Saturday, December 27, 2008

Question of the Day

Do you find public breastfeeding acceptable or tacky?

19 comments:

Jack said...

mom taught me not to stare...

Of course, if they are in public, they must not care much if I see anything, but hey. Don't look, don't look...

(yeeaaahhh - tacky?)

Gord said...

Perefectly acceptable. Most mothers are reasonably discreet about it after all.

Divers and Sundry said...

Perfectly acceptable. What's your view?

John said...

It's fine by me, since it's a normal, nurturing function. Although I can think of only about twice I've seen it.

Not an issue for us, since we're bottle-feeding.

Divers and Sundry said...

I've seen it in shopping malls, movie theaters, even back row pews at church. It seems to be remarkably easy to be discreet. Most folks don't even seem to notice.

Jeff the Baptist said...

Acceptable if discreet. Unacceptable if not.

It really isn't hard to be discreet either, all you really need is appropriately placed towel.

Anonymous said...

John,

God gave mankind a great, mind so that we could invent baby bottles and rubber nipples for a reason.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely acceptable... it's healthier for the baby, it's free, it's natural...

But I still sometimes do that awkward double-take, that "oh no, she doesn't think I'm staring, does she?" panic... that trying hard to seem way more casual about it than I am.

wrf3 said...

Three kids, now 25, 22, and 16. All three were breast fed.

John said...

Me, too, Dan. Some people find breastfeeding gross. I don't get that. It's not like urination, public or otherwise.

Wabi-Sabi said...

Perfectly acceptable and more healthy for the baby.

truevyne said...

ACCEPTABLE~! If I were a radical (in so many ways I'm not), I'd say bottles should outlawed in public.

revjimparsons said...

A woman in the same wine tour was breastfeeding while we learned how wine was made. I'm all for breastfeeding and it is wonderful for the child and the mother. But when it comes to doing it in public, please be discreet. I mean there are a ton of other things that are perfectly natural but no one else wants to witness others doing it.

The Ironic Catholic said...

Totally acceptable. Now the kicker is...what about in church? Some people have a diff standard there (not I though).

shay said...

Breastfeeding is an amazing way for children to bold with their mothers and it does a lot more psychologically for the kids and mothers, as well as providing antibodies and other wonderfully nutritious things for the babies.
The only reason people have a problem with public breastfeeding is because our culture is over-sexualized. Church should be the first place to accept this practice. Psalm 131:2 compares our relationship with God like a child who is weaned, yet still goes to the mother because of the bond formed by feeding. God is described as a breastfeeding mother!

Eric Helms said...

The only way not doing it in public works is if mom and baby just stay home--honestly with the feeding habits of babies by the time you get in the car and arrive somewhere its almost time to nurse again. I don't believe I have ever seen someone purposely showing off their breast while breast-feeding.

Besides what kind of culture takes something that is clearly intended by God to feed babies and calls its public use inappropriate while making virtually all women's clothing to show them off as if they exist to get the male sexual imagination going--as if we needed any help!

Perfectly acceptable--and far more appropriate than other depictions of breasts considered commonplace. (my wife nurses our baby in public, which I had to get used to--but totally support now).

Brian Vinson said...

Perfectly and absolutely acceptable, again, as long as the mother is discreet about it. In a former job, we had a client who brought her baby to a meeting and right in the middle of the meeting, whipped out her breast and started feeding the baby. While it's perfectly natural, it would have made the rest of us more comfortable if she had utilized a blanket, towel, large shirt, etc. But that's the only time I've ever witnessed that.

doodlebugmom said...

I would not say tacky, but it often makes others uncomfortable. So I say best for mom to find a quiet place away from gawkers and prudes.

happy new year!

Divers and Sundry said...

"it often makes others uncomfortable"

This is where I disagree. Lots of things make other people uncomfortable. I shouldn't have to change my behavior solely on the basis of another person's discomfort. Am I supposed to assume breastfeeding will make others uncomfortable and so go hide from the "prudes"? Or should I wait until some prude expresses discomfort and then go away?

That's too slippery a slope for me. After all, are you willing to change all of your behaviors that make me uncomfortable? How about all the behaviors that make my mother uncomfortable?