August 29, 2007
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Breast-Feeding Part 7
It is that time again. Once again we have a breast-feeding issue in the news.
Brooke Ryan went to a Applebee’s restaurant. She sat in a booth in the back of the restaurant. Her baby was hungry. She began to nurse her baby.
The waitress came over and told her that if she wanted to nurse her baby, she had to cover the baby with a blanket. Brooke said it was so hot that she didn’t have a blanket.
Brooke asked to talk to the manager after the waitress persisted. She gave him a copy of the 2006 Kentucky law that “prohibits interference with a woman breast-feeding her baby in public. (Because all nursing women carry a copy of the law with them).
The manager knew about the law but mentioned indecent exposure and said she needed to cover it with a blanket. After being contacted by a lawyer, the restaurant chain is said to be considering keeping blankets in the restaurant so breast-feeding women can cover themselves.
Brooke said, “That’s like telling Rosa Parks she still had to sit in the back of the bus, but we’ll give her a blanket to make her more comfortable” Her husband said, “Some women think it’s fine to cover up with a blanket, but a woman shouldn’t be forced to.” Here is the link: Link
Is it indecent exposure if the woman refuses to cover a breast-feeding baby with a blanket?
Comments (191)
I don’t think it constitutes indecent exposure.
But it would be better if she covered the goods.
I am still nursing my 13 month old child, but rarely need to do it in public anymore. However, when my babies were infants, needing round-the-clock nursing, I’d feed them wherever we were, NO MATTER WHAT! There are certain positions that show very little of the breast, and could hardly be considered “indecent exposure.”
There is a difference in showing skin for attention, and showing it for nurturing a life.
Doesn’t the baby cover the boob anyway?
what is she exposing, may I ask?
and Dan, you know my answer LOL. I f I got handed a blanket, I’d tie it over my head LOL.
Every woman has a right to breast feed her baby, but a woman with jugs like that…might wanna use a blanket.
Man, people are fuckin’ retarded. It’s not like she’s nursing her baby cuz she wants to flash people. Her baby was hungry.
Oh those marvelous mammory glands!
If the law says she has the right to feed her child then the restaurant manager should shove it.
She was looking for trouble if she carried a copy of the law with her.
But no, it is not indecent exposure.
I think both peoplr should cut eachother some slack.. she was sitting in the back.. but comon. how hard would it be to cover up your baby sucking on your breast. People are morons.
I guess that means I am one too.. lol
Daniel (doubledb)
i think she was looking for trouble if she’s carrying around the written law with her. I personally don’t like it when women just whip out a boob in public to breast feed. You can excuse yourself from the restaurant or cover. I’m sick of the politically correct nambypamby stuff. I want them to cover it up. Pack a burp rag, curl your shoulder, whatever. I support your right to breast feed. But I support my right to NOT have your breast waved in my face.
The Rosa Parks analogy is a bit of a stretch. If you don’t want to see it, just turn your prude ass around and look in another direction. Breast feeding is a natural thing. Hell, even if you aren’t breast feeding…you wanna show ‘em, more power to you!
No. That’s fucking bullshit. If you have a baby, then you probably have a bag, in said bag you probably carry baby supplies. Keep that fucking blanket inside that bag at all times. People are trying to eat you whale.
yeah if it’s a state law in kentucky, then the resturant has no reason to try and get her to stop, however, if it was the case where i was eating and a woman just went and flashed out her breast to breastfeed idk how i would react
its just real freaking awkward for anyone sitting near her… just cover it up for goodness sakes!
no…
No, this too is redonkulous. Everyone is always telling everyone what to do. Or rather what not to do.
P.S. I am so honored to have such a beautiful comment on my very own xanga by the world famous Dan.
Yes, they are used for nurturing and feeding their child but I also think a womens breasts are part of her sexuality. They wouldn’t expose them if they weren’t breast feeding because under those circumstances it would be considered indecent, so why is it different and ok to expose them when they are breast feeding? Seems like a double standard to me. It doesn’t matter what a woman is doing with them, breasts are breasts.
No, if the woman feels like covering she will, and if you feel like staring, I guess you will.
That she had the law book on her person, seems like she wanted a confrontation?
That’s one of the worst metaphors I’ve heard in my entire life, whatever she said about Rosa Parks. Makes NO sense. I feel no empathy with this woman merely for attempting to make this sound like it’s some huge civil problem.
The restaurant is a private establishment and if they dislike people openly breastfeeding, they can refuse her service. Many restaurants prevent people from wearing swim suits or sandals to their establishments, obviously, I mean it’s just the restaurant’s rules. However, no one could have anticipated for a fact that they wouldn’t serve her just because she didn’t have a blanket. So if the restaurant doesn’t supply any method of covering this, then yeah she should be able to breastfeed openly. It sounds like AppleBees is going the right direction though with supplying these blankets so then they can’t complain. Most of us just would prefer not to see that when we are dining.
-David
being a breastfeeding mom is already time consuming as it is, and I don’t like having to excuse myself to the bathroom everytime I’m in public and my daughter needs to eat. It’s a bunch of bull. However, I always have a cover up for myself because I’m a private person and I don’t think others would appreciate my boob hanging out.
BUT. When it’s hotter than hell, I don’t like sticking my kid under a hot blanket…it’s uncomfortable for both..so yeah, it’s her freakin right, and you can’t see squat most of the time that you’re nursing a baby…so they just need to get over themselves.
havent you asked this question a hundred times already?
I wouldn’t consider it indecent exposure because it is a natural process to breastfeed your baby. I don’t understand why people get upset over women breastfeeding in public, but a 20 year old can walk around with them barely covered and it’s considered fashionable. Breastfeeding mothers shouldn’t be expected to hide in a bathroom. But that said, I nursed both my children, and out of respect for others feelings and a sense of modesty I carried a lightweight blanket to cover up while in public.
no one wants to see a kid sucking on a fat cow like that. it’s gross.
If she was carrying a copy of the law with her, she was looking for a fight.
I’d strongly (very strongly) prefer that mom’s use a blanket, but I’m not sure it would be indecent exposure if they choose not to.
No because if you do it right your boob aint flopping all around for people to see.
I have never seen a woman who was breastfeeding trying to “flash” people in the process.
When your baby’s hungry, your just trying to feed them.
I dont cover up when nursing my baby- fortunate(for other people) I have never recieved a dirty look or a complaint.
The problem is that with my baby, she doesnt like her face covered, and she always grabs the blanket off. The only other solution is to have a giant tent covering you, which makes it even more obvious.
Good points IssyMae.
no that’s retarded. you know what boobs are actually for????? to FEED BABIES
Is it indecent exposure when a man shows his breasts?
And don’t tell me there’s a difference. All the glands and such are the same (men can produce milk). (SOME) Women just have more of them.
My, my. Were all perverts aren’t we? When I see a woman nursing a baby, I see something that is completely normal and natural.
I must’ve missed parts one through six. o.O
No, it isn’t. Maybe it gets really hot under that blanket..
It’d be indecent exposure if the lady like took off her shirt and bra or something.
yes, and the comparison to rosa parks makes no sense.
…stupid people.
i don’t know
it depends if her breast was like.. BAM for the world to see
but if not
i don’t think i would mind that much.
Yeah…he’s done it before…thus the “part 7″.
Maybe the U.S. should just outlaw breastfeeding and be done with it.
No it’s not indecent exposure. It’s a baby eating.
I’m so sick of people getting their panties in a bunch over nothing. Don’t we have more important things to worry about?
When it’s this hot out, would you want to eat with a blanket over your head?
Oh hell no, that’s so stupid. No one would have any idea she was nursing unless they came over and looked. Nosy people trying to start problems.
I’m surprised the restaurant said anything (and I know how classy a place Applebee’s is). I’ve had to do an impromptu public nursing on occasion. The people and cars that passed didn’t even seem to notice me, much less be aware I was nursing. I’d be quite offended if someone came up to me like that, and then I’d want to know who complained so I could address that person myself.
ryc: LMAO I hadn’t even thought of that.
It depends on how much she’s exposed…some women can be discreet when nursing.
For her it sure as hell is indecent
ryc: yeah, i probobly should.. i told my primary care physician but not my pdoc
If it was just hanging out there making people uncomfortable, I’d say yeah. Most people don’t want to watch swollen nipples while they eat. However, I”m sure the baby was blocking most of it, so I’d say no.
I personally never whipped a boob out in public. It just made me feel a little unconfortable and well, like a hussy.
I don’t really want to see that while eating dinner. But it is her right. I agree that she could keep SOMETHING in her baby bag to cover up. So what if it’s hot, it doesn’t have to be a heavy blanket. Even something of sheet material would be fine.
She was in a restaurant at the time- couldn’t she have used the bathroom and thereby breastfed her child without making the other patrons uncomfortable?
I think the fact that she was carrying the law with her is a little suspicious…
And the “nurse-in” that she’s planning at the mall? I don’t know about everyone else, but I feel like even someone totally okay with public breastfeeding would get at least a little freaked out seeing a massive breastfeeding mob while they were shopping.
I don’t care if I see the baby, I just don’t want to see the woman’s breasts! Just another person trying to push the limits of what’s acceptable. Any decent woman would not have had a problem covering herself.
“YOU DON’T EAT YOUR MEAL IN THE BATHROOM, SO WHY SHOULD MY BABY?”
I saw that on a breastfeeding support site, and thought it was appropriate.
I don’t think she was carrying a copy of the law to “look for a fight,” she was carrying it in case of an event like this! I would have done the same thing, to protect my right.
If you don’t like it, don’t look. I’ve never had anyone ask me to cover up while I was nursing. In fact, I’ve never known a nursing mother to purposefully ”flash” anything in pubic.
Definately yes, she should cover up!! I wouldn’t want my Applebees dinner interrupted because my husband (hypothetical, since I’m not married yet), who generally has very good morals, is trying not to stare at some girl’s chest!
You know you’re going out…breastfeed your baby somewhere private before you go!! *obviously*
no it isn’t. good lord.
also, think of this: you can show a breast on tv as long as the nipple is covered up. well, during breast feeding, the nipple is covered by the babies mouth, and so i can’t see how it would be a problem.
our culture is SO afraid of the naked body!!
I’d rather not watch her breast feed, perhaps a burp cloth or some covering is in order. She remembered to carry the law with her, but forgot a burp cloth?
That woman should be banned from public feeding for entirely different reasons.
NO it’s NOT!!!
Sounds like some people need to take a chill pill!
Gosh women! Just cover up! Quit being stubborn!
The restaurant wasn’t trying to stop her from breast feeding, just telling her that she should cover up. I think it is respectful for breast feeding mothers to cover up with a blanket.
As long as she doesn’t have to go topless to do the deed, then it isn’t indecent exposure.
No.
Because breasts are NOT a sexual item.
They exist for the baby to have food.
If they were “sexual” any woman who breast-feed would be a pedophile.
I think a nice thin breathable sheet would be appropriate. I think these women have to be considerate of others. A woman at a coffee shop just minutes ago didn’t cover up. It isn’t the end of the world, but I still would appreciate a covering.
“That’s like telling Rosa Parks she still had to sit in the back of the bus, but we’ll give her a blanket to make her more comfortable”
That’s so very wrong of her to compare those two things. What is wrong with her!? Civil rights and being treated like a human being has nothing to do with a woman’s right to feed her child. WTF woman?! Breastfeeding is not constitutional protected, it’s not that huge of a deal.
I think both sides are making to big of a deal. I’ve seen worse happen at my banqueting job. A woman started changing her child in the middle of the banquet hall floor. Poop near the dinner table…that’s a big problem. Boobs…not so much. Although she was in the back. Maybe she should’ve tried the bathroom or went out to the car godamnit, how much does it take for a person to pay the bill early and say BRB???
bet that was akward for the people sitting across from her….
Ewww.
I don’t know, I think breastfeeding is weird because I’m eighteen and immature. It makes me uncomfortable to see people doing it in public.
I think it’s indecent. How hard can it be to cover up? It makes people uncomfortable…
i think it’s good manners to cover up, but for her own privacy first, and 2nd for others. it’s not like they have to look at her feeding the baby… but when it’s really hot outside, you really can’t expect people to cover their boob and their kid with a blanket, because really, it’s hard not to cover the baby up when you are trying to be discreet… and the last thing you want is for the baby to be over heated. i say, if someone has a problem with a mommy feeding her child, then they shouldn’t look. i think it’s bad manners for someone to stare at a woman breastfeeding… but i know if it were me, i would use a blanket because i don’t want people to see my boobs… it was just be a really light blanket, unless we were sweltering and then people could see whatever they stared at. really though… i see more nipples walking through the mall than i do women breastfeeding. i don’t see anyone complaining about that.
*Jac*
GOOD LORD…IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOOK!!
I’ve seen plenty of women breastfeeding in public. No one forced me to watch it. You want to feel comfortable? well what about them? you can’t always think only about yourself. Just mind your own business damnit!!
And MyButlerBabies has a great comment!!!!
Umm. Whatever is legal for people to have showing while NOT breastfeeding should be legal WHILE breastfeeding.
You see this I don’t understand. If your baby is hungry, take your baby to the ladies room with you and breast feed there. Now granted I don’t usually have an issue with breasts… Come on, in a restaurant? People are trying to eat food. It’s a little distracting, turns you off appetite, and just plain awkward. Your baby isn’t going to starve if you go to the restroom.
That’s what I say you do.
If a woman is allowed to show a breast while breast feeding, I really don’t see a difference in showing breasts while not breast feeding.
Ugh…people. People are completely insensitive to hungry babies. Personally, I don’t want to have my head covered up while I’m eating. Women who breastfeed in public aren’t trying to be rebels or to show off our awesome bodies (because pregnancy and breastfeeding are just so HOTT!), we’re trying to keep our kids alive! Okay, so that’s a stretch…but I’m sure they’d rather look away than hear that baby scream.
Cover your boob. Geez. That’s just common courtesy. I don’t care if you breat feed your baby. In fact, it’s great. I plan on breast feeding my own, when I have them. But please, cover up. Why is that too much to ask?
I’m going to go ahead and add that when I am in public or at someone else’s house I do cover up because I do believe it’s good manners. Not everyone is comfortable with it, nor am I. Because regardless of what the mammeries are there for, some people are pervies.
I don’t think she was “looking for trouble if she carried the law with her” as spacey1 said. Women get sh*t all the time for breastfeeding in public and she was just making sure she had the protection she needed if something similar happened to her. I think it takes a real coward to come up to a mom in a restaurant in such a vulnerable situation and give her crap, especially after she showed them the law protecting what she was doing.
Oh and I’d just laugh if someone offered me a blanket and direct them to offer it to the lady at the next table with 4 inches of cleavage showing. Thanks but no thanks!
Grow up America.
Yes! Of course it’s indecent exposure. It’s a boob. I wouldn’t be allowed to walk into Applebee’s with my boob expcsed, so why does it matter if there’s a baby sucking on it? It should be covered up. It’s awkward.
I was always pretty discreet, even without a blanket. But, in public, I’d want the extra security. Who needs to see accidental exposure over their restaurant meal?
Still, is nursing and flashing your parts much different than what I see walking down the street with females, young and old, hanging out WAY too much in front with their tank tops and v-necks?
I personally always cover up while nursing in public, or I find a family area somewhere. But no, women shouldn’t be forced to cover up; that’s just stupid. Just out of curiousity, did it say why she was carrying around the law with her? It sort of seems like she was looking for trouble. Hmm…
I don’t wanna see that shit. Don’t take infants to Applebee’s. WAH WAH WAH!
Oh, and I breastfed my son at a restaurant right there in the booth, I did cover up (baby and everything was totally and completely covered, no one could see a thing) and the woman across from us still stared like I just jumped up on the table and flashed her. Covered or no, nursing moms are still going to get stared at by uninformed and ignorant people.
well that picture sure doesn’t look “indecent” but if they got live footage while it was happening in the restaurant it would make a better case
Is it so hard to go to a restroom or out to your car? I never understood why people would take their babies in public when they know that would occur.
Okay, what i don’t understand is why so many people think she was carrying around this law with her to start trouble. Obviously, people have such a big issue with breastfeeding in public and she was just being prepared for that S***!!
Nope, in all honesty a woman breast feeding is typically showing less skin than most women do when they wear a swimsuit.
Back to my xanga personality: I wouldn’t let that fat bitch in my restaurant anyway, let alone while breast feeding. Get outta my damn store!
Um…maybe she was carrying a copy of the law because she knew some ridiculous people would probably get offended, since this is (sadly) in the news all the time now?
I think the restaurant made an okay decision about providing blankets, but man. I wish people would just get over this…
Is it indecent exposure if the woman refuses to cover a breast-feeding baby with a blanket?
At the point where the woman is able to cover up and can cover up without cost to herself or her baby, then yes: I think it is indecent exposure.
The whole debate is obviously a weighing to two different values and issues: The right of the woman to breast feed and indecent exposure. Absent everything else, I feel the right of the woman takes precedence. However, if the woman is able to satisfy both ideas: Feeding the baby and not exposing herself, and consciencely chooses to expose herself, then I feel it is a strike against her.
In real life and practice, I don’t really care how women feed their infants. To be courteous, I just try to face the other way.
I wanna say yes, but… in actual experience I really don’t care….
I don’t think carrying a copy of the law is looking for a fight, I think in light of all the media about breastfeeding mom’s lately it’s almost necessary. I have thought about doing it myself and i am in no way looking for a fight.
As a lactavist myself I think it’s ludicrous that there are still people that are “freaked out” by a baby nursing. Utters on a cow are not a pleasing sight visually and we dont’ cover them up. At least breasts are beautiful! And seriously have you no control over where your eyes wander? If it is truly bothering to be near a nursing baby, don’t look! It’s my experience MOST nursing women don’t want their goods exposed to the world and yes, babies cover most of the breast, even the “big jugs”………quite frankly haven’t you seen more exposed on the billboards on the highway? THAT is intended to be sexual, not a nursing Mom.
For those without babies, have you tried nursing a baby with a cover on? They do have some pretty cool ones out there now a days, but neither of my two children would have anything to do with putting something over their heads, it ended up being a lot more of a show with me struggling to keep the blanket on than to just get it done and move on.
grosses me out, but i wouldn’t be caught dead in an Applebees, so I guess I wouldn’t have that problem.
maybe the issue is that the restaurant didnt want food being brought in from another establishment?
Thats rediculous. The baby covers most of the boob anyway, and what the baby doesn’t cover the bottom of the woman’s shirt does. Plus, she was sitting at a booth, behind a table, probably with all kinds of crap all over the table. It’s rediculous. I don’t see why people make such a big deal out of breast feeding. That’s what they’re actually MADE for, for crying out loud. I always did cover with a light blanket when I nursed, but I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business.
not if you look like that lady.
just kidding, no it’s not indecent exposure.
My Butler Babies
There is a difference in showing skin for attention, and showing it for nurturing a life.
Not to disagree with your general stance on breastfeeding, but “public indecency” is less a matter of the intentions behind exposure but how the exposure would be taken by and the response of chance vierwers. To use an extreme hypothetical example: If a man had decidedly non-sexual and personal reason for stripping down naked while shopping downtown, his non-intentions does not cancel out the shock and possibly taken offense over his nudity.
I’d consider the exposure pretty decent.
And it looks like Jen has finally lost all the baby weight. It doesn’t look so much like her now, though.
And yeah, there’s no way I’m about to cover my baby’s head with some used up Applebees blanket. Disgusting.
Are you serious psunited1??? If you choose to nurse your baby you should just stay home, all the time? Or feed them in the bathroom, or the sweltering hot car? That is just rude and nasty. I sure don’t want to eat in a public bathroom, and babies are far more delicate than we are. That’s just seriously messed up.
nope. deal with it.
I think it was inappropriate for her not to cover up. Some people just do not want to see that, and she needs to be considerate of other people. At least just use a receiving blanket or a burping towel or whatever.
If they are so worried about indecent exposure, WHY don’t they throw out every girl that dresses like a whore? They should throw out every girl with a short skirt on, every girl with a shirt that reveals Way too much cleavage, and so on. Let’s be consistent! And yes, they should cover up themselves when they breastfeed.
RaVnR
our culture is SO afraid of the naked body!!
Every culture has its own cultural norm. How the general public responses to exposure, as with breast-feeding, is more or less a reflection of that norm. Even if the response is based on irrational or perfecty stupid reasons, I think it still has to be respected.
One would think that the frequency and good reasons for breast-feeding would carve out a niche exception in our culture. I really dunno how people still take strong offense.
yetnotI
If they are so worried about indecent exposure, WHY don’t they throw out every girl that dresses like a whore? They should throw out every girl with a short skirt on, every girl with a shirt that reveals Way too much cleavage, and so on. Let’s be consistent! And yes, they should cover up themselves when they breastfeed.
A perfectly valid point. I think a lot of it is a matter of convinence: Having pure nudity as a general brightline for acceptability.
No, it’s a natural part of life. Let it go.
These people act as if they’ve never seen a tit before.
That is a great picture, Dan. It is really disgusting. It should be illegal for that lady to expose her breasts…
No. It’s natural. I hate how Americans are so scared of anything sexual. Other countries aren’t like this. We should be in awe of the life that these women are giving their children… not asking them to cover it up.
be considerate and cover your tits…
i think thats a good law
Even when it comes to girls who wear provocative clothing, people still can’t mind their own business. If it offends you so much that others are more comfortable in their skin than you, you can keep your little eyes to yourself! You don’t like mini skirts? DON’T WEAR ONE. why criticize those that do? You don’t want to be exposed while brreastfeeding? THEN COVER UP. But if you have such a big problem with others doing it why is it so hard to look away? You say it’s not hard for them to cover up, well it’s not hard to look away either! Why be so uptight? Deal with it! Not everyone in society is going to follow your ideas of “morals” DEAL WITH IT!! Not everyone in society is going to cater to what makes you comfortable. DEALWITH IT!!
One thing I haven’t see anybody ever suggested napkins?? As those napkins are huge when you unfold them out.. They are thin and it isn’t too hot.. Restaurant have a/c in buildings.. DUH!! Since the woman carried around that documents. It is obviously she was looking for a fight or have the law on her side to win.
How fuckin’ hard is it to cover up a tit? Some moms need to quit trying to fucking get attention. Specifically that mom.
who carries the law with them? and she can not compare this to Rosa Parks, thats an insult, as big as them teats she’s feeding her kid on lol
i used to work at Outback(long ago) and when we had women breast feeding we would give them an extra linen napkin to cover with. it wasnt a hot ass blanket, it was a light piece of material that gave her some privacy and didnt offend people around her.
some women dont know how to feed discreetly, so they need to cover up. anybody that top heavy should anyway.
PeAce Love Soul
I am a mother of three and never understood the insistance on breast-feeding in public…Even when I was nursing I always had bottles of breast milk for when we would be out at places or things like that…I would never think about doing it at a restaurant, in the middle of the mall or in the middle of crowds…I know I would feel uncomfortable as well as make others uncomfortable in the process…It’s not going to traumatize your baby to drink out of a bottle every once in awhile and if it’s filled with breast milk I don’t see what the big deal is.
breatfeeding is not indecent. I’d rather see a woman breastfeeding than a hairy man boob any day. At least one is natural.
ButifulDisaster19
Not everyone wants to cater to your wants either. Such as everyone looking away so they don’t get offended.
Here, carry a sign and microphone that both shout out- “Hey, DON’T LOOK OVER HERE. JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU WON’T EVEN GET THE FIRST LOOK”
The baby still gets fed with a blanket, so why are they still fighting this?
Yes. Ugh. Just cover it, stupid women, people don’t want to see a stupid little child suckling on the teet, or at least, I most certainly don’t.
While I was breastfeeding my children I got asked once or twice to go somewhere else by customers no less. I was totally covered with a blanket, but they considered my behavior indecent.
I don’t think she is looking for a fight, but rather understands that in order to exercise her right to feed her child she needs to carry the law in black in white with her. That is the society that we live in unfortunately. And while I wouldn’t have ever considered nursing without a blanket, it is her right not to have to.
I’m breastfeeding my seven and a half month old and when she needs to eat, she has to eat! No matter where we are. I do my best to be modest about it and cover her face with my shirt while she nurses. It’s not like I’m ripping my shirt off and flashing everyone. I don’t always have a blanket with me, and even when I do she pulls it off because she doesn’t like it. That draws more attention. I have, while at the Mall of America, propped myself up against a wall while bent in a sit in the ladies’ restroom to nurse her away from the public. There wasn’t even a chair. And it’s not comfortable or easy to do while carrying a diaper bag as well.
I don’t understand why people are so “disgusted” with mothers just trying to take care of their babies. It is a natural thing. As long as you’re not purposely exposing your breasts, they should can it and let you feed your kid.
Like someone else said, why can teen girls walk around with shirts and swimsuit tops that show most of their breasts and no one has a problem with it?
And if you don’t want to see, don’t stare! Most mothers are trying to be modest and staying low-key anyway. We’re not trying to make it obvious.
GunStarHero1988,
Me and my husband go out quite a bit, and like usual, we see people who are doing things that annoy us, or “offend” us, but we don’t complain about it. Some people can’t distinguish between what really is a big deal and what’s not. In this case, I don’t think this woman was really exposing herself too much. She was being discret and sitting near the back of the restaraunt. Some people out there, like La_vida_Linda said, would get offended if a woman was breastfeeding even with a blanket, in public. I find that to be intolerant. those types of people expect the rest of the world to cater to their wants and comforts. If it’s not really a big deal, then you just need to look away. It’s really not that hard. Now if this woman had her whole shirt up, exposing both of her breasts in public, i could see why someone would have an issue with it. I’m sure there’s some women out there who are disrespectful towards others in public while breastfeeding, but i’d say most aren’t. The ones i’ve seen haven’t been “gross” and they’ve been discrete even if they’re not covering themselves. It would be stupid and intolerant of me to complain about that. I have enough will power to just look away….and other people do too, even if they don’t realize it.
And one more thing I will add…between holding the shirt over the baby’s face and the baby’s head, you really can’t even see the breast. When I take her off, I have my shirt completely over her so you couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the nipple.
So…what’s to see?
I know that breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn’t mean that I want to see it. Pooping is natural too, and I don’t want to see that either. I have no problem with people breastfeeding in public, but it should be covered. My mom always fed us in public, but we were either under her shirt or a blanket. No big deal.
I don’t think our culture is afraid of the naked body at all. If a restaurant doesn’t want you to wear sandals and a bathing suit to dinner, then they’ll keep you from entering. They just have preferences and if people don’t like them, they can go to a different place. That’s the way capitalism works.
In this case, a restaurant doing this would not discourage business. I’m telling you, if I go to a steak house and see a woman like that breastfeeding openly, I will insist upon a different table. I’m sorry to all you nurturing mothers, I’m just completely thrown off by the sight, it kills my appetite. However, like many rational people, I would not do this if she was covering up. AppleBees was thinking about their customers.
Once again, this is not a legal issue, each restaurant has its own rules that cater to their customers.
I also retain that that Rosa Parks metaphor is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life.
-David
No. Breast feeding a kid is not the same as flashing your bewbs for all to see, a la Girls Gone Wild.
All my male companions will kill me for this, but I think breast feeding is a beautiful bond between mother and child.
Women shouldn’t be forced to cover up. There’s nothing perverted about breast feeding.
No. I wouldn’t breastfeed uncovered in public, but my attitude about other women choosing to is : If you don’t like it, don’t look at it! Lol.
RYC: thanks, I appreciate it.
I agree with Spacey1, you don’t carry a copy of the law around with you if you don’t plan on making a scene. She did this totally on purpose.
NO!!! IT’S NOT!!!
The primary reason for breasts are not fun little toys for men to play with or but for feeding and nurturing our offspring. It’s been that way until formula was invented in the early 1900′s. Many cultures,not to mention babies and children to a certain age, don’t even see breasts as sexual objects. And think about it, for all those believers of what ever religion, your savior or higher being was probably breastfeed!
How would you people like it if I came up and told you I didn’t like the way you looked and it was disturbing my meal so I ask you to hang a blanket over you while you eat?
Granted, if that picture is of the lady in question, I’m sure not many people would like to see her goodies in those few times that her son pulls away but if it was Angelina Jolie or someone of equal attractiveness, then would there even be an issue? Do you wonder if the true issue here is not the fact that she was breastfeeding at the restaurant but how she looks?
If I read the story right, it sounds like she did consider other people’s feelings and went to the back of the restaurant to feed her child and she wasn’t screaming anything like “Look at me! Look at my titties! Who wants to watch me feed my son?!?!” I could also understand if she was asked to cover up because she was letting it hang out (I know a few women who have done this… my mom being one of them…>_<) but from the picture above, it looks like she knows how to be discrete.
If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m a huge supporter for breastfeeding but I also believe it’s the womans’ choice on how she wants to feed her child. I, myself, nursed my eldest son for 2 years when he decided to stop and my youngest for only 3 months because I was the bread maker, bacon home bringer in the family. With my first, I learned how to be discrete (but it seemed that my son didn’t like that because he was always pulling my shirt up no matter where we were when he was hungry …..) but even during those times when I did have a blanket to block any accidental boobie peeks, people would still come up to me and tell me rude things like I shouldn’t be doing that in public (I shouldn’t be feeding my baby in public? WTF?) or tell me to go feed him in the restroom. I don’t want to go to the freaking stinky, dirty restroom to feed my kid! How about you go sit in the restroom on the floor while you eat your salad! I even had people (bystanders and employees of the stores) try to kick me out so I, too, started carrying a copy of the breastfeeding law with me. Seems like when you say the word “lawsuit” that people get scared and leave you alone. Who would of thought!!!
Whew…. Seems like a novel right there!!!
Oh yah!!! I agree with eternity awaits us!! If you dont’ like what you see, then turn away!!!!
Only if she has her entire breast exposed. The photo shown is not indecent. Her shirt is pulled down, and the baby’s face covers the rest.
damn repressed people – just wishin’ they were young enough to belly up to the bar…
I nurse in public whenever the need arises. I’ve never covered up with a blanket b/c even as a newborn my daughter would shake the blanket off to look around. It has become more of a production to keep the blanket on than to just nurse without it. I’ve also never, ever exposed my breasts in public. My shirt always covers up whatever the baby doesn’t, so it’s never been an issue.
Some women cover up, some don’t. It’s a comfort thing. Personally, I would never nurse in the bathroom; that’s gross. I do carry a blanket or a burp cloth with me at all times though, and use them for their intended purposes.
I’ve never been confronted about nursing in public. Maybe people here are just more respectful; I really have no idea. If someone ever does feel the need to be rude to me, though, I am quite prepared to pull out a blanket and offer it to whoever is being confrontational- they can cover their head up until I’m done. Then they won’t see it!
Or… and, I mean, this is just an idea, but, people could just look the other way. Just a thought.
ImportedKokoPuffs . . . yeah what she said
In no way shape or form.
Oh boy, here we go again.
I don’t see anything showing in that picture. It is completely possible to nurse your baby without showing your “goods” at all. I did it wth all of mine, and when you try to cover them with a blanket, they get all hot and sweaty and usually pull it off anyway.
It’s very sad when breastfeeding women have to carry a copy of the law with them.
I was asked AT AN ARMY HOSPITAL THAT DELIVERS BABIES AND ENCOURAGES NEW MOTHERS TO BREASTFEED to please go “do that” in a broom closet, because I might “offend someone.” I couldn’t leave, because my baby had an appointment that was very important to keep. So there I sat, in the janitor’s closet, banned from public display in the waiting room where there were other mothers and babies. My baby was hungry – he was a newborn – he was jaundiced and had to have daily blood tests. It was humiliating. I wasn’t flashing anything at all.
oh and btw she didn’t drag law books with her, in fact in some states this law is SENT to breastfeeding mamas on little cards so they are aware of their rights and can readily produce them for ignorant naysayers. I believe Nancy Pelosi had something to do with it, actually.
No. Breast feeding a kid is not the same as flashing your bewbs for all to see, a la Girls Gone Wild.
All my male companions will kill me for this, but I think breast feeding is a beautiful bond between mother and child.
Women shouldn’t be forced to cover up. There’s nothing perverted about breast feeding.
8/29/2007 5:33 PM Francisc0 (message)
Yeah right, you just want to see mom boobs.
I CANNOT believe how many people think the “best” solution is for the nursing mother to feed her child in a hot car or, WORSE, in a public bathroom.
So many woman go around this country with no more than what seems like pasties on their nipples and dental floss up their ass (as though a piece of dental floss up the ass crack is supposed to be appropriate coverage for one’s anus) at public beaches yet that is not considered indescent exposure. Walk around any mall in this country and you’ll see adult women and even young girls wearing micromini skirts, extremely short shorts that look more like panties than shorts, and tank tops and belly shirts that leave little to the imagination, yet it’s not considered to be indescent exposure. However, you get a mother cradling her child against her breasts, her breast partially uncovered, her nipple is in her baby’s mouth so it can recieve sustenance, her baby is covering most of her breast, what is exposed is what is allowed to be seen by the FCC on TV, and suddenly that is considered to be indescent exposure?! WTF?!
Indescent exposer implies lewd behavior, or an act that is intended to excite others or the person committing a lewd act. Nursing a child is the most natural act a mother can perform. She does not nurse to either give others a thrill or to make others “uncomfortable”. She is filling the need of the child to be fed. The childs need far surpasses the discomforture of others. Legally, as well, she has every right to nurse the child in public. It is beyond my understanding why the general public feels the need to twist and pevert the most natural and beautiful gifts a mother can bestowe upon her children.
We have fallen far beyond our own depravity. To think that breasts are meant only to be a sexual tool is to deny an infant sustainance. The old and yet crude phrase of men who spend nine months trying to get out of thier mothers wombs and the rest of thier lives trying to get back in only serves o further the mistaken belief that not only parts of the anatomy are tools for sex, but that smply by being female, one would merelybe a plaything fo men. It is up to you whether you wish to respect a mother for her desire to provide, or disrespect her by allowing your own prejudices to belittle and degrade her for being the good mother that she is.
I am not going to take my baby to restaurants. I may eat my words when I have kids, but that’s what I think now.
Her boobs are teh yuck.
She still has a right to breastfeed, and she doesn’t need to cover with a blanket.
Also, it is my understanding that in NYC you can walk around topless as a woman.
No. This is absurd.
<33
Maybe she carried a copy of the law with her, because she knows that people tend to treat overweight people differently. LOOK at that picture of her feeding her baby. You would really have to scrutinize her to see any boob. There is way less boob showing than you see in the windows at Victoria secret. Or on anyone wearing a low cut shirt. I really think that people don’t even want to THINK about what she’s doing. It’s not that anything indecent is showing. . .And that’s a little weird.
Personally, I’ve never been asked not to feed any baby anywhere. Maybe it’s because Athens folks are kinda granola-ish, or because it’s a University town, or because I always did it without anything showing. But what all these blanket advocates don’t know, is that a lot of babies won’t leave a blanket on their head (especially when it’s 100 degrees). They’d let go, rather than be covered up; THEN you might get a momentary flash of boob.
I always thought people were being so over-reactive and adamant about breast-feeding “rights.” But Nina said someone came to her car window once and told her she couldn’t nurse her baby in her OWN car (in their parking lot). That just baffles me, because I’ve nursed 5 kids, and no one’s ever even given me a dirty look. I guess Athens just rocks. . .even more than I knew it did.
no!!! this is ridiculous!!
There are ways to nurse a baby in public that can be discreet. We should be open to meet the public half way.
I was a nursing mother and you would be shocked by some of the mean stares i got or overly load comments people would make. but the baby’s got to eat too. So she was right to keep a copy of the law with her and if the way she is nursing the baby now is the same as she was at the restaurant the i see nothing wrong…shit their are girls who will be showing cleavage and wearing a mini skirt and they are probably showing more skin then that mother. I also wonder how hard the waitress was looking at her breast,because i think that if you don’t like it,then don’t look.
That’s lot of gallons.
BTW…a smart momma will have a bottled milk for situation like this.
no – those who answer yes need to grow up.
no
While im all for boobs bein free to wander, a sucklin infant shouldnt b attached to it in public. And likenin herself to Rosa Parks? Maybe in that they were stubborn, n everyone knows Rosey had a rack she didnt exploit like dat. Anyways, keep it covered. Look up breast pumps.
As far as I know, it is ILLEGAL to require a woman to “cover up” or to refuse her service b/c she is breastfeeding her infant. I carry one of those cards around with me that gives the laws for my given state. Breastfeeding is NOT indecent exposure, and you can do it wherever you want. I think the restaurant is in the wrong in this instance, and I am appalled at some of the narrow-minded responses of some of your readers, Dan!
And to whoever stated that the woman was just “asking for trouble” if she was carrying around a copy of the law with her, I think that’s ridiculous. In KY, where she is from, the law was JUST enacted last year, which means that maybe not every establishment is aware of the change or addition to the law, so of course I’d be carrying it around if I were her — because how else are you going to prove that you CAN nurse in public?
I also think that one of the main factors here is that hello… it’s August, and it’s HOT! Neither mom or baby is going to be comfortable with a blanket over them… if you’re so offended by a boob (which in my opinion, isn’t as sexual as our American society tends to make it), then turn away… if NIP offends you, put a blanket over YOUR HEAD!
indecent? probably not, disgusting and unappatizing? it is to me. a few things caught my eye though.
“its cowardly to confront a woman in that vulnarable position” no, it’s cowardly to stare and whisper, it’s honest to tell them to their face, “hey, im trying to eat here and you’re making me want to vomit, can you at least cover that up?”
“breasts are not sexual”, really? im not sure you could find one straight male to agree with you(unless they were lying) i was going to say teenage.. but then really, thats not just a phase we grow out of.
“if you dont want to see it dont look” if, you are sitting in the back and my chair is FACING the back you are in my line of vision, i dont have to LOOK to see it. cover it up or i will vomit on your table and have the waiter deliver my check to YOU. i dont expose the nasty bits of my body to you(except my face) while you are eating, do me the same curtesy.
personally, i dont like it when people bring their babies out in public to begin with, even if they arent exposing themselves, the babies are generally screaming screaching and secreting all sorts of foul materials from various holes in their bodies.
as for the rosa parks thing, no, it’s more like telling a stupid person to cover it up because no one wants to see it. and im inclined to believe she IS looking for trouble, seriously.. she thought to whip out(and carry around) a copy of a law that she wouldnt have needed had she brought something to cover herself with, not only that, but im going to call BS on her not having anything, ive never known any of the young mothers i know to go somewhere without a towel even if they arent breast feeding they know they will need it for some mess the child will make, she more than likely DID have something she could use. i know MANY women who breast feed, they all cover. it’s polite behavior.
“I also think that one of the main factors here is that hello… it’s August, and it’s HOT! Neither mom or baby is going to be comfortable with a blanket over them… if you’re so offended by a boob (which in my opinion, isn’t as sexual as our American society tends to make it), then turn away… if NIP offends you, put a blanket over YOUR HEAD!”
ahh a twofer… i forgot to mention the temperature argument. if it’s hot outside, chances are the building you’re in is air conditioned… which means it’s NOT hot inside, in fact, it may be a tad chilly as many public buildings such as restaurants will over compensate with the air conditioning.
really. so I should have to carry around a screen of some sort or blindfold so you dont have to use a 13 inch by 13 inch(should be large enough) piece of cloth to cover YOURSELF? negative.
I don’t think it’s indecent exposure, but I don’t really want to see a woman breastfeeding her baby. I know the first time I was ever preturbed by this, I was like 12 years old and in a dentists office. I didn’t say anything of course, I just went on reading my romance novel. What creeped me out the most was this mother kept trying to make conversation with me while her child was sucking on her, like I had nothing better to do then listen to her yap about the types of books -she- liked to read (this is why I don’t like reading in public –people just never seem to let me be…). It was just another tally on my number of reasons not to have kids list. Ugh.
IONEKOA — You’re a rude, disgusting pompous ass. If you read the article (which I’m certain you didn’t, judging by what asinine comments you made), you’d know that the woman in question was tucked into a corner, nursing her child in the back of the restaurant. Whether the restaurant is hot or not is of no consequence… have you ever tried putting a blanket over a baby’s head? I bet you haven’t, because if you had, you would realize how difficult it can be for a nursing mother to keep the blanket over her child’s head.
There’s nothing INDECENT about the photograph above… if she was NIP as she is in that picture, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m sure that as the mother of a 10-month-old, she’s perfected her nursing skills and is able to be discreet about it.
If you don’t like it, don’t look. Get over yourselves. I’m sure I’ll use a blanket when I feed my baby, but I understand that many women don’t want to for whatever reasons (like heat and discomfort, or baby pulling it off anyway). I would hope that our society would be evolved enough to deal with a baby feeding in the most natural and healthy way that exists on this planet.
(and obviously we all need to carry copies of the law with us, so we can show ignorant a-holes that YES I have this right, and you can’t force me to go into a closet).
you are right, i didnt read the article, nor did i comment on “the article” i responded to peoples comments and gave my oppinion of public nursing in general. and specifically pointed out, though apparently didnt make it plain enough. there is no magical hidden chair at any one spot in any restaurant that i know of where you can not be seen at all. you will always be in a position where you may(or may not) be in someones line of vision. if it doesnt matter if the restaurant is hot then why all the comments about it being august and therefor hot? including your own, but once that’s refuted, it all of a sudden “doesnt matter” typical of the name callers. yes i have put blankets over babies heads. no, i have never done it to nurse, but i can think of about 4-5 people off the top of my head who have…come to think of it, ALL of my friends who have kids nurse and they ALL cover. do you need to go into the bathroom? no, i tend to agree, thats pretty gross for the mother, do you need to go out to the car? why? enjoy your meal and your conversation with your friends. should you have the decency to cover up? again.. yes.
aftter actually reading the article…. yeah, now more so i take my stance, so apparently someone DID see it and WAS offended by it. so, the facts of this particular case back up my general assertions. no one is telling you to put your baby in a dumpster, all anyone is saying is cover it up while nursing in public view.
Um.. I think it’s a bigger issue than just feeding the baby. The restaurant wants to retain customers.
I personally feel uncomfortable in those situations, I’m not going to pretend I don’t, but I don’t think a woman shouldn’t be allowed to feed her kid. But just as she demands people be considerate of her and her baby’s situation, she needs to be considerate of what others are experiencing. Next time just bring a blanket, or a light cardigan to cover the baby – I don’t think it’s too much to ask for.
no.
“As far as I know, it is ILLEGAL to require a woman to “cover up” or to refuse her service b/c she is breastfeeding her infant”
and no… it’s not, any private business can legally refuse service to ANYONE for ANY REASON no matter how anyone outside of that bussiness may feel about it. now, they may be sued in CIVIL court. but they can not have the law brought down upon them.
Okay, we can publish half-naked women/men on the Rolling Stones, but we can’t breast feed our own children in public. That is the most nuts thing I’ve ever heard that it’s ‘indecent exposure.’ But yet we can publish stars and them on front covers of magazines. Yeah, so that irritates me. Sorry.
If my child is hungry, I’m feeding him despite what anyone else thinks. Anyone who has a problem with it can deal with me after I’m done.
To: ionekoa
I’m surprised at how seriously you’re taking this subject. Stop defending your perspective of it already. You’re a man, you wouldn’t feel the same as us MOTHERS in regards to this topic. Goodness!
This is America and I guess if the law is on the books then she has the right. I will say that if that was really the lady involved then I agree what Happy Deviant said. Angelina Jolie breastfeeding = good Shelley Winters breastfeeding = bad
I think we all know if that lady lost 120 pounds and got a make over, it would have been no big deal.
The way she is sitting in that photo is completely decent. I don’t see any boobage peeking out. I see women who will completely hang out their tit to nurse their baby with no covering.
The waitress could have maintained a nice distance from the woman and not disturb her either. It would have bene nice manners, but people are lacking.
that has got to be the worst comparison ever.
My wife breast fed and I’m glad she did. I’m also glad she cover up. I don’t was perverted dick trying to catch a glimpse of my wifes titty on their way to the bathroom to get off. And i don’t want to see other women’s titties either.
Our media is obsessed with breasts! What’s not to love! Our laws should be as lenient with breast feeding as they are with breasts in movies, TV shows, magazines, etc.
especially her…blah…
I nursed my son for 14 months and was always way too shy to breastfeed in public because we had some issues with breastfeeding and latching and he would often pop off exposing my bare breast for all to see. For this same reason nursing under a blanket was impossible because I couldn’t see to help him get back on and it would distract him even more. So instead I was forced to nurse my poor baby boy in bathrooms…talk about disgusting…you try taking your meal into the bathroom and eating there? I think it’s horrible that people even try to make nursing moms go to the bathroom to nurse their babies….I did it by choice once and thereafter chose to instead nurse him in the unbearably hot or cold depending on the season car. This was not comfortable either, but since we had tinted back windows it made for more privacy at least. Here’s my beef…..if we can sit in a restaurant and see a mostly naked woman with nothing but panties on and an arm strategically placed to conceal the chest on a billboard across the street and that’s just fine with everyone….what’s so bad about trying to feed your hungry child in public? It amazes me in this world full of sex, sex, sex everywhere and nobody seems to mind, but a woman doing the most natural thing in the world…the thing that those particular organs were designed to do in order to carry on mankind I might add…is reason for controversy. What a mixed up, crazy world we live in!!!
No! It isn’t indecent!
When the baby is feeding, you can’t see the nipple and what you could see isn’t more than many women show when they wear more provocative clothing!
What the heck is wrong with people?!?
Absolutely not…I wish someone would interfere while I was nursing Sofia…they would have a fight on their hands. For the record, I either carry a blanket, wear a nursing shirt, or an XL shirt.
That’s a bunch of shit! You can bet your ass I’m gonna have my titty out in public.
No.
OMG I dont know why this continues to be an issue…this is ridiculious! I think we should focus on more important things like…does anyone else think she looks a little too much like Mrs. Doubtfire??
happydeviant said: “no one wants to see a kid sucking on a fat cow like that. it’s gross.”
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I come to you out of love, because I truely feel in my heart that you are a really good person. From what you’ve told me, Michelle, you too were once a “fat cow.” So why now that you are so fit and skinny are you so hard on those who are fat? This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you make such comments about fat people. I’ve looked over your older entries and there are whole entries dedicated to making fun of fat people with pictures and all. You were once like them. I would think that gives you an inside look at how it is to be overweight and maybe not be so mean and nasty towards those who are overweight. Instead of mean and nasty maybe be more encouraging. I have to ask this, because I do know that your husband is very overweight just as my significant other is, but do you call him a fat cow and belittle him about his weight making him feel all nasty and ugly? Or do you love him in spite of his weight? I remember you did tell me that deep down inside you are not happy with yourself and that your exercise obsession to cover up the fact that you are not happy with yourself. Maybe you say mean and nasty things about fat people because in spite of your weight loss you are still very unhappy with yourself. I don’t mean to say such things to upset you, especially after the loss of your beloved friend, Beth. But this is heavy on my heart. I feel that you are a better person than this, and that you can rise above all of this. I wish you all the best.
If it bothers you, don’t look. It’s not like she was sitting it the middle of the restaurant. She was sitting in a booth. Besides, the shirt and the baby’s head cover the boob. There’s lots of women walking down the street with more breast skin showing and no one tries to get them to cover up with a blanket.
if it isnt it should be.
Yes you have a right to feed your baby in public. That does not mean you have the right to go flashing everyone around you.
What’s with all these people thinking it’s a good idea to breastfeed a baby in the bathroom? Where is there to sit? I bet these same people would be offended if a mother changed her baby’s diaper on their table, but they still think it’s appropriate for a baby to nurse on the toilet?
“To: ionekoa
I’m surprised at how seriously you’re taking this subject. Stop defending your perspective of it already. You’re a man, you wouldn’t feel the same as us MOTHERS in regards to this topic. Goodness!”
1: not TOOO seriously, a lot of my original comment(such as the vomiting) was pretty tounge-in-cheek, though i truely do find it disgusting. what i AM taking seriously is the militant in-your-face “deal with it” attitudes of people who refuse to do something as simple as cover up because they cant suffer minor inconvenience(if covering up can even be called that) in order to not offend the people around them. and people who resort to name-calling and backstepping when their “arguments” are refuted.
2: “stop defending your perspective” = you are a worthless piece of crap whose oppinion doesnt matter and we dont want to hear it. guess what, im just as human as you with just as many rights, and i have eyes to see, and no desire to be visually assaulted during a meal.
3. again, yet again, feed your baby.. no-one cares, but dont make an exhibition out of it. cover the thing up.
4. its not so much my perspective im defending as my right to have it, and to express it. and no, i wouldnt have the same perspective as a mother would, that makes it no less valid. while i would have no right to tell you “use formula instead of breast milk” or “use time out instead of spanking” i have EVERY right to say “hey, use a blanket, i dont want to see that” that also goes for all the sluts who where outfits just to have them plopped out for decoration.
“I’ve never been confronted about nursing in public. Maybe people here are just more respectful; I really have no idea. If someone ever does feel the need to be rude to me, though, I am quite prepared to pull out a blanket and offer it to whoever is being confrontational- they can cover their head up until I’m done. Then they won’t see it!”
Someone said this a while back, I don’t remember who, but it’s such a great comment.
My baby absolutely refuses to nurse with anything over her head. Still, when I nurse my shirt rests against her cheek, so nothing is showing.
I’m actually really shocked by how many people specify that this woman’s breastfeeding baby is offensive because she is overweight.
YES! A breast is a breast! I don’t want to see that lady’s big ol’ swollen milk boobie while I’m trying to eat! Be considerate of other people! Geez. Your rights end where mine start. Don’t make me look at your naked breast. It just isn’t fair.
Rosa Parks didn’t sit bare breasted at the front of the bus and if she did a blanket would have been appropriate. Sounds like she wanted a confrontation.
For those who think that just giving the baby a bottle would be the appropriate thing to do:
1: Many breastfed babies will not take a bottle.
2: Many mamas just can’t pump. For one thing, pumps can be really expensive. For another, it’s not as easy as it looks. I can’t pump.
3: The bottle will runout of milk. Sometimes women who do pump can only get a little bit of milk, and that’s not enough to satisfy the baby. Mom, however, never runs out as long as she is still nursing.
I carry a copy of that law with me just in case I ever go to KY and feel like breastfeeding whatever baby comes along….
Every state should protect breast feeding children.
Dude I miss Europe!
Almost everywhere else in the world people would not think twice about a woman breastfeeding in public.
It’s natural, necessary, better for the baby, and absolutley none of your buissness!
If you don’t want to see it then don’t look but personally I don’t find a woman breastfeeding repulsive!
It’s a beautiful thing and good for her!
Oh man, this is such a different group of commenters from the last breastfeeding in public blog I read. Wow!
My point of view:
- More people should breast feed publicly to up the awareness of it being natural.
- Nobody should have to ever eat in a bathroom. That is discusting. How many of the people who wrote that make sure to wash thier hands and use the papertowel to open the door on the way out?
- I fully intend on carrying a copy of the law with me at all times. Maybe if I studied law and were more confident in knowing my rights I’d forego this, knowing I could remember it word-for-word when it came down to needing to know it. This is not because I will be looking for trouble but because I will be ready to let others, who don’t know the law on breastfeeding, read for themselves and therefore understand the law.
- It sounds to me like this particular lady didn’t just pick the most open, forefront location in the restaurant to make a demonstration. Nope. She picked a back booth to feed her baby, who was hungry. You know, babies need to eat more often than adults. She probably DID feed right before leaving home. Should breastfeeding mothers no longer be allowed in public for more than an hour and half at a time from now on?
- I’m proud of her for standing up for her rights. If every breastfeeding woman was willing to do so, our nation would be a whole lot healthier.
I feed all three of my kids in public and never used a blanket. It is very easy to be discrete. I don’t think it was ever noticed. You don’t have to sit there with your boob hanging out. As to the larger question – it is a natural and beautiful thing for a woman to breast feed her baby. Others should appreciate it for what it is, and if they can’t, then look the other direction and shut up.
If I didn’t have a blanket I would go to a restroom or somewhere private. If there wasn’t a place avalible I would do my best not to flash everyone in sight. Although, I would make someone cover up if they were. Its a bit strange to continue to protest it.
No.
My wife breast-fed our kids. She used a light blanket. One of them did not like having his/her face covered and would push the blanket up or down to get more ability to see. They are grown now, and my daughter-in-law breast feeds. I’m proud of her. A woman does not have to fully expose her breast, if she wears a lose fitting light sweater and puts the baby up just under the bottom edge of the sweater to nurse, and covers up when baby is done. I know it draws attention, naturally, but it does not have to be exploitative (and the above woman-in my opinion-has every right to do what she did). Just keep the nipple covered as much as possible, either by the baby, or your garment.
Does anyone see breast in the above photo? Because she is actively nursing. Gee, I really don’t see exposure. Yup, oh my God (you know, that guy Jesus who was nursed by his mom, too) – she’s actually doing that in that picture.
im surprised that so many people say “gee… the picture” the picture is a pose, and does not necessarily represent the occurance in the resturant. if i were to decide to streak by an elementary school i would want those people on the jurry, just produce a photo of myself fully clothed running through a park and BAM “but he’s fully clothed, thats not wrong…”
What bothers me here is that it was in a restaurant where people EAT.
Fuck that if the baby is hungry feed him or her damm it!
She shouldn’t have to cover up… but the Rosa Parks thing is taking it too far…
How long ago did this happen? Is it just me or does that seem like a big baby?