Breast feeding in public

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Breast feeding in public

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April 14, 2013 at 12:50 am

#699926
1

Tank Girl

@tank-girl

Member
At trafalgar sq tonight I was totally impressed with this mother feeding her baby in front of everyone,

walking about feeding her latched on very little baby –

but I was shocked at others responses ( esp in what id have believed to be a liberal society) so I thought I’d post here to see what others think ( knowing it won’t change my opinion)

my opinion is breasts are not sexual objects – that we are led to believe, the whole reason they exist are to feed babies hence why I do not understand the problem people have with breast feeding in public,

but I seem in the minority so thought I’d see what you lot think
April 14, 2013 at 2:11 am

#968080
1

Mezz

@mezz

Member
Breasts yum yum

As functional organs they are not erotic, a women breast feeding is not arousing and women should feel free to feed babies as & when needed regardless of where they are or who is around them

BUT

When not being used for their practical purpose a nice pair of breasts are definitely sexual, pleasing to the eye, pleasing to the touch, and pleasing for the person being being touched
April 14, 2013 at 7:49 am

#968070
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

Moderator
Staff
It seems normal enough across Europe to put up pics everywhere of cats and dogs breastfeeding their young (particularly on pages run by liberal hippy types and from animal shelters etc) and I believe that in many areas of mainland Europe breastfeeding human babies in public is a normal practice. But given that a lot of the judgement I have seen comes from women of childbearing age and/or mums themselves I don’t think its just prudishness, its to do with the dysfunctional British attitude to children, I’ve read a few complaining that allowing the child to suckle as and when it wishes instead of having defined feeding times is indisciplined and reduces the control the mother has over the baby or makes it too dependent.
April 14, 2013 at 8:59 am

#968097
1

Izbeckistan

@izbeckistan

Member
Prudishness is one of the worse things to spawn out civilization imo (and this can be linked to rape culture)
So yes, nudity should not be sexualized, particularly breasts. I understand people will always be ‘turned on’ by nudity obviously, but our bodies should have purpose outside of sexuality.

Anyway the good news is there is a LOT of support for breastfeeding and it is illegal in most places to try and tell woman to stop (and leads many angry protests)
I’ve had a baby in the last two years and the nurses really really encouraged breast feeding..they offered so much help and support. There is even breast feeding groups that offer support.

Its such a wonderful thing for mothers and babies to do and it has many health benefits.
April 14, 2013 at 9:15 am

#968071
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

Moderator
Staff
What I find much more worrying is that the woman was judged for this in the middle of a supposedly alternative political protest in a capital city – its the sort of thing you would think may happen in a restaurant full of posho idiots but in reality they are even more likely to tolerate it as “eccentricity” or someone trying to be “continental”, even if they don’t approve of it. A local BBC radio reporter was criticised and may even have been disciplined for criticising women doing this in public venues in Suffolk, and we are supposed to be “bumpkins” compared to the population of London.

Was this the footy hooligans (whom the Met had to arrest in the end!) doing this or other protestors? TBH even they would be more likely to say “ooh, tits” and point and laugh than criticise the woman (or they wouldn’t get to see tits). if it was protestors its inexcusable particularly at that protest. Then again at these mass protests you cannot always be sure of who you are with and their motives and I don’t mean undercover fed etc, some of the so-called “activsts” are more dodgy and aggressive…
April 14, 2013 at 5:32 pm

#968078
1

know_hope

@know_hope

Member
im quite ok with this >.>
April 14, 2013 at 6:28 pm

#968079
1

Pat McDonald

@pat-mcdonald

Participant
Anglo Saxons are sexually repressed. Nuff said.
April 14, 2013 at 6:39 pm

#968081
1

Mezz

@mezz

Member
Well have to say much as I think it’s perfectly natural & healthy for women to breast feed when and where ever they need to I do NOT approve of children and babies being taken to protests, the kids are to young to have any opinion in the matters being protested yet are displayed as if they no and basically become human shields against arrest if things turn nasty
April 14, 2013 at 8:54 pm

#968073
1

BioTech

@biotech

Member
I fully support it. Love the little knitted hats you can get that look like an areola and nipple, just to piss off the moaning tits (no pun intended) even more. It’s shocking how many mothers go straight to formula feeding because “breasts are for sex”.

@General Lighting 540396 wrote:

I don’t think its just prudishness, its to do with the dysfunctional British attitude to children, I’ve read a few complaining that allowing the child to suckle as and when it wishes instead of having defined feeding times is indisciplined and reduces the control the mother has over the baby or makes it too dependent.

Exactly. Obviously this is a subject I recently have a fair bit of understanding of and the UK’s advice on how to correctly raise a child is messed up and it’s unsurprising we are introducing a lot of messed up individuals into society as they haven’t had a decent start. This comes from the medical professionals too. I’m not saying there is a “correct” way, but the majority of advice that seems to be ingrained into our culture is that babies have to fit in to a strict routine and be left to cry things out and not to be comforted as this will help their development.
April 14, 2013 at 8:59 pm

#968074
1

BioTech

@biotech

Member
@Mezz 540448 wrote:

Well have to say much as I think it’s perfectly natural & healthy for women to breast feed when and where ever they need to I do NOT approve of children and babies being taken to protests, the kids are to young to have any opinion in the matters being protested yet are displayed as if they no and basically become human shields against arrest if things turn nasty

Really? You think the woman took her child along and used him as if he/she was another supporter fully versed in the thatcher history and legacy? Should we expect every peaceful protest to turn in to violence? Are you suggesting this woman decided she would take her child along so that she wouldn’t get battered by the police if things turned nasty?

I doubt it.
April 14, 2013 at 10:05 pm

#968082
1

Mezz

@mezz

Member
@BioTech 540470 wrote:

Really? You think the woman took her child along and used him as if he/she was another supporter fully versed in the thatcher history and legacy? Should we expect every peaceful protest to turn in to violence? Are you suggesting this woman decided she would take her child along so that she wouldn’t get battered by the police if things turned nasty?

I doubt it.

Protests are inherently adversarial, and regardless of what is being protested or what side your on they will have strong feelings on both sides with the potential for conflict ( which often follows when opposing sides fail to convince each other that their view is the correct one ).

So yes, taking children & babies to protests is wrong

1) It potentially puts them in harms way
2) It is the protesting parent trying to make out they’re representing their kids
3) Ive seen protests where mothers are illegally on private property or causing a disturbance or blocking access to somewhere using their kids so police dont dare manhandle them for fear of harming the child, you see them screaming things like ‘dont touch my kids’ for the camera’s. IMO thats child abuse.

You feel strongly enough to protest something fine go at it, as an adult that your informed choice to make…….. but dont drag your kids into it, and if you have a baby you cant leave with someone else, then the baby takes priority over your protest and because any good parent would put the their kid first they should skip the protest
April 14, 2013 at 10:11 pm

#968092
1

sinner69

@sinner69

Member
What a load of bull…How many demoes have you been at? Do you at all know anything about it or are you one them that have meaning on everything? Part of my work is to do demonstrations, I drive the soundsystem. Most demoes are just fine to bring the kids to…
April 14, 2013 at 10:20 pm

#968093
1

sinner69

@sinner69

Member
And another thing why it is good to bring kids to the demo is that it is a part of a good upbringing and teach them DIY culture…
April 14, 2013 at 10:41 pm

#968075
1

Tank Girl

@tank-girl

Member
It wasn’t necessarily what people said but the ‘raised eyebrows’ from people mainly men, just hanging around,
I’m not a mind reader so it may have been due to them feeling uncomfortable with the exposed boob, rather than any specific anti breast feeding in public opinions, I was just surprised is all

And it was the minority, she was European ( not English) and appeared totally comfortable with it all, and oblivious to the raised eyebrows

But I know a lot of mums who breast feed and as Gl rightly pointed out its their female peers who seem to have vocal opinions about it (negative) rather then the men, but I am aware of a growing number of supportive educational groups / programs that the NHS are doing too
April 14, 2013 at 10:54 pm

#968076
1

Tank Girl

@tank-girl

Member
@Mezz 540448 wrote:

, the kids are to young to have any opinion in the matters being protested yet are displayed as if they no and basically become human shields against arrest if things turn nasty

I don’t see taking a child along to a demo any different to putting them in a ‘faith school’ / taking them to church etc, for example, it’s patents making choices and obviously the children are too young to understand what’s going on, but that’s the role of a patent – to be a role model to their children, and make choices where they go until they are old enough to make their own choices

Using your child as a shield is morally wrong but I’ve never personally seen this and I’ve been going to demos for about 23 years, most parents will keep their children out of harms way, not every patent has someone to leave their kids with, and I personally find kids who have grown up with these experiences are quite well rounded teens / adults with a good perspective on the world, and not what they’ve read in the daily mail

I like many others I spoke to were not there for trouble, esp as I have to keep a clean crb, and also would remove myself if trouble occurred, as I’m sure the majority of parents there would do
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