In our sex-saturated culture that is routinely throwing images of scantily-clad women in our faces, I am somewhat confused as to why people have such an issue with a mother baring her breasts to nourish her newborn.
A story from Reuters explains that a woman was asked to leave a ritzy New York showroom last August because she was making others uncomfortable by nursing her 8-month-old son. She later received an apology from the company including a generous gift of $3,600.
Can someone please explain the phobia? Why is public breastfeeding looked down upon? If it is a healthy practice recommended by doctors and experts alike, why aren’t women encouraged to take the time, when needed in public, to nurse?
As a mother who nursed her son for his first year, I have breastfed in public places that are not so public (i.e. the stall of my dealership’s restroom) mostly because I was the one uncomfortable baring all in public. But other women who are willing to do so, should be able to and not ostracized.
Motherhood, and all the duties related to it, is a noble job that is rarely ever recognized by our culture as being worthy of attention (except when mistakes are made.) Women should be encouraged in the positive and healthy care of their children, not discouraged. I wonder if we’ll have ever a more supportive society that considers mothering, especially the at-home variety, valuable.
