Breastfeeding in Public

It's been all over the news: Woman gets kicked off plane for breastfeeding! Toys'R'Us denies woman's right to breastfeed in store! Public breastfeeding has sparked a debate among women, and the sides are as heated as they are numerous. Breastfeeding advocacy groups, such as the La Leche League International, and the information produced by pediatricians across the nation suggest breastfeeding is urged without the use of formula until the child is six months old. Today's modern and informed mother often wants to offer her child the benefits of her breastmilk, but doesn't always know where, when, or if she should breastfeed in public.

The breastfeeding debate seems almost to have nothing to do with the simple act of nourishing a child, but rather the perspective of third parties regarding the breast itself. The sexualized stigma attatched to breasts is at the top of the list of why a woman should not nurse in public because she is exposing herself. Most U.S. states have laws against public exposure, which includes a woman's breast, her nipple, and areola. Some of the opposers of public breastfeeding suggest that any exposure of the breast is sexual, and should therefore be kept in the private realm. This public versus private debate is a product of changing social norms and expectations. Pre-World War II women were primarily homemakers and would not have had the money or opportunity to do anything but breastfeed her babies. After women began working to help make ends meet, the need for convenience and ease slowly pervaded even into the realm of feeding a baby. Bottles became the 'normal' way to feed one's child, and younger children were no longer exposed to mothers tending their little ones at the breast. Also with women in the workforce came the need to compete with men for jobs, and some feminists would argue that this led to some women using their feminine assests to obtain opportunities. These assets became more objective-objects to be desired-rather than functional. Advertising since the 1940's has only furthered this sexualization of women's bodies, particularly the breasts, and to remain aloof about seeing them in public seems a hard task.

Despite the observer's understanding of what the breasts' function is, a nursing mother does have a right to feed her child, and the question demands asking: if breasts are hyper-sexualized (thus making laws about indecent exposure) and a woman is not permitted to bare her breast in public, what does the mother on the go do about feeding her baby? There are several options to breastfeeding mothers, and they range in controversy. One simple way to avoid public exposure, potential embarrassment, or offending others is to obtain a breast pump and express milk to be used in a bottle. This is not as easy as it sounds, as some breast pumps can cost hundreds of dollars, and due to the nature of baby's preferences and experiences, one cannot always get a baby to take a bottle. If your baby will not take breastmilk from a bottle, or if you are indifferent to others' opinions of your manner of feeding your baby, there is the obvious choice: simply breastfeed your child in public. There are ways to do this discreetly from nurisng cover-ups, modified nursing or maternity wear for the nursing mother that exposes less of her body, or some places have incorporated the use of nursing rooms. However, 39 states already have breastfeeding legislation underway to protect the rights of the breastfeeding mother by making an exception to the public exposure rule. The CRS Report for Congress Summary of State Breastfeeding Laws and Related Issues suggests that the nature of each state's laws and the extent of protection vary, but that with the expansion of breastfeeding comes more legislation. Check out your state's stance to be informed of its rules and regulations regarding public breastfeeding, and enjoy the special time and benefits of breastfeeding your little one.