Parenting 5

Breastfeeding, IN PUBLIC?! The shock, the horror, the shame!

Of course, I am just kidding here. I used to be on the fence about this idea of breastfeeding in public, but now that I am a parent I don’t really see the harm in it. I really don’t understand why others would have a big deal about this either. I can see one side of this opinion where there is a public in decency to take into account, where a gaggle of questionable moms “whipped it out” and started feeding their child.

Where mothers who only want to ensure the health of their child mean only to feed their infants. USA points out that hooray it’s now legal in all 50 states to publicly breastfeed. I will save you the chore of having to ready the variety of legislature that went into creating some of these bills, but what I found interesting was this other site which describes the do’s and don’ts to breastfeeding in public. I have to say reviewing this list seems like it is just common sense like plan ahead and do what’s comfortable. While don’t sit in a place that is distracting to both you and the baby, the whole point is for the baby to eat. And apparently those who feel shamed about breastfeeding in public have been retreating to the bathroom? Sad. And gross.

The Parents site points out a very simple analogy, you don’t eat in the bathroom, then why should your baby? Ultimately, I think this is a very natural and healthy human thing for a woman to do with her child. This is not public in decency, this is a responsible parent tending to the needs of their child. I can only hope that said responsible parent is not wandering around the streets as if it were a nudist colony. Don’t worry, I will not drift off into that uncharted territory. All I can say is, good for you ladies! Show the man who’s boss!

Website reference: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2018/07/25/public-breastfeeding-now-legal-all-50-states/835372002/

https://www.parents.com/baby/breastfeeding/tips/dos-and-donts-when-breastfeeding-in-public/