Does a nursing baby offend you?

[Applespider]

Most women who breastfeed in public are pretty discreet - they wear tops and nursing bras that don't 'expose' much flesh - and they really don't want to draw attention to themselves. The 6 months or so immediately after giving birth aren't when most women feel at their most attractive!

Those who suggest restrooms - eesh, I hate using most public toilets since they're not particularly clean and you want mothers to relax on a toilet and feed their child? Our company has 'parent and baby' rooms in our stores with a supply of emergency nappies and a nursing chair but most mothers prefer to sit in the cafe where they can have a drink and watch the world go by a little more.

As for that photo, it's nothing. I do recall though at one point when helping put together a Parenting catalogue, there being issues that, in the UK, you couldn't show a baby with a bottle unless a baby with a breast had equal coverage. Similarly, there were limits to how you showed babies being bathed etc... makes you quite sad about the world we live in

 

[Unorthodox]

I just don't understand you Europeans and your views on these sorts of things.

That cover is pornography, plain and simple.

If it were a picture of a dead or injured child in a war-torn area with a nice tank in the background, that'd be fine.

If it were a side view of Britney Spears' breast with no baby, also fine.

But a nursing infant? Please. That's akin to showing someone in the act of defecating.

And as far as doing it in public is concerned: people should limit themselves to doing normal, natural things, like smoking, shopping, and eating. Something perverse like breast-feeding should be hidden in shame.

You need to add some
You are confusing people.
Or at least I hope your being sarcastic...

 

[jsw]

Are you kidding?

Yes.

In fact, I thought about saying I was kidding, but then I thought "how could someone even possibly think I'm not kidding?" I didn't think I needed the smilies. I thought phrases like "with a nice tank in the background" and "normal, natural things, like smoking" would be sufficient.

I should have realized from past experience that, no matter how much I try to make it obvious I'm being sarcastic, some people will assume I'm serious.

Who will you catch...?

I never pick a big enough net and always catch more than I expect... sadly enough.

 

[CANEHDN]

I bet you could post an image of a baby sucking someones elbow and make it look like this image. People would still make a fuss about it and not even know that it's nothing but an elbow.

 

[miniConvert]

<-- not bothered.

 

[jsw]

I bet you could post an image of a baby sucking someones elbow and make it look like this image. People would still make a fuss about it and not even know that it's nothing but an elbow.

You have no idea how right you are.

The sad fact is that the cover pic is actually is one of my daughter kissing one of my "love handles" a few months ago. I was too ashamed to admit it until now, but I feel the truth should come out.

 

[MrSmith]

You have no idea how right you are.

The sad fact is that the cover pic is actually is one of my daughter kissing one of my "love handles" a few months ago. I was too ashamed to admit it until now, but I feel the truth should come out.

An even sadder fact is that it could be a picture of a baby sucking my 'breast'. Then again my diet is proceeding well, so I'm no longer THAT big.

And I'm hairier.

A hairy breast...now THAT would be offensive.

 

[jayb2000]

more boobs in public=better

Seriously, my daughter is 6months old and needs to eat. My wife does it discreetly and with no fuss.

Its the best food for the baby and has huge health benefits for the Mom, and is perfectly natural.
It is either
a) The result of millions of years of evolution resulting in very effective food souce for babies
b) God's design on how to feed babies

Eitherway, it is certainly not offensive, not sexual, and not worth any outcry.

 

[iGary]

I can see your point there. Discretion is proper - I don't want to see that Kansas cow ever chew with her mouth open or talk with her mouth full either.

Well lets put it this way - there are women around here that will whip their hooter out and shove it in their kids mouth in the middle of the mall, without trying even a little to be gentle and discreet.

Good for them - doesn't mean I have to like looking at her big fat aureola.

 

[njmac]

You have no idea how right you are.

The sad fact is that the cover pic is actually is one of my daughter kissing one of my "love handles" a few months ago. I was too ashamed to admit it until now, but I feel the truth should come out.

Really!? sorry, couldn't resist

 

[MrSmith]

Good for them - doesn't mean I have to like looking at her big fat aureola.

I thought you could only see those above the Arctic Circle

 

[Josh]

I could go for some more public displays of breast feeding, myself.

 

[iGary]

I thought you could only see those above the Arctic Circle

Depoends on the latitude and your spelling ineptitude.

 

[MrSmith]

Depoends on the latitude and your spelling ineptitude.

How many layers down are we now?

 

[Deepdale]

Good judgment and a respectable degree of decorum are nice when you can get them from other parties. Having said that, I usually have no problems with nursing moms as I have not encountered outlandish public situations.

 

[jsw]

How many layers down are we now?

Not nearly enough. We Americans prefer things to be very well covered up.

 

[iTwitch]

Just to echo the complaints of the other posts here, I would love to see how people are willing to let the sexual connotation of breasts (e.g. Brittany Spears Rolling Stone, Victoria's Secret catalog, etc) slide and get offended by this. I hope the offended people end up barren, divorced, lonely and never have contact with children.

Ouch! But it's no big deal.

 

[nbs2]

Ouch! But it's no big deal.

I feel like it is a big deal - my kid shouldn't have to feed in the bathroom. My wife shouldn't be subject to rude or disparaging remarks because she is helping to keep our child alive. She isn't planning on breastfeeding because she enjoys it (She's never met a woman that breastfeeds and doesn't have sore nipples), but because it is necessary. I really, really, really, don't like the people in that group of 5000.

 

[Lyle]

Depoends on the latitude and your spelling ineptitude.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't point out their neighbors' spelling ineptitude. Or something like that.

"I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine," one woman from Kansas wrote in reaction to the picture in Babytalk, a free magazine that caters to young mothers. "I was offended and it made my husband very uncomfortable when I left the magazine on the coffee table."

I love that she was shocked and offended by the magazine's cover, yet felt comfortable leaving it in plain sight on her coffee table.

 

[Kernow]

Absolutely bloody daft.

I'm completely baffled by the statement that a husband felt uncomfortable. Reminds me of 19th century England when they had to cover up curvy table legs to stop the gentlemen from becoming overexcited.

I'm not offended in the slightest by a woman breastfeeding - it is perfectly natural.

What does disturb me though is a program I saw on Channel 4 a while back where mothers were still breastfeeding their kids at age 7. That is weird.

 

[CANEHDN]

From a nursing mom's perspective

(Just so you know, this is my wife posting. Not me)
2 things I would like to note here from a nursing mothers perspective.

1) So many people are worried about how it makes them feel and have no regard for the mom's feelings. I was pumping breast milk in the mothers lounge at my work (a little more exposed than if my baby were eating) and several women would walk right in on their way to the bathroom to set their stuff on the table, peek in just to see what was going on or try and take naps in the chair they povided for us. Now that is just downright rude and blatent disregard for privacy. Every time someone walked in I wanted to shout "I'll show you mine if you show me yours!" It is also very hard dealing with glares and comments from onlookers, even if you are being discreet.

2) I wonder if these offended people would really rather listen to a hysterical baby over having the mother nurse in public. You can avert your eyes but not your ears!

 

[njmac]

What does disturb me though is a program I saw on Channel 4 a while back where mothers were still breastfeeding their kids at age 7. That is weird.

haha, if I saw a 7 year old go for a drink from his mothers breast when he was 7 I would be a little disturbed. But I guess each to his own..

 

[yellow]

Does a nursing baby offend me?

Only if she won't let me watch. I'm even willing to contribute a few $ to the cause.

 

[Deepdale]

I love that she was shocked and offended by the magazine's cover, yet felt comfortable in leaving it in plain sight on her coffee table.

Hypocrisy is rampant. At least she made a connection between milk and coffee (or at least her precious coffee table).

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Public breastfeeding....I don't really care about it one way or another. The baby is hungry, he/she gets fed...Why is it such a big, "shocking" deal anyway? I can't relate to those people...you can put me down in the "pro-breast" camp on this one.