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Breastfeeding in Public


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#1 swmr545

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 08:40 PM

So today my mom and I went out for dinner only to have a family with a baby come and be seated at the table next to us. The young one started to cry so the mother began to breast feed right there at the table (while my mom and I were eating our meals).

Is it common practice for a nursing mother to do this in public (espically at a restaurant while others are trying to enjoy their meal with as little exposed flesh as possible)?
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#2 Sweetpea & Snookems

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 08:49 PM

Good Lord! I breastfed my babies...but NOT in public AND NEVER WHILE OTHERS WERE EATING! I know they're out to dinner but...take it to the bathroom! The Car-or home!

Once I was at the store and a woman was breastfeeding her baby while walking up and down the aisles...I couldn't believe what i was seeing and others around me were just as uncomfortable-all women!

#3 windie

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 08:52 PM

QUOTE(swmr545 @ Apr 9 2006, 09:40 PM) View Post

So today my mom and I went out for dinner only to have a family with a baby come and be seated at the table next to us. The young one started to cry so the mother began to breast feed right there at the table (while my mom and I were eating our meals).

Is it common practice for a nursing mother to do this in public (espically at a restaurant while others are trying to enjoy their meal with as little exposed flesh as possible)?



Personally, I don't have a problem with moms breastfeeding their babies in public. But the polite thing to do is cover up. Throw a blanket over yourself and the little one. Not everyone is comfortable viewing a situation like that. I breastfed all of my children, sometimes in public if needed, but I didn't subject others around me to it.

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#4 cw68

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 08:57 PM

I breastfed my kids while out and about. But, while at restaurants, I would only do it if I had a booth and was confident that I was being discreet. While I've never been offended by breastfeeding, I know there are plenty of people uncomfortable with breastfeeding and I tried to be as cognizant of them as possible. There's nothing worse than seeing a Mom whip out her "bottle." If it can't be done discreetly, then do it in private.

#5 dlutz

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 08:57 PM

QUOTE(Sweetpea & Snookems @ Apr 9 2006, 09:49 PM) View Post

Good Lord! I breastfed my babies...but NOT in public AND NEVER WHILE OTHERS WERE EATING! I know they're out to dinner but...take it to the bathroom! The Car-or home!

Once I was at the store and a woman was breastfeeding her baby while walking up and down the aisles...I couldn't believe what i was seeing and others around me were just as uncomfortable-all women!


I have to disagree. I'd much rather have a well fed and happy baby sitting next to my table rather than a crying hungry child. I understand that some people may not like seeing a bare breast, so as long as the mother covers up with a blanket, what's the big deal?

#6 Cinnadog

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 08:58 PM

Babies need to eat.

Would you want to eat your meal in the bathroom??

Swmr, you didn't say whether the mother was modestly covered. These days, there are a large variety of specially designed nursing tops (with flaps that cover the baby's mouth and the nipple) and shawls. As long as the mom made some effort to be discreet (i.e., not letting her whole breast hang out), I see nothing wrong with it.

This is not a sexual thing. This is an issue of the best, natural nutrition for babies. It is not reasonable to expect a mom to rush home or hide in a dirty public bathroom every time the baby needs to be fed. --What exactly do you find so offensive about it?? I wouldn't have pegged you as being such a prude about a natural process, Swmr -- especially since presumably you don't view women's breasts as sexual objects. Wow, you ought to visit France someday -- topless sunbathing is the norm there and in many other countries.

You may be interested to know that the law protects women's right to breastfeed anywhere in public -- in malls, restaurants, etc. Kudos to our lawmakers who realize that women should not be shamed or cloistered for meeting their baby's needs.

#7 Steve Heard

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 09:21 PM

I see it as the beauty of mother and child. I am not uncomfortable with it at all. I probably wouldn't stare or hold a conversation with her, but seeing a little tit (or a big one) never did me any harm, and it does the kid good.

And as Dlutz said, much better to have a breast feeding baby than one who is hungry. They can really interrupt a meal.

By the way, my mother never breast-fed me. She said she liked me as a friend biggrin.gif

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#8 Solartide

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 09:39 PM

First time I saw this was in China, I was: Huh, that woman is... Meh, whatever.

#9 (Gaelic925)

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Posted 09 April 2006 - 10:55 PM

I am now breastfeeding my third kiddo and I will tell you I don't like to use a public bathroom to feed my baby, I will go out to the car if I have to.

I am surprised though that as vocal as you are on certain subjects that something as natural as breastfeeding a baby should bother you swmr.

#10 dnell

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Posted 10 April 2006 - 01:07 AM

I'm not bothered by it at all. The first couple of times I saw a mother breastfeeding in public, I was kind of taken aback, but now I'm used to seeing it.

#11 gm2005

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Posted 10 April 2006 - 07:53 AM

It is the most natural thing in the world: feeding the child. Now, I am not saying that every woman should just whip it out without trying to be discreet, but I think our society is a bit too uptight about things they shouldn't be uptight about, and ignores things that we should not ignore.
I breastfeed my baby and although I didn't feel comfortable doing it in public for everybody to see (because I have seen people give dirty looks to other women) I would have to do it because if I was to live my life I couldn't be out of the house and not feed my baby. Now, when I did breastfeed nobody really knew what I was doing, because I was always completely covered up and everybody always thought that the baby was just sleeping.
Anyway, it is the law that women can breastfeed in any public place without any restrictions.
Just grow up and realize that it is the most natural thing in the world and get the idea out of your head that it has anything to do with sex.


#12 Chad Vander Veen

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Posted 10 April 2006 - 08:02 AM

The ideal solution is to not bring infants to restaurants.



#13 cw68

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Posted 10 April 2006 - 08:11 AM

QUOTE(c_vanderveen @ Apr 10 2006, 09:02 AM) View Post

The ideal solution is to not bring infants to restaurants.

And why is that?

#14 Orangetj

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Posted 10 April 2006 - 08:19 AM

Nah, the ideal situation is for people to not be so uptight. I find that most people who seem to get upset about this have never had kids. I agree with the other posters that it's much better to have a well fed and contented kid at the next table than one who's hungry and cranky because Mom isn't willing to feed him/her in a public place.

If the woman had some sort of cover-up on and was being discreet, I fail to see what the problem is. If she's just letting the boob hang out for all to see without making any attempt at modesty, then that's just not appropriate for a restaraunt (much like wearing a bikini top wouldn't be appropriate). For my part, I've never seen anybody do this in Folsom without using an appropriate covering garment or blanket.

Frankly, SWMR, I'm a bit surprised to hear this from you. After all, how would you feel is somebody came to the site and posted "Just the other night, I was out to eat with my family and they seated a gay couple in the booth right next to us...."?

#15 Chad Vander Veen

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Posted 10 April 2006 - 08:23 AM

QUOTE(Orangetj @ Apr 10 2006, 09:19 AM) View Post


Frankly, SWMR, I'm a bit surprised to hear this from you. After all, how would you feel is somebody came to the site and posted "Just the other night, I was out to eat with my family and they seated a gay couple in the booth right next to us...."?


That's not the same. Breast-feeding in public is a choice, being gay isn't.

QUOTE(cw68 @ Apr 10 2006, 09:11 AM) View Post

And why is that?


Because then the issue wouldn't come up. You also wouldn't have screaming babies at all. Parents with newborns need to sacrifice some things, like going to nice restaurants with their infants. Your child is not my burden and I don't want to hear it screaming while I'm dining. Common courtesy would be keeping the infant at home.




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