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| Author |
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valerie
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Breastfeeding in public?
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Feb 21 05:16 UTC 1998 |
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| 52 responses total. |
i
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response 1 of 52:
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Feb 21 19:01 UTC 1998 |
My sister-in-law does it (at least around the house with extended family)
and i think i've seen it done somewhat publicly by other women (back of
the church during services & other not-many-strangers-looking-your-way
situations). Not something that i keep my eyes on, but the basics seem
to be wearing tops built for it (strategically located flaps) and a not-
too-modest attitude. (Mom once quipped words to the effect that dealing
with real babies that get real hungry in the real world weans moms off
excessive modesty real quick.)
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mary
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response 2 of 52:
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Feb 21 19:53 UTC 1998 |
I'd go by how comfortable *you* are with feeding in public.
If someone else is uncomfortable seeing a female
breast they can always look away. Besides, it gives
people who are too tightly wound something to complain
about. So you're actually doing them a favor. ;-)
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birdlady
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response 3 of 52:
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Feb 22 04:32 UTC 1998 |
I'm never shocked to see someone feeding their baby in public - it just seems
so *natural* to me. Like a kitten walking up to its mom and suckling.
<shrug> I would definitely go with your level of modesty and what works for
you. I agree with Mary; Whoever doesn't like it can look away.
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valerie
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response 4 of 52:
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Feb 22 14:37 UTC 1998 |
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beeswing
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response 5 of 52:
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Feb 22 19:46 UTC 1998 |
Hmm. But what about breast pumps? Can you express the milk and save it for
later? Awhile back I walked into a restroom and heard this funny whirring
noise. In the corner was a woman with her little electric breast pump (though
nothing was being exposed). She said, "Sorry y'all... but if I don't do this
now I will be dying by 2:00!" Hee!
I agree with Valerie, it seems even though you try to be discreet the whole
world knows what you're really doing. I know breast milk is best for both mom
and baby but it seems a bottle is so much more convenient.
Reminds me of an old Designing Women episode where Suzanne (Delta Burke)
complained about seeing a woman nurse in a restaurant. She said, "Can you
imagine if I whipped out one of these in public?! All hell would break loose!"
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orinoco
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response 6 of 52:
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Feb 23 03:22 UTC 1998 |
I heard a great story a while ago about a woman who was kicked out for
breastfeeding in public in an art gallery. Pointing to the giant nude
portrait on the wall across from her, she said, "With all those around here,
who's going to notice me".
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valerie
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response 7 of 52:
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Feb 24 06:44 UTC 1998 |
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birdlady
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response 8 of 52:
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Feb 24 07:48 UTC 1998 |
That's a great story! =)
I agree with beeswing about the breast pump. That will save your modesty in
public, but will still assure that your baby will get breast milk.
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md
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response 9 of 52:
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Feb 24 11:59 UTC 1998 |
A "Friends" episode once had two men walking in on a woman
breast feeding and immediately turning away. "But it's the
most beautiful, natural, thing in the world," she protests.
One of the guys responds, "Yeah, but it's got a *baby*
attached to it." Exaggerated but fairly typical male response.
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clees
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response 10 of 52:
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Feb 24 14:42 UTC 1998 |
Haha, Joey and Chandler :D
For me it entirely depends on the situation or even my mood.
I'd rather see a stranger breastfeed her baby than my sister in
law. I don't want to be confronted with her nudity, even if it's
only a breast.
But I guess I am a little bit prudent, for I don't like to expose
myself in public either (e.g. shower rooms after playing indoor
soccer, or even while it is legal in parts of Europe: nudist beaches).
My privates are for reserved for very few eyes. Not that I think I got
a hideous body or so. It just feels that way.
At times other people's nakedness embarassess me too.
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headdoc
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response 11 of 52:
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Feb 24 23:06 UTC 1998 |
I was quite modest prior to having my two children, Valerie. But when it came
to feeding my babies, I guess I lost some of my modesty since my breasts seems
to loose their sexual preeminence and became survival objects. It was the
most natural thing in the world to breast feed my girls. I also did not want
to stay at home all the time and didn't want to loose the closeness of feeding
them directly due to someone else's issues about not wanting to see me feed
them. I always looked for a private place to do so and was very discrete.
I had a close male friend who said that in the six months of my breastfeeding
each of the girls, he never actually saw my breasts. And I did it in front
of him a good deal of the time. Wait till you have a babyt and see how you
feel about it. You dont have to make any decisions now. Besides, even if
you did, you would probably change your mind after you have the baby and get
used to feeding it. I bet it all has to do with how comfortable one is
breastfeeding in total.
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keesan
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response 12 of 52:
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Feb 25 01:16 UTC 1998 |
One warm day last summer I saw three women breastfeeding in public in about
three hours - one at a yard sale she was running. Nobody seemed to care.
Maybe people don't notice you unless you look and act embarrassed?
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clees
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response 13 of 52:
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Feb 25 07:24 UTC 1998 |
Maybe all people just pretend to not see it, and just ignore the whole thing.
In the way of an ostrich sticking its head in the ground.
Come to think of it, many of oy friends are starting having children now and
I never caught one of the wives (also friendss btw.) breastfeeding.
It might very well be that Dutch women simply don't do it in public.
We aren't called calvinists for nothing.
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gracel
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response 14 of 52:
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Feb 25 19:17 UTC 1998 |
If you have a co-operative baby & are dressed for it, only the beginning
of the process involves exposing yourself. Several times I had people
ask me if the baby were asleep, especially when we were using a sling.
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birdlady
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response 15 of 52:
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Feb 26 03:37 UTC 1998 |
I have two aunts who used to drape a light blanket over the baby's head and
her breast; It appeared as though they were rocking the baby to sleep, and
it was very discreet.
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headdoc
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response 16 of 52:
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Feb 27 00:05 UTC 1998 |
Been there, done that. It is all so easy when you want to do it.
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iggy
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response 17 of 52:
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Feb 27 03:03 UTC 1998 |
i have a strange aversion to breast feeding at all.
the whole idea of myself suckling a baby is revolting.
a bottle would be fine, but breast feeding just seems so..
so.. parasitic!
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i
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response 18 of 52:
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Feb 27 03:45 UTC 1998 |
How do you feel about a placenta attached to you, *inside*?
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iggy
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response 19 of 52:
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Feb 27 16:23 UTC 1998 |
the exact same way!
there has to be a more civilized way to reproduce.
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i
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response 20 of 52:
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Feb 28 04:22 UTC 1998 |
Well, i'd say that leaves you two choices:
- Find a suitable host mother/nursing nanny and put with up the expense,
invasive procedures, risks, and loss of control.
- Try to perfect binary fission.
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valerie
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response 21 of 52:
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Feb 28 14:05 UTC 1998 |
This response has been erased.
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valerie
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response 22 of 52:
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Feb 28 14:06 UTC 1998 |
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keesan
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response 23 of 52:
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Feb 28 17:10 UTC 1998 |
Parthenogenesis (see the dowsing item, Agora 66, it has really drifted).
Various diseases can be passed on during nursing, even from the baby to the
nurse (I think syphilis was one of them, see Agora 94).
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orinoco
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response 24 of 52:
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Mar 1 03:46 UTC 1998 |
<laugh>
How about having your offspring burst forth full-grown from the father's
forehead? Then you get to skip pregnancy _and_ nursing...
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