Breastfeeding in Public places

volchitsa · 03-12-2014 05:25PM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I think people are missing the real issue here. Most restaurant owners don't like their customers bringing in their own food and drink. Sure, it's harmless enough when it's just some milk but then it escalates. How would you feel if you owned a restaurant and you saw your customers squeezing tea, coffee and scones from their nipples into each other mouths rather than purchasing them from your establishment?

So you think they react the same way about a baby being bottle fed too then?

03-12-2014 05:27PM

The sense of entitlement on this thread from (apparently) adults, proposing that other people curtail their lives for months at a time so that they are spared the very possibility of a glimpse of breast or nipple. Talk about wanting the world to revolve around you.

As for comparing it to defecating or masturbating?! What the actual f? What kind of grown up thinks they're anything alike?

cyning · 03-12-2014 05:29PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There is NOTHING wrong with breastfeeding. I've done it myself. What IS wrong is expecting others to be comfortable with it being done in their presence by total strangers. A little consideration for their (possible) unease would not go astray. From looking at the pictures of this mother, I don't think she was as upset as the article claims. I feel she's just seeking attention and has gotten it!

What do you suggest I do? Honestly speaking. Never leave the house?!

And if it was me? I would draw as much attention to it as I could. They are breaking the law. They had no right to do as they did. None.

jezzer · 03-12-2014 05:30PM

if it was acceptable in society for a woman to get her bangers out then they wouldnt be wearing bras, the same way as its generally acceptable for men to go around with no top on

volchitsa · 03-12-2014 05:30PM

jezzer wrote: »

Well in general, if you step down temple bar of a saturday night you wont go 5 minutes without some girl flashing her baps at you, in terms of breast feeding, its the same, why do they pull them out knowing anybody can see them?

No, it's not the same. What's abnormal is thinking that breasts are primarily sex objects for men's use. It's basically the same thinking that has women forced to wear burkas in Saudi Arabia. Saudis (men and women) think women showing their hair is sexual, but it's their attitude that is backward and bigoted. Breast feeding is the same issue : by pandering to the belief that breasts are purely sex objects, it becomes harder for younger women to breast feed.

jezzer · 03-12-2014 05:32PM

volchitsa wrote: »

No, it's not the same. What's abnormal is thinking that breasts are primarily sex objects for men's use. It's basically the same thinking that has women forced to wear burkas in Saudi Arabia. Saudis (men and women) think women showing their hair is sexual, but it's their attitude that is backward and bigoted. Breast feeding is the same issue : by pandering to the belief that breasts are purely sex objects, it becomes harder for younger women to breast feed.

But women are the first to admit they use them as sex objects showing as much of them as much as they can, then, just because they need to use them for something else doesnt mean they still are what they are

03-12-2014 05:32PM

Deleted User wrote: »

It IS a natural act, as is defecating, peeing and giving birth. Doesn't mean that the general public want it done in front of them.

None of which are fair analogies on any level. There are legal concerns with some of them, for one. There are hygiene concerns with others, for two.

But the main error in your thinking is that their "wanting" it done in front of them is entirely irrelevant. Why should they have to "want" it to be so? Perhaps better is that they simply stay out of it.

Deleted User wrote: »

What IS wrong is expecting others to be comfortable with it being done in their presence by total strangers.

No one is expecting them to be comfortable or uncomfortable with anything. They are expecting them to simply stay out of it because - in reality - it does not concern them - affect them - or harm them in any way.

03-12-2014 05:32PM

cyning wrote: »

What do you suggest I do? Honestly speaking. Never leave the house?!

And if it was me? I would draw as much attention to it as I could. They are breaking the law. They had no right to do as they did. None.

Oh, Dear. What's wrong with being discreet? Being considerate of the feelings of others? Read the article again. Look at the photos and tell me this mother is upset by being asked to be discreet.

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 05:34PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh, Dear. What's wrong with being discreet? Being considerate of the feelings of others? Read the article again. Look at the photos and tell me this mother is upset by being asked to be discreet.

How can you say she wasn't being discreet in her before photo? You can't see a thing.

jezzer · 03-12-2014 05:35PM

i think women just love any excuse to get their jugs out

dubstarr · 03-12-2014 05:41PM

Never leaving teh house might work if you have 1 child.If you have school age kids you cant be stuck in 24/7.You do have to go out otherwise cabin fever sets in and thats never a good look.I do think Dundrum have great feeding rooms,lovely chairs,toilets beside it.Cool water and toys for the older children to play with.
Unfortunately not everywhere is like Dundrum so you just have to feed the baby.I fed him on the Luas,the bus,the park bench.Everywhere.

volchitsa · 03-12-2014 05:42PM

jezzer wrote: »

But women are the first to admit they use them as sex objects showing as much of them as much as they can, then, just because they need to use them for something else doesnt mean they still are what they are

What? All women show them off as much as possible? What are you talking about?

ash23 · 03-12-2014 05:42PM

eviltwin wrote: »

Actually shocked you are a breastfeeding mother yourself with your attitude. The pictures you posted didn't appear on your feed because the link you posted was from google. If you happen to see something you don't like you ignore right? You scroll on by, you don't have to go out of your way to be outraged. Its not like these women get their boobs out and make a fuss so everyone sees, they are discreet and doing it for a reason, their child needs food. Crying children are a lot more of a pain than a flash of breast.

Some of those pictures are on my news feed but I wasn't about to screenshot my Facebook page. The one with the preemie is doing the rounds at the moment as Facebook initially deleted it so the mum keeps posting it and sharing it in protest. If I say "nope don't think its appropriate" I'd be lambasted.

I don't see why it would shock you that I breastfed. Not every breastfeeding mother thinks it's appropriate to display her breasts in public.
When my uncles came to visit or my brother was in the room and I needed to feed, I was decent enough to realise it might cause them discomfort so I covered up. I'm not about to become an exhibitionist just to prove some point I don't even care about while making people uncomfortable.

cyning · 03-12-2014 05:42PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Oh, Dear. What's wrong with being discreet? Being considerate of the feelings of others? Read the article again. Look at the photos and tell me this mother is upset by being asked to be discreet.

I am discreet! I do exactly what the mother in the photo did: one top up, one top down (believe me I'm not going to show my belly or my boobs off to the world!). I don't use a cover because they make it really obvious that "oh god that woman has her boobs out!" There is no possible way she could have being indiscreet in that top.

She is upset. I would be!

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 05:50PM

ash23 wrote: »

Some of those pictures are on my news feed but I wasn't about to screenshot my Facebook page. The one with the preemie is doing the rounds at the moment as Facebook initially deleted it so the mum keeps posting it and sharing it in protest. If I say "nope don't think its appropriate" I'd be lambasted.

I don't see why it would shock you that I breastfed. Not every breastfeeding mother thinks it's appropriate to display her breasts in public.
When my uncles came to visit or my brother was in the room and I needed to feed, I was decent enough to realise it might cause them discomfort so I covered up. I'm not about to become an exhibitionist just to prove some point I don't even care about while making people uncomfortable.

Right, so if you know these people and are so offended do you say it to them? Do you report them or do you do what most people do when they see something they don't like and scroll past? I would quite often see a FB post I don't like, I could get all indignant and prissy about it but I just move on just like everyone else.

Not every woman does show her breasts in public, there is not so much of a glimpse of skin in the pictures of this lady. How could that offend you? Its your right to move away if you want to, personally in my home people knew I was bf so the onus was on them not to come if it pissed them off that much. I am shocked you are a bf mother, I would think that as a woman who obviously knows the benefits of bf that you would be trying to encourage more women to do it. Part of the problem is that you see comments like on here and think everyone is against it.

Graces7 · 03-12-2014 05:52PM

_Brian wrote: »

God bless we have become easily offended, and down right prudish in our outlook on life.. This woman was doing something natural and the hotel seemed ashamed..

Many many things are natural but not to be done in public among strangers...not prudish at all...considerate of others.

dubstarr · 03-12-2014 05:52PM

Doesnt matter what way you look at it,you being embarrassed doesnt trump the equality law.I got some lovely comments off people but sometimes i got teh gob****e.So you just have to have a good comeback.Or my favourite stare them out UNTIL they get embarrassed.

Magenta · 03-12-2014 05:53PM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

I am a big fan of women getting their breasts out in public. I think more of them should.

As long as they are hot

Grow up.

Graces7 · 03-12-2014 05:54PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

If the child needs to be fed then I don't see why it's a big issue once the lady is discreet about it. It's a completely natural thing to do, and babies get hungry. I wouldn't eat my dinner in the bathroom so wouldn't expect a baby to either.

It's not a woman's fault if others are such delicate flowers that they're offended by the human body.

So you advocate public nudity?

ash23 · 03-12-2014 05:55PM

I don't really know where you're getting the fact that I find it uncomfortable seeing another woman's breasts to jumping to me being offended. Nor am I being indignant and prissy.
I'm merely saying that it's not for me and I suggest you read my posts again to see what I've actually said on this thread because you seem to be confusing me with another poster or something

And the reason I don't say it is clearly shown on this thread. People can't say they'd prefer a woman be more discreet without being taken completely apart. Yes I think women who breastfeed should try to be as discreet as possible while feeding in public. No I don't want to see close up pics of your baby latched on to your nipple.
That doesn't mean I'm offended or whatever. It just means I think we can be civilised about public breastfeeding

cyning · 03-12-2014 05:56PM

Graces7 wrote: »

Many many things are natural but not to be done in public among strangers...not prudish at all...considerate of others.

I'm being considerate of my baby; and of everybody else's ears! Babies don't understand wait.

It is natural. It is something to do in public. If I'm eating, my baby should too.

cyning · 03-12-2014 05:57PM

Graces7 wrote: »

[/B]

So you advocate public nudity?

Breastfeeding is not public nudity. Ever.

03-12-2014 05:57PM

ash23 wrote: »

Some of those pictures are on my news feed but I wasn't about to screenshot my Facebook page. The one with the preemie is doing the rounds at the moment as Facebook initially deleted it so the mum keeps posting it and sharing it in protest. If I say "nope don't think its appropriate" I'd be lambasted.

I don't see why it would shock you that I breastfed. Not every breastfeeding mother thinks it's appropriate to display her breasts in public.
When my uncles came to visit or my brother was in the room and I needed to feed, I was decent enough to realise it might cause them discomfort so I covered up. I'm not about to become an exhibitionist just to prove some point I don't even care about while making people uncomfortable.

I'm not a mother but this really sounds very judgemental. I've hardly ever noticed anyone breastfeeding, but when I have it could never have been reasonably described as the mother 'displaying her breasts in public'. I've never once seen a mother breastfeeding and thought there was anything exhibitionist about it.

You can be considerate of reasonable feelings, but grown adults behaving as though they're forced to watch a baby feed, and will faint at the sight of a nipple, isn't reasonable and I don't see why anyone should be exiled from public life to make them more comfortable.

If breastfeeding makes anyone uncomfortable, the option is always there for them not to watch.

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 05:57PM

ash23 wrote: »

I don't really know where you're getting the fact that I find it uncomfortable seeing another woman's breasts to jumping to me being offended. Nor am I being indignant and prissy.
I'm merely saying that it's not for me and I suggest you read my posts again to see what I've actually said on this thread because you seem to be confusing me with another poster or something

But why are you uncomfortable? Do you feel the same way when you see breasts on tv or in the paper? How about if you are on the beach or in a changing room? How did you manage to feed your own child in public?

ash23 · 03-12-2014 06:04PM

Candie wrote: »

I'm not a mother but this really sounds very judgemental. I've hardly ever noticed anyone breastfeeding, but when I have it could never have been reasonably described as the mother 'displaying her breasts in public'. I've never once seen a mother breastfeeding and thought there was anything exhibitionist about it.

You can be considerate of reasonable feelings, but grown adults behaving as though they're forced to watch a baby feed, and will faint at the sight of a nipple, isn't reasonable and I don't see why anyone should be exiled from public life to make them more comfortable.

If breastfeeding makes anyone uncomfortable, the option is always there for them not to watch.

I've explicitly stated that I am discussing the women who don't feel they need to be discreet at all. I've mentioned it a number of times.

ash23 · 03-12-2014 06:05PM

eviltwin wrote: »

But why are you uncomfortable? Do you feel the same way when you see breasts on tv or in the paper? How about if you are on the beach or in a changing room? How did you manage to feed your own child in public?

I've answered those questions in previous posts

eviltwin · 03-12-2014 06:05PM

ash23 wrote: »

I've explicitly stated that I am discussing the women who don't feel they need to be discreet at all. I've mentioned it a number of times.

And you posted pictures of topless and naked women to illustrate your point. How many of those do you see in public exactly?

jezzer · 03-12-2014 06:08PM

volchitsa wrote: »

What? All women show them off as much as possible? What are you talking about?

the likes of nadia forde there, any excuse to get them out

Banned

Shrap · 03-12-2014 06:13PM

If you're wondering why people think your attitude is quite odd, it's because you have come up with this imaginary class of immodest, indiscreet, extremist, exhibitionist (your words) mother who insists on acting like breastfeeding in public is normal (the horror!). I have NO IDEA where you are coming from with this use of language about breastfeeding.

ash23 wrote: »

It's the extremists who think that they're beyond reproach because they're breastfeeding that I have a problem with.

They are beyond reproach, they are feeding their babies. That can never be exhibitionist/extremist unless you subscribe to the notion that the breast is a sexual object when it's used for feeding a baby.

ash23 · 03-12-2014 06:16PM

eviltwin wrote: »

And you posted pictures of topless and naked women to illustrate your point. How many of those do you see in public exactly?

My point was to show specifically what level of inhibition I meant. I also didn't post pictures of topless women. I posted a link to a search for pictures of Facebook "protest," pictures. Pictures of what some women deem an acceptable level of nudity simply because they are feeding.
I also stated that photos and "protests" like that make me wonder what level of nudity is involved when reading a story like the op. Because like it or not some women are not discreet about feeding. It seems it's now socially unacceptable to ask for discretion while feeding but surely common sense on both sides is what is necessary.

Of course I've explained all this already if you'd read over what I've actually written on this thread

Breastfeeding in Public places

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