Breastfeeding in Public places

ash23 · 03-12-2014 02:32PM

https://www.google.ie/search?q=breastfeeding+picture+removed+from+facebook&client=firefox-a&hs=66r&rls=com.frontmotion:en-GB:unofficial&channel=nts&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=3x1_VO-OE4rd7QaRuIG4Ag&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1033&bih=785

A quick google search of images for "breastfeeding picture removed from facebook" gives a better idea of what I'm talking about.
I don't think that just because a woman is breastfeeding that it automatically means that her breasts become magical things that are exempt from the normal standard of modesty that is expected in western culture.

It's the more extreme end of things and in the minority. But at the same time, it's become socially unacceptable to state that a woman should display a certain amount of discretion while breastfeeding.

kylith · 03-12-2014 02:32PM

anonyanony wrote: »

Go to the moms and make a day of it put on a spread, you said it was for 6 months, can you not be considerate to other people for six months till you are happy getting a sitter to go to nice quite places? It was your choice to have a kid six months of having a small inconvenience of not being able to go to nice restaurant is not much of an ask.

And if it's not possible to go to the mothers? Maybe a friend is visiting from out of town, maybe if she has to spend one more minute sitting in her living room watching daytime fcking television she's going to start gunning people down in the street. Do you think you'd like to stay in your house for six months, practically non-stop?

You said that your problem was with noisy babies, well babies generally cry when they're hungry so, if anything, you should be pro-breastfeeding in restaurants because shoving a boob in their mouths usually shuts them up. IME it's toddlers who tend to be more annoying and harder to quiet.

suicide_circus · 03-12-2014 02:34PM

"Excuse me, waiter!"

"Yes sir?"

"There's a woman breastfeeding at the next table"

"And this offends you sir?"

"Offends me?! I can hardly see her tits at all with the kid in the way!"

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 02:37PM

ash23 wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/search?q=breastfeeding+picture+removed+from+facebook&client=firefox-a&hs=66r&rls=com.frontmotion:en-GB:unofficial&channel=nts&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=3x1_VO-OE4rd7QaRuIG4Ag&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1033&bih=785

A quick google search of images for "breastfeeding picture removed from facebook" gives a better idea of what I'm talking about.
I don't think that just because a woman is breastfeeding that it automatically means that her breasts become magical things that are exempt from the normal standard of modesty that is expected in western culture.

It's the more extreme end of things and in the minority. But at the same time, it's become socially unacceptable to state that a woman should display a certain amount of discretion while breastfeeding.

Those pictures all appear to have been taken either at home or in the hospital. Not what we are talking about at all. How do you link them with breastfeeding in public?

How Strange · 03-12-2014 02:41PM

I find the photo of the baby with a tube in it's nose particularly offensive. What was the mother thinking? That breastmilk would help?

Edited to say - tongue in cheek comment.

?Cee?view · 03-12-2014 02:44PM

anonyanony wrote: »

Actually I would expect to have the lunch altogether at their or their moms home, get a a nice takeout and setup a nice spread in someones home, you have a child you need to compromise and taking a noisy baby to some nice restaurant to annoy the other patrons is not a good option.

Which is one of the great reasons to breastfeed a baby in a "nice" public area. It shows consideration to others by keeping the child calm and contented.

ToTriOrNot · 03-12-2014 02:46PM

How Strange wrote: »

I find the photo of the baby with a tube in it's nose particularly offensive. What was the mother thinking? That breastmilk would help?

Go and educate yourself, you will do yourself a big favour. Breastfeeding premature babies is the best that can be done, and it's amazing that that premature baby was able to breastfeed, most have to be tube fed. People donate breastmilk for premie babies, mothers of premie babies go to a lot of effort to express milk so their babies get the best they can get!!

ash23 · 03-12-2014 02:48PM

eviltwin wrote: »

Those pictures all appear to have been taken either at home or in the hospital. Not what we are talking about at all. How do you link them with breastfeeding in public?

Posted publicly on facebook and then removed after being reported. Hence a lot of "how dare they complain about this when it's normal and natural etc etc".

It might be normal and natural but not everyone wants to see it.

It's difficult to get an accurate view of a story where a woman is feeding in public and is asked to cover up. In some cases it will be an over the top reaction (such as in the case in the OP) but based on some of the extremists around, I do wonder if sometimes it's valid and some women should be told to cover up a bit.

How Strange · 03-12-2014 02:52PM

ToTriOrNot wrote: »

Go and educate yourself, you will do yourself a big favour. Breastfeeding premature babies is the best that can be done, and it's amazing that that premature baby was able to breastfeed, most have to be tube fed. People donate breastmilk for premie babies, mothers of premie babies go to a lot of effort to express milk so their babies get the best they can get!!

Tongue in cheek comment my friend. In response to those that said the photos were obscene or whatever. Sorry you missed that.

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 02:53PM

ash23 wrote: »

Posted publicly on facebook and then removed after being reported. Hence a lot of "how dare they complain about this when it's normal and natural etc etc".

It might be normal and natural but not everyone wants to see it.

It's difficult to get an accurate view of a story where a woman is feeding in public and is asked to cover up. In some cases it will be an over the top reaction (such as in the case in the OP) but based on some of the extremists around, I do wonder if sometimes it's valid and some women should be told to cover up a bit.

But they are on their private pages, not sure why you think its relevant

No woman in public would be feeding like that anyway. I used to bf at home with the shirt open, no bra because I was at home, I was comfortable. I'd never have done that in public. Have you ever seen a woman in public with her breasts hanging out?

ToTriOrNot · 03-12-2014 02:53PM

How Strange wrote: »

Tongue in cheek comment my friend. Sorry you missed that.

Oops..my mistake!!!!

ash23 · 03-12-2014 02:55PM

How Strange wrote: »

Tongue in cheek comment my friend. In response to those that said the photos were obscene or whatever. Sorry you missed that.

I didn't say they were obscene so I resent that statement.

kylith · 03-12-2014 02:57PM

ash23 wrote: »

Posted publicly on facebook and then removed after being reported. Hence a lot of "how dare they complain about this when it's normal and natural etc etc".

It might be normal and natural but not everyone wants to see it.

It's difficult to get an accurate view of a story where a woman is feeding in public and is asked to cover up. In some cases it will be an over the top reaction (such as in the case in the OP) but based on some of the extremists around, I do wonder if sometimes it's valid and some women should be told to cover up a bit.

But what's actually wrong with it? 50% of the population has breasts, 100% of the population has nipples. How is seeing a woman's breast more offensive than seeing a man's nipple? How come some people will quite happily take in page 3 in the Sun, but then say that breastfeeding women should have to cover up or go into a toilet to feed?

ash23 · 03-12-2014 02:58PM

eviltwin wrote: »

But they are on their private pages, not sure why you think its relevant No woman in public would be feeding like that anyway. I used to bf at home with the shirt open, no bra because I was at home, I was comfortable. I'd never have done that in public. Have you ever seen a woman in public with her breasts hanging out?

The internet isn't private. Facebook is rarely private. If you post an image then you are effectively sharing it with the world. And some people won't appreciate an intimate moment being shared and won't want to see it.

As I said, some women do think that breastfeeding means they should be able to display their breasts publicly either while feeding or by posting pictures online.

My point is that it's not unreasonable to expect a certain amount of discretion from breastfeeding mothers.

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 03:00PM

ash23 wrote: »

The internet isn't private. Facebook is rarely private. If you post an image then you are effectively sharing it with the world. And some people won't appreciate an intimate moment being shared and won't want to see it.

As I said, some women do think that breastfeeding means they should be able to display their breasts publicly either while feeding or by posting pictures online.

My point is that it's not unreasonable to expect a certain amount of discretion from breastfeeding mothers.

You can't compare a woman breastfeeding in a public place with an image on a FB page that is probably only visible to her friends. You set out to find private pictures to prove your point when it has no connection to the issue at hand which is breastfeeding in public places.

ash23 · 03-12-2014 03:01PM

kylith wrote: »

But what's actually wrong with it? 50% of the population has breasts, 100% of the population has nipples. How is seeing a woman's breast more offensive than seeing a man's nipple? How come some people will quite happily take in page 3 in the Sun, but then say that breastfeeding women should have to cover up or go into a toilet to feed?

How is seeing a penis or a vagina offensive? Or an anus?
Would you be ok with opening your morning paper to see that?

It's all about the time and the place and what is appropriate. Again, it's absurd to ask a nursing mother to leave but that's not what I'm discussing.
I'm asking is it always wrong to ask a nursing mother to cover up? Even if she's being less than discreet about the way she feeds?

ash23 · 03-12-2014 03:02PM

eviltwin wrote: »

You can't compare a woman breastfeeding in a public place with an image on a FB page that is probably only visible to her friends. You set out to find private pictures to prove your point when it has no connection to the issue at hand which is breastfeeding in public places.

I didn't though. I googled it. Those pictures are not private. They are on google. Many are used to protest the fact that they were removed from Facebook and have been posted as such.

How on earth would I have accessed those images via google if they are only visible to her friends?

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 03:04PM

ash23 wrote: »

I didn't though. I googled it. Those pictures are not private. They are on google. Many are used to protest the fact that they were removed from Facebook and have been posted as such.

How on earth would I have accessed those images via google if they are only visible to her friends?

Exactly, you had to go looking for them. If you want to do that you'll find just about everything offensive, that is nothing to do with those acts happening in public. A lot of those images probably come from groups dedicated to breastfeeding so they would be public, again you'd have to actively look for them.

Shrap · 03-12-2014 03:12PM

Candie wrote: »

Because they're physically and mentally incapable of looking at something else, poor souls.

kylith wrote: »

I think that scientists need to study breasts in more detail. The obviously possess some kind of magnetic or gravitational force which compels people to stare at them.

Well you both got that right! I was thrown out of a local pub restaurant 16 years ago for breastfeeding. Actually, I was thrown out for, eh, "respectfully" enquiring if the bar owner would ask his own mother to eat her dinner in the toilet (which was where I was advised to feed my baby).

I had been out on a much needed shopping trip with a female friend and on the way back we decided to stop for a coffee and so I could feed no.1 son. We were the only women in there and the restaurant area was a fairly secluded part of the main bar, but there were 3 men (bar owner included) right down the other end of the bar. We got our coffees and I was seated in the corner, furthest away from the bar, and actually with my back to the men, when we noticed that they were craning their necks to see what I was up to. One man got off his seat and walked over, had a good gawk and went back. They all took turns to rubber-neck, making us feel very uncomfortable. Then the bar owner came over and said "You can't be doing that kind of thing in here". I said "I'm sorry, what? Nobody can see". He said "Well, you'll have to do that in the toilets or leave". We left. Without paying, due to me having thrown the biggest hissy fit I ever did in a bar, so we forgot to pay. Banned for life

Interestingly, I was out some weeks later in another local bar with the same baby on a Sunday afternoon and felt no bother about being seated in a corner feeding him. An elderly male neighbour walked over and I thought "Here we go again", but he says "He's doing well on the diddy then? Grand size child".

jezzer · 03-12-2014 03:14PM

if a guy got his lad out in public he would be arrested

kylith · 03-12-2014 03:16PM

ash23 wrote: »

How is seeing a penis or a vagina offensive? Or an anus?
Would you be ok with opening your morning paper to see that?

It's all about the time and the place and what is appropriate. Again, it's absurd to ask a nursing mother to leave but that's not what I'm discussing.
I'm asking is it always wrong to ask a nursing mother to cover up? Even if she's being less than discreet about the way she feeds?

Personally I wouldn't find it offensive. They're only body parts. Everyone has either one or the other, I've encountered them in person and I don't see why a picture of them would be any more offensive.

Even assuming that one did find them offensive you can hardly equate a nipple, which is essentially a differently coloured bit of skin with a mucus, urine, or feces producing body part. And that still wouldn't explain why men's nipples are ok and women's aren't.

ETA: I apologise if it seems that I'm getting at you, I am just honestly trying to understand why people might find a breastfeeding woman offensive in any way, even if you can see her nipple. I just, honestly, cannot wrap my head around it.

IvyTheTerrible · 03-12-2014 03:16PM

jezzer wrote: »

if a guy got his lad out in public he would be arrested

It is silly to make that comparison.

Shrap · 03-12-2014 03:17PM

jezzer wrote: »

if a guy got his lad out in public he would be arrested

His "lad", or penis as it's more commonly known, is not for any purpose other than sex or urinating, neither of which are allowed in public. You do understand that the primary purpose of the breast is feeding babies? Not for turning on men?

Gbear · 03-12-2014 03:19PM

kylith wrote: »

But what's actually wrong with it? 50% of the population has breasts, 100% of the population has nipples.

Anippleist!:mad:

Philo Beddoe · 03-12-2014 03:27PM

I wish people who have a problem with public breastfeeding would show some discretion. Could they not just air their objections at home, before they go outside? Or do it in a low whisper that other people can't hear? All I'm asking for is a bit of respect for other people.

ash23 · 03-12-2014 03:27PM

eviltwin wrote: »

Exactly, you had to go looking for them. If you want to do that you'll find just about everything offensive, that is nothing to do with those acts happening in public. A lot of those images probably come from groups dedicated to breastfeeding so they would be public, again you'd have to actively look for them.

Not true. These things come up on my news feed as they are liked or commented on by people I know. Crux of it is that some women choose to use intimate pictures to prove a point and don't accept that a breastfeeding woman should show any sort of discretion when feeding. Public is public. Be that publishing a picture taken in private but with the intention of it being spread or doing something in public.
There's not much of a difference.

kylith · 03-12-2014 03:28PM

Gbear wrote: »

Anippleist!:mad:

Sorry, I forgot about your accident with the bacon slicer.

tmh106 · 03-12-2014 03:32PM

WellThen? wrote: »

God im sick of hearing "it's a natural thing". So is taking a ****. Just go somewhere else and do it whats the big deal. Why should i have to look at that while im eating my dinner.

You don't, unless you chose to.

tmh

03-12-2014 03:34PM

Mr_Red wrote: »

Story Here

Im not sure if I disagree with the Hotel here.

Opinions?

Why is there such a backward opinion towards breastfeeding in public??
The more that it is visible in public the easier it will be to get more women to do it. (appreciate that not all women can breastfeed with ease)

cyning · 03-12-2014 03:35PM

If anyone has a problem with a mother feeding her baby, then it's exactly that: their problem. I'm protected by law when I'm feeding my baby. If I don't feed her she will scream: I'm sure nobody wants that! My 8 month old will not take a bottle. At all. Of either expressed or formula. Add in the fact it could take me a week to express one bottle and it's just not achievable. It's extremely frustrating: it doesn't mean I'm going to let her starve. The mother in that article pulled her top up and pulled a vest down: she's wearing a high necked top there is no way she could have lobbed her boob out over that

I'm quite shocked at Claridges to be honest: and I doubt it's the only time it's happened.

You just can't equate breastfeeding with a penis or vagina: If I decided to change my babies dirty nappy at a table in a posh restaurant you could!

Breastfeeding in Public places

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