Breasts are just flabby pecs (yes I know there's differences, but those are internal, not like you can see them) and if I have to look at Bob's man-boobs then my girl boobs shouldn't be that offensive. It's not a freedom I would probably take part of, simply because I'm too shy, but it should be my choice.

I'm especially offended by women not being allowed to breast feed in public. They're doing something natural and helpful to their baby. I've never heard a good arguement for why it can't be done in public.

I don't see how it's unsanitary, it's just a breast and milk, if it's THAT unsanitary then a woman wouldn't be allowed to feed by formula either.

I don't understand why people get in a tizzy if a child sees it. A breast is not going to jump out and attack them and it's not going to scar them for life.

 

[Kae]

Well, I have no idea why some people consider it wrong since it's only a natural thing to do, and it's actually why breasts exist in the first place, I mean I have no problem with it, but when it happens I do have to look on another direction, because well, nudity in general makes me uncomfortable and nervous, even if it's a shirtless guy, but that's not really a good excuse to stop anyone from doing something that quite frankly should be considered normal.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Some people are just stupid prudes. Not much else to it. Women should be allowed to go topless just like men can if they so choose.

 

[Vault101]

some peopel might find it off putting...in a "squick" kind of way rather than "sexual"

 

[Chemical Alia]

I would personally never do it in public (nor would I have a baby, so whatever), but I see nothing wrong with it at all.

Do it in private. Nobody else wants to see your kid suckling away. We don't care if you think breastmilk is bestmilk, they invented breast pumps for a reason.



For that matter nobody else wants to see your kid in the first place.


I don't, however, have any issue with women being allowed to go topless in public. This is fine by me. Just don't latch the little shitstorm onto one of 'em while in visual range.

I hate looking at pregnant stomachs, but I wouldn't expect pregnant people to stop appearing in public just because I happen to find it terrifying. 0:

 

[Chemical Alia]

I hate looking at pregnant stomachs, but I wouldn't expect pregnant people to stop appearing in public just because I happen to find it terrifying. 0:

1: Expecting them to wear clothes isn't unreasonable though.

2: Where'd I say terrifying? Do quote it.

1. I've never seen anyone breastfeeding totally topless.

2. You didn't, I was referring to myself.

 

[Relish in Chaos]

I picked "I have no opinion", but I don't see what's so "offensive" about a woman just taking it out to feed her child. No-one's making you look at it, so don't be such a baby about it (see what I did there?).

 

[Lilani]

Do it in private. Nobody else wants to see your kid suckling away. We don't care if you think breastmilk is bestmilk, they invented breast pumps for a reason.

When a kid's hungry, a kid's hungry. There isn't always a "decent" place to go and do it. Like, say, an airplane. Surely you wouldn't expect women to try and squeeze into that little bathroom and try to feed? Plus, you're talking about feeding...in a bathroom. A public bathroom. I wouldn't eat my lunch in a public bathroom, and so I wouldn't expect or even want a woman to feed her baby (who will be much more sensitive to germs) in one.

Also, I worked at Disney World for a while. Since it's Florida state law, women are allowed to breastfeed anywhere in the park. The only thing they are required to go and sequester themselves for is "pumping," or filling bottles with breastmilk to use to feed at a later time (which they could do at the park First Aid center). And the more I thought about that, the more it made sense. Like the airplane, there are few sanitary and private areas to go.

I'm sorry that you find it visually displeasing, but if I have to put up with fat, hairy old men strutting about topless and showing off their disgusting belly-buttons, forced to be outies due to their obesity, I think you can handle a woman breastfeeding a child.

 

[Hollyday]

I don't find women breastfeeding babies in public offensive at all. However, I've had the misfortune of working in a cafe where a woman came in and sat down (without ordering anything) and started breastfeeding her child who was at the very least 3 years old, but could also easily have been 5. Never seen the place empty so quickly. If they're old enough to ask for it, they're too old!

 

[Skipper zammo]

The "it's natural" argument really gets on my nerves. Pissing and shitting are natural, but people generally don't think that makes it OK.

It doesn't bother me really, but I think that it bothers some people should be enough to make people not do it in public. Since there are breast pumps and such there is no real reason why you would have to breast feed in public.

So just be a decent human being and don't needlessly make other people uncomfortable regardless of how irrational you consider their discomfort

 

[Phasmal]

If a baby is hungry, it's hungry. Most women who breastfeed use a blanket.
Just don't look, if it makes you so pearl-clutchy.

Honestly, nobody is forcing anyone to look.
If I tried to ban everything I didn't like from being outside there'd be nobody left outside.

 

[itsthesheppy]

Seriously, if seeing someone breastfeeding weirds you out, I gotta say that maybe you should seek some therapy to determine why that is. It's hard to get more nonthreatening and natural than that.

 

[King of Asgaard]

If a child needs to feed, then yeah in public. What are you going to do, give him McDonalds to tide him over until he gets home?

 

[Nuke_em_05]

People take offense to breastfeeding in public because it requires that there be both a woman and a child in public. Not at home, specifically, in the kitchen.

Aside from that, it's just kind of squicky. Like going to the bathroom isn't generally a sexual thing (I used "generally", Internet), but still nobody wants to see you do it, and most people don't want other people to see them do it.

Really, breastfeeding is somewhere between evacuating your bowels and picking your nose when it comes to "public" settings.

It isn't that there is something "wrong" with it, it is a natural and beautiful thing, it's just that nobody wants to see you do it at the bus stop, in the mall, or at a restaurant. Like sex or pooping (again, dear Internet, in general).

Personally, I think "meh" about it, and if it is such a problem, just cover it with a blanket.

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

The "it's natural" argument really gets on my nerves. Pissing and shitting are natural, but people generally don't think that makes it OK.

It doesn't bother me really, but I think that it bothers some people should be enough to make people not do it in public. Since there are breast pumps and such there is no real reason why you would have to breast feed in public.

So just be a decent human being and don't needlessly make other people uncomfortable regardless of how irrational you consider their discomfort

There's always the flip side argument of this, which is that just because you're uncomfortable with something doesn't mean others have to quit doing it. I feel like tolerating other humans beings is a skill that we're trying to convince everyone is not necessary, but it really is. As for the earlier examples of urine and feces, they both have a strong disturbing smell that agitates other humans, and for the case of feces, they have lots of germs that can easily be transmitted to other humans because presumably you'd leave the droppings on the ground, right? So others could accidentally step in them; they'd get in the way; kids crawl around...you get the idea. Same with urine, really. Urine is mostly sterile, but it still has a reek, and people don't like it. Breast milk is going to the baby and, as far as I guess, probably has no real revolting quality to it in terms of smell or whatever.

I think women should be able to go topless just like men, but then again, I think that if there were a way to make it sanitary, people should be able to go out naked. Frankly, I don't see what the deal is with humans and being ashamed or secretive about our bodies. News flash: unless you're a very special edge case, almost 50% of the human population has the same basic genitalia as you do. They may be differently sized or shaped, but really, they're about the same. They're not creepy or disgusting. They're body parts. Good grief.

tl;dr there is nothing special about boobs, so women should be able to breastfeed if they like, anywhere that it would be appropriate to bottle feed.