breastfeeding in public

I'm amazed that there are some women admitting that their own kids haven't seen a woman's boob before. What, not even your own? very odd.

No my son has not seen my boob before (I breast fed but no kid ever remembers that)!! That is sick

Why is it "sick?" My kids have seen my boobs on occasion. I'm not all like shaking them in their faces or anything, but they live here and I don't like to shut the bathroom door when I'm here alone with them because I need to be able to hear them. So they've seen stuff. Who cares? They're little.

IMO it is gross, but that is just me! My kids are also a bit older 7 and 9 and I doubt my 7 year old wants to see his moms boob or any other private part. In our family certain body parts are private and they are taught to keep them private!

Doesn't anyone remember that awkward time where they heard their parents in the bedroom?? I do and wish I'd never experienced it.

I just think 7 and 9 is too young to be exposed to that type of thing. I would hope that because of this my daughter will keep her body private and not dress provocatively when she is a teenager. Maybe that is why some girls grow up thinking it is okay to have cleavage showing, they are not taught to keep certain body parts private.

When I was 7, I went on a walk with a friend to complete an errand for her mother. On the way back, it poured rain and I was very cold and wet when I got home. My father was in the bathtub (we didn't have a shower), so my mother had me get out of my cold, wet clothes and stick my feet into the hot bathtub water with my father, who was naked.

I am not the least bit traumatized by it. It was no big deal. It was NOT sexual (not the same as seeing or hearing your parents having sex). I saw both my parents and even my aunts, uncles and grandparents many times in various states of undress over the years.

As a teenager, I wore baggy, oversized T-shirts and sweaters all the time because I didn't want to show off my body. Not because I saw naked relatives but because I wasn't comfortable with the attention I got if clothing was too tight or too short. Seeing a breast doesn't cause a girl to dress like a tramp.

And, by the way, as her MOTHER, you can say no.

And as her mother I will say NO, however I will hope that because of her being raised to keep her body private age will want to all on her own. When they are old enough in my eyes to discuss those things we will!

And as her mother I will say NO, however I will hope that because of her being raised to keep her body private age will want to all on her own. When they are old enough in my eyes to discuss those things we will!

Frugalmomsrock, I would disagree with your sentiment that moms never "flop it all out." I do think they are rare, though. I think the amount of people who "flop it all out" is probably roughly the same as the amount of people who would have a problem with a mom discreetly nursing in public.

I BF my 3 children in public all of the time, in a very conservative (either a capital or lower case 'C' is apt there, if you kwim) area of the country and NEVER got even a dirty look. BUT a gal I was friends with at the time ALWAYS got dirty looks. Do you want to know why *I* think that was? SHE thought it was because all those ignorant a-holes couldn't deal with nursing. *I* (who constantly nursed in public with no issues) thought it was because while I was reasonably discreet, she pulled her shirt down under her breast, then picked up her baby, then latched on, then shot dirty looks around the room waiting for someone to complain. I think it was her dream to be in a big news story like this. Some people are just confrontational, or maybe looking to be part of a political firestorm, or who knows what else, KWIM? Look around the world, you can't tell me those people don't exist-- they do in every facet of life, including all the mommy-war issues.

In fact, a political statement is exactly what a nurse-in is. It's not about needing to feed baby right now, they show up for the express reason of making a political statement.

The truth is, I'm with them if the statement is "oh, my baby's hungry, I'm going to find a comfortable spot to feed her..." (comfortable spot=a bench somewhere, though I never "covered up" with a blanket, I'd kind of wrap one around, not a bathroom. This topic wasn't about a bathroom though, it was about a changing room, which you CAN'T tell me is worse than the FLOOR of a Target). I'm just not with them when the statement is "I'm going to nurse WHENever & WHEREever, and EFF YOU!!!" which is what these things are about. In my experience, no one (though I'm sure a rare few psychos) has a problem with the former, but very few people appreciate the latter. And I agree.

Feel free to claim to "call bull****" or whatever you want, but having spent the last 7 years solid of my life BFing, I don't think you can pass me off as an anti-BFing person who just doesn't get it.

What an interesting thread...

I think that there are some extremist out there that have ruined this for all of the private and self conscious breastfeeding moms out there. No, I don't need to see your boob and toddler plopped on the table at the McDonald's because it's your right to feed your child! People need to be considerate and tactful - everyone has a right to their opinions. I can attest that breastfeeding in public can be done easily and privately - I breastfed both of my children and was told on more than on occasion by this person or that (in the mall, at a restaurant, or where ever) that they didn't even realize I was breastfeeding. I always did it tactfully and completely covered because regardless of how natural it is - it is my body and everybody doesn't need to see it. Sex is natural too - but I'll be damned if I want people doing that in front of my kids!

Frugalmomsrock, I would disagree with your sentiment that moms never "flop it all out." I do think they are rare, though. I think the amount of people who "flop it all out" is probably roughly the same as the amount of people who would have a problem with a mom discreetly nursing in public.

I BF my 3 children in public all of the time, in a very conservative (either a capital or lower case 'C' is apt there, if you kwim) area of the country and NEVER got even a dirty look. BUT a gal I was friends with at the time ALWAYS got dirty looks. Do you want to know why *I* think that was? SHE thought it was because all those ignorant a-holes couldn't deal with nursing. *I* (who constantly nursed in public with no issues) thought it was because while I was reasonably discreet, she pulled her shirt down under her breast, then picked up her baby, then latched on, then shot dirty looks around the room waiting for someone to complain. I think it was her dream to be in a big news story like this. Some people are just confrontational, or maybe looking to be part of a political firestorm, or who knows what else, KWIM? Look around the world, you can't tell me those people don't exist-- they do in every facet of life, including all the mommy-war issues.

In fact, a political statement is exactly what a nurse-in is. It's not about needing to feed baby right now, they show up for the express reason of making a political statement.

The truth is, I'm with them if the statement is "oh, my baby's hungry, I'm going to find a comfortable spot to feed her..." (comfortable spot=a bench somewhere, though I never "covered up" with a blanket, I'd kind of wrap one around, not a bathroom. This topic wasn't about a bathroom though, it was about a changing room, which you CAN'T tell me is worse than the FLOOR of a Target). I'm just not with them when the statement is "I'm going to nurse WHENever & WHEREever, and EFF YOU!!!" which is what these things are about. In my experience, no one (though I'm sure a rare few psychos) has a problem with the former, but very few people appreciate the latter. And I agree.

Feel free to claim to "call bull****" or whatever you want, but having spent the last 7 years solid of my life BFing, I don't think you can pass me off as an anti-BFing person who just doesn't get it.

And as her mother I will say NO, however I will hope that because of her being raised to keep her body private age will want to all on her own. When they are old enough in my eyes to discuss those things we will!

I guess we have different opinions on when they are "old enough" to discuss these things. My 5-year-old knows what's appropriate for public viewing and what is not. She knows there are bad people out there. She knows that kissing is for grown-ups, and she knows where her private places are and that nobody is allowed to touch them. She knows that one day she will grow breasts, and that one day she will have a period, and that those things happen so that she can have and feed the babies that she will have one day if she wants to have them. She doesn't seem scarred. We talk about things in language that she can understand, and I believe that when she's of teh age to need to talk about sex, it will be good that we've opened this door now because it won't be such a taboo subject. There's none of this "I'll tell you when you're older" business. If she has a question, I answer it as best I can. I don't feel like it's in her best interest to wait until she comes home with her head full of wrong ideas she gleaned from conversations in the school cafeteria. Because those conversations happen. I'd rather she know the truth first so she won't be duped later.