Poll: Breastfeeding in public
- Thread starter Galliam
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HaSpy_Guy said:
Yes, the 'ol "just look away" & "just change the channel" argument can justify any public offense and misses the point by some margin.Aye. If people feel particularly awkward, a breast-feeding mother should have an alternative at the ready out of common courtesy, in awareness of the fact that western culture is often pretty feeble about such things. Denial of any reason for offense is ignorant, if probably 'correct'.Spy_Guy said:
Yep, as above, smoking is just terrible for everyone.Jumplion said:
There are also 3rd hand health consequences to tobacco smoke. Truly awful stuff.27CDruid said:
The sole purpose of breasts is to feed babies. You feed babies when they cry (from hunger). NOT feeding them is neglect. Denying the opportunity to feed a baby in public because some people become sexually aroused shouldn't make it socially unacceptable.
Consider 'rule 34'. If we hid everything that made someone sexually excited, we'd all have to pluck our eyes out.
Would you become hostile to a woman who gave birth in a restaurant because she could not get to a hospital? She would clearly need to have her genitals exposed to have the baby come out. Would you shove this woman in the bathroom? Would you drag her off the streets?
No one seems to bat too much attention to women who go in public without underwear on. Sex-organs exposed! Breasts on the other hand, which have nothing to do with you or anyone else - which is basically fat and a nipple - so offensive? I don't see it. How?
I'd make a few exceptions:
Live television at a podium giving a speech is not an appropriate time to breast-feed.
Because a homeless man gave you some money just so he can watch.
During a mammogram. (Hey, if your breasts are engorged with milk when you have one of these, does milk spray everywhere?)
Consider 'rule 34'. If we hid everything that made someone sexually excited, we'd all have to pluck our eyes out.
Would you become hostile to a woman who gave birth in a restaurant because she could not get to a hospital? She would clearly need to have her genitals exposed to have the baby come out. Would you shove this woman in the bathroom? Would you drag her off the streets?
No one seems to bat too much attention to women who go in public without underwear on. Sex-organs exposed! Breasts on the other hand, which have nothing to do with you or anyone else - which is basically fat and a nipple - so offensive? I don't see it. How?
I'd make a few exceptions:
Live television at a podium giving a speech is not an appropriate time to breast-feed.
Because a homeless man gave you some money just so he can watch.
During a mammogram. (Hey, if your breasts are engorged with milk when you have one of these, does milk spray everywhere?)
Just saying, when you're in a discussion, you're the one who usually gives the evidence, the discussion-er shouldn't have to. Just saying, not trying to sound pompous or anything.27CDruid said:
But anyway, I've looked up a few sites, anything ranging from "3,000 people a year" to "53,000 a year" to "none a year, it's all bullshit you were told in grade school". You're thinking of my example as if people would be in a secluded room with only the smoker/breast-feeder, when it would be more likely to occur at an open park or non-conspicuously in a smallish restaurant. Regardless of whether or not second-hand smoking kills, I hope my original point came across.. People should enjoy their freedoms, but shouldn't be allowed to infringe on other people's rights of being comfortable. Just common courtesy, I think.
The thing that gets to me is how women believe they should be allowed to breastfeed their child wherever they want and to hell with anyone who disagrees. I understand a child needs to be fed, but if a woman was breastfeeding in public and a few people were uncomfortable should the manager not be allowed to say "Look you're disturbing the other patrons; could you please step outside?"
Really no one has any right to say what people should and should not be disturbed by. I can't understand how people can be afraid of non-poisonous insects, but I don't go around telling them they shouldn't be.
Really no one has any right to say what people should and should not be disturbed by. I can't understand how people can be afraid of non-poisonous insects, but I don't go around telling them they shouldn't be.
Yeah but smoking smells bad... it's unpleasent to be around if you're not used to it. It's not like breastfeeding where you can turn away from it and you won't see it anymore (and if you tell me I should just block my nose, you can fuck right off..).Jumplion said:
You should block your nose!Flare Phoenix said:
Kidding, kidding. I would say that it is possible to avoid smoking depending on how hard the person is puffing. If you're a decent distance away, it wouldn't be that bad. Though if you're right next to them in a restaurant, you would be in the right to politely ask them to snuff the flame/cover themselves.
Because carrying around pre-pumped bottles of breastmilk or a pump to extract some milk in the restroom is completely a reasonable expectation.CCountZero said:
Clearly most of the users here have not had a kid of their own and had to deal with feeding while out in public. Sure, while my wife was breastfeeding we tried to make sure we were somewhere private-ish when not at home, but I see no problem with women who feed their kid in public. I think the only thing needed is a Hooter-hider blanket dealy.
Personally I don't see why we just don't introduce some place women can breastfeed privately. We have toilets so people can wee and poo privately, so why not? Now I'm not 100% sure how the whole thing works, so there could be some issue with that I'm not seeing, but it seems like it could work.Jumplion said:You should block your nose!Flare Phoenix said:
Kidding, kidding. I would say that it is possible to avoid smoking depending on how hard the person is puffing. If you're a decent distance away, it wouldn't be that bad. Though if you're right next to them in a restaurant, you would be in the right to politely ask them to snuff the flame/cover themselves.
I am not extremely disturbed at the sight of breast-feeding in public - but I am mildly perturbed. I don't think it should be illegal - I certainly wouldn't want someone to go to jail for feeding their child - but I also think that maybe, just.... maybe.... they could take a bit of time to face a wall, or sit in a corner or drape a towel or cloth over their breasts while they do so. If you're gonna do that sort of stuff in public... perhaps you just might want to take a BIT of effort to cover up. It's not.... that hard, and it would go a long way to making others feel comfortable. Again, some of us don't deal with public nudity very well. Some people are perfectly fine with it, but some of us aren't, and really, would it be THAT hard to have a small towel or cloth to drape over the breasts? Or find a corner in a room to face? Or hell, just try to do it a bit more discretely? I mean, if you're carrying a baby that is age-appropriate to be breast fed, you've got to be able to carry a simple small piece of cloth to hide your breasts. Most mothers carry around a stroller, food, nappies, all that sort of thing - couldn't you carry around just a small bit of cloth? That way, you can breast feed in public and not make others feel very uncomfortable.
Now, now, before you say "BREASTFEEDING IS NATURAL, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COVER UP, YOU'RE A FASCIST!", I will say that male genitalia is ALSO natural as is the act of urination and defecation - yet most of us, mothers or not, would not appreciate such an act to be performed in public. Hell, urination poses no health risk since urine is sterile - so it would be hypocritical to back one bodily function because it is natural, yet not others even when they are natural.
Look, I understand that sometimes the baby is hungry, and some people might be morally against milk formula, and I certainly don't want to see mothers fined or punished for feeding their child. I would rather have to put up with a bit of discomfort and awkwardness than seeing a mother punished for taking care of her kid. So I would not outlaw public breast-feeding, or attach any punishment to the act. All I ask is that they TRY to be a BIT discreet about the thing. You could, ya know, try. It couldn't be that hard to find a quiet spot or use a towel.
Now, now, before you say "BREASTFEEDING IS NATURAL, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COVER UP, YOU'RE A FASCIST!", I will say that male genitalia is ALSO natural as is the act of urination and defecation - yet most of us, mothers or not, would not appreciate such an act to be performed in public. Hell, urination poses no health risk since urine is sterile - so it would be hypocritical to back one bodily function because it is natural, yet not others even when they are natural.
Look, I understand that sometimes the baby is hungry, and some people might be morally against milk formula, and I certainly don't want to see mothers fined or punished for feeding their child. I would rather have to put up with a bit of discomfort and awkwardness than seeing a mother punished for taking care of her kid. So I would not outlaw public breast-feeding, or attach any punishment to the act. All I ask is that they TRY to be a BIT discreet about the thing. You could, ya know, try. It couldn't be that hard to find a quiet spot or use a towel.
I understand your original point, I just think that there are better grounds for people to be put-out by someone smoking in public than by breastfeeding in public.Jumplion said:
My partner is a Tobacco Research Officer for the University of Toronto. We knew it was bad, but having been better informed she has recurring nightmares about murderous brown herbs.
3rd hand health implications mean that exposure to residue from tobacco smoke on furniture, finishings, etc cause health risks. So it's always bad in publicJumplion said:
Yeah judging from some of these posts you would think an alarm goes off everytime a woman breastfeeds her child.Nigh Invulnerable said:
When I walk in to a café wanting a nice cup of coffee, the last think I want to see is little hef going at it like its limited supply, and he needs to stock up for the year!
Sorry but the "its natural" argument is bull shite I mean masturbation and bowl movements are natural, but you don't see me casually walking into a café, asking for the bin taking it walking over to the corner to relieving my self in more then one way
THEN giving you the dirty look when your taken back !!!
Sorry but the "its natural" argument is bull shite I mean masturbation and bowl movements are natural, but you don't see me casually walking into a café, asking for the bin taking it walking over to the corner to relieving my self in more then one way
THEN giving you the dirty look when your taken back !!!
As long as they're being discreet about it, I don't mind. If they do behind a corner or step out of sight then nah I don't mind, but if they're sitting on a bench in a high-traffic part of town and just whip it out (no dick joke parallel intended) and start breastfeeding, then yeah, I'm gonna be a bit annoyed. And then the people who think "it's perfectly natural no one should ever get upset or judge or so much as look twice if I start breastfeeding my baby anywhere I damn well please" bug the hell out of me. It's perfectly natural to take a dump but I don't do that wherever I damn well please now, do I? Ditto for things like having sex, vomiting, belching, etc. Not to imply that breastfeeding is on the same level of grossness as most of the above, but those are perfectly natural things that we can't do wherever we want, so why should breatfeeding get some super-special exception? But ultimately, I don't mind public breastfeeding as long as the person is being discreet about it. Don't show it off to the world, no one really cares or wants to see that.