Then perhaps THEY shouldn't look. I don't care to see some out-of-shape guy mowing his lawn in the summer without a shirt exposing a fat belly and 'moobs' - but I realize it is hot outside - so I look away. Women do their best to cover up when nursing, but sometimes it is not possible for a moment or two when adjusting a screaming, fussy infant. Women should not be made feel as if they are defecating in public and exposing people to something disgusting. Just look away if it offends you.

Nothing wrong with breast feeding in public as long as it not done in my face. It is none of my business and I do not want to see it either. I f a woman can't be discreet about it then she should'nt be doing in front of others. Just like the cell phone, I don't want to hear those personal conversations....right, none of my business. I just wish that THOSE people would just be a LITTLE BIT CONSIDERATE of others and just don't think that is their constitutional right to annoy other people. Nuff said........

So, you can stuff your face with food anywhere you want? But, I have to cover my daughters' face and my breast when she is eating - well, I don't! If you don't want to see my breast or her eating - DON'T LOOK. Oh and don't be too appalled when you see her eating, she is two and we practice full term nursing.

Wow, um. . .lot of emotion about this one issue, eh? It's a good thing to start discussing these issues. Formula is made of icky corn byproducts that even farmers won't feed to their cows. Because of the corn-syrup commercials, everyone who watches TV now knows that high-fructose corn syrup is "okay in moderation," but it's in nearly EVERYTHING! There's almost no way to avoid it in our modern convenience-living culture. Now think about it: this "fine-in-moderation" crap is in every mouthful of infant formula. It has been research-proven that formula-fed babies are fatter (on average), which by definition means even more fat cells just waiting to be filled up! For that reason, it leads on to childhood obesity, which in turn leads to adult obesity. Obesity is a HUGE risk factor for diabetes and high cholesterol, and both of those greatly increase the risk of heart disease. These deadly conditions sit at or near the top of the list for healthcare expenditure and early morbidity and morality. Healthcare spending is at the top of our country's GDP, and everyone seems to be screaming (and scheming) to control it before it bankrupts America. So breastfeeding really IS a societal issue. Formula-feeding our kids is where a MAJOR amount of our country's chronic diseases (and healthcare expenditures) come from!

Yet most new moms still receive free samples of formula right in their hospital room, and advertisements for formula in the same baggie with all the other agenda-driven promotional items and literature. Receiving formula samples in the hospital is KNOWN to be statistically linked to the choice to formula-feed an infant.

The American Pediatric Association has finally come out saying that mothers' milk is best for a baby. Yet welfare-class moms are given free formula at every public-health department, but there's no real incentive to breastfeed. WIC items largely comprise fatty dairy products. We know from population studies that poorer people are generally more obese, and being thin is more and more the domain of the rich, quickly becoming a major status-symbol. We already know that these public health departments' emphasis on corn and dairy is a natural by-product of the fact that corn and dairy are major government-subsidized farm products. Now stop. Think. Is this a secret government plot to KILL OFF poor people and minorities??? Connect the dots. You could almost believe it.

Our healthcare crisis lies heavily on the shoulders of the formula industry and government agricultural subsidies. But is anyone actually SAYING this? No. They act as if none of these factors are related in any way, because our government has a corrupted agenda and too many direct conflicts of interest.

Mark my word: breastfeeding IS a societal issue. Breastfeeding is our nation's greatest hope for affordable healthcare. Every breastfeeding infant will do more for America's health and financial state than governernment will ever accomplish. So when you see a flash of nipple at WalMart as a breast-fed infant latches on, maybe you'll be less "offended" if you realize that the combo (breast + infant) conserves major dollars for every taxpaying American. There. Feel less offended now?

"Formula is made of icky corn byproducts that even farmers won't feed to their cows." Where did this come from? Formula may have corn byproducts -all food has has to come from somewhere but no part of the corn kernal is not used for food cattle or human. I don't think you have a clue as to what it takes raise corn or produce food. Maybe you should do some research or visit a farm to find out.

@Rorn - awesome!!! Did you see me in Walmart breastfeeding my 3 month old son.

As a breastfeeding mom, I try to be as discreet as possible where possible. That said a restroom is not a suitable place to eat let alone feed an infant.

If people really thought about it, do you really see more of a woman's breast, with an actively breastfeeding child, than those women who show tons of cleavage for no reason.

As a married woman I do not relish the fact of someone other than my husband getting a gander of my goods. However, the greater good must prevail...

Another thing I often wonder about is how something so natural, is given the third degree, almost every one knows the term organic, yet often enough the first thing that is done in the hospital when a child is born is that a bottled is offered before the breast. This same bottle did not carry this infant for the gestational period but is given first option.

So next time you see a breastfeeding mom encourage her for her playing a part in making a better tomorrow for the whole world.

Breast-feeding: Whose business is it anyway?

No one's. Anyone who freaks out over seeing a breast/nipple in public, or feels the need to stare at nursing mothers and or go out of their way to make nursing mothers uncomfortable, needs to see a shrink.

When someone dies after seeing a woman breastfeed her baby, then we'll talk about whether public breastfeeding is appropriate.

@ Rorn---oh please!!! Formula makes us obese? Really? It's that simple huh? I and my siblings were all formula babies from the 70's and we're all quite trim thank you. And my cousin was nursed and was a very very heavy baby who is now a thin adult. And all our chronic illnesses come from formula? You could win a Nobel Prize in Medicine for your theories!!! My formula fed son has been healthier than some of his breast-fed counterparts thankyouverymuch! Of course breastfeeding should absolutely be encouraged for all mothers but formula is a perfectly viable option for those who can't. It's people like you who make me sick.

It's about feeding your child. Should breastfeeding mothers be confined to their homes just because their babies need to eat every two hours? No. Eating is not a private activity. When a baby needs to eat, he needs to eat. Who do you think you are to dicate when and where a mother can feed her child?

Bonding is a wonderful part of breastfeeding, but the main reason is food and nourishment. Equating feeding your child with public sex, urination, and passing gas is just plain silly.

Amen!

There are these things called breast pumps that you can use so you can take the milk with you...not in you. If the child needs to eat in public feed it with the pumped milk. Feed it whenever you want.

Ignorance! A mother pumps when she is not with her child at the same time that her child eats. It's called supply and damand. If your baby eats every 3 hours then the mother needs to empty herself every 3 hours. PLUS!!! Pumping is not easy. When I pump I only get 4 ounces of milk but when my baby get a bottle she wants 6 ounces of milk...which means I'm usually pumping at midnight (when she's sleeping) just to get enough milk for her to eat when I'm not with her.

Pump? for 15 or 20 mins? when your baby is yelling for either food or comfort NOW? I'm thinking you have never taken care of a baby to say that. It's not realistic. I agree cover up as best you can, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world and it is an amazing gift to give your child. There should be no judgement on what route moms choose - formula or breastfeeding -- but please... if moms choose to breastfeed, give them a break. If there is a breastfeeding mom near you in public and you don't like it, move away and leave the mom to take care of her baby in peace. No mom needs the tut tutting or glaring eyes of the disapprovers.

Babies DO NOT have control over their hunger and bowel movements or bladder etc .. so why should breast feeding be equated to adult's sexual urges and bladder control?

I nursed my kids in public. If you are going to be in public, you are going to have to feed them and not all facilities offer a private clean room. Would you want to eat your meal in a filthy restroom?

I tried to be very discreet. My father-in-law sitting across from me in a restaurant did not even know I was feeding the baby.

My daughter never would take a bottle and I pumped daily - for nothing - she wanted it from the source. Still does. I prefer to think that I am enlightening people when I nurse in public and I don't use a blanket. Of course, I am "discreet" my nipples are never exposed and you don't see any more or less of my breasts than when I was a tavern wench at the local Renaissance Fair. No one has ever told me not to cover up, and I can't think of a place I have not fed her...Restaurant, check - Disney, check - Airport/airplane, check - grocery store/mall, check - etc!

Whatever guys. I have seen the mass supplies of left over breast milk for sale on ebay and craigslist, not to mention my one friend offering a whole freezer full to who ever wanted it after her baby was weaned.

Also, after my friend went back to her 40 hour a week job she still made sure her baby had breast milk. How else do you expect a working mom to successfully breast feed? Its the same thing. Your baby doesn't go without while you are at work for 5-8 hours and it won't go without while you are shopping or going out to eat for most likely less than that time.

Pump? for 15 or 20 mins? when your baby is yelling for either food or comfort NOW?

Do it ahead of time!!!

My daughter never would take a bottle and I pumped daily - for nothing - she wanted it from the source.

Oh please...trust me if your milk dried up your baby wouldn't have starved to death.

How would YOU like to go through 24 - 48 hours of a baby who wants a breast/ not a bottle screaming? People are so obsessed with breasts as sexual objects - this is a very unhealthy hang-up. Get over it.

So all the women who work and breastfeed are letting their babies starve while they work because the baby will not eat from a bottle? If you use both they will know to eat from both.

And you are an expert in this area because ....

I have talked to many friends who have breastfed and/or tried. Never said I was an expert. Doesn't take an expert to be observant and have a little common sense.

LanaD

I don't know why you are even commenting you obviously have never had a baby. Any mom breastfed or bottlefed knows that each baby is different. Some babies refuse the bottle. I know of one mother who couldn't return to work because when she tried to leave her baby with a caregiver and a bottle she would get a call in 3 hours to come home because her baby was creaming and wouldn't take the bottle.

Breastfeeding is natural. That is what breasts are for. There is know denying that. This isn't an opinion and it is fact. Breastfeeding is my choice and now that my 5 month old is starting to eat solids making her baby food from organic veggies and fruits is also my choice. Babies are perfect and I don't want to put anything in her body that is altered in any way. I'm not saying it will be like this forever. I'm sure she will eat McDonald french fries and chicken nuggets in her lifetime but for now natural is better.

There are a lot of other benefits to breastfeeding. Breastfed babies have a lesser chance of colic and acid reflux. They also spit up less because there isn't any air in the milk when it comes from the breast.

I hate that people feel more comfortable seeing breasts in a porno then they do when a baby is attached to them.

Breastfeeding your baby is very important not only to establish attachment and bonding, but biologically important as well. Your baby is not born with a fully mature immune system, and breast milk uniquely provides many of the antibodies (there are a few that are unique to breast milk) necessary to help protect your baby from illness. The woman in the article who said she was frequently ill as a child is a good example of this. She missed out on the immune system boost her siblings got.

However, there is a point beyond which breast milk is no longer necessary. Once a child is able to eat solid foods, their immune systems have grown strong enough to support itself, and any further nutrients the child needs to grow healthily can come from a healthful diet.

Personally, because of this, I feel that breastfeeding prolonged beyond this point is useless and has become more of a desire of the mother than of the child. The child does not know any better, and will ask for the breast just because he/she believes that's what he/she is supposed to do. There are other ways to bond with your child.

My views about breastfeeding in public are cover it up, please. Just like people gawk at a train wreck, it's sometimes hard not to notice a breast out in the open with a baby attached. I'm a woman, and no, I haven't had children, but I don't want to become unwittingly involved in feeding time between the mother and the baby. I will cover up when my time comes.

I do not urinate in public even though it's "normal", nor do I pass gas or make odd sounds even though it too is a "normal" reaction t certain stimuli.

The fact that you're even equating breastfeeding to urinating in public and or passing gas, shows just how little you know about the subject.

Also, everyone passes gas in public. If you don't fart, you can get sick.

it's a personal issue and NO ONE's business. You must be one of those who favors the "Nanny State" telling you how to live your life.

I am as far away from favoring a "nanny state" as anyone can be. But when you consider that 50% of American infants receive WIC services at some point in the first year, it absolutely is the business of the taxpayer that babies are breastfed. I don't have any national stats on the #of WIC infants that do not receive formula, but in my area I know that it is a very, very small number. I am very careful not to make any of my patients feel bad about choosing not to, or quitting breastfeeding. But on the inside, I feel like I have failed both mother and child as their nurse.

I don't have any national stats on the #of WIC infants that do not receive formula, but in my area I know that it is a very, very small number.

Complete opposite in my area. I only know 2 girls who successfully breast fed and dozens who tried but gave up after a few days. I used to be a cashier and just about every WIC transaction had milk, juice and formula.

*I just noticed we are both from Ohio. I live in the valley. Maybe things are different your way!

I was on WIC with my first child, and if you choose to breastfeed in lieu of formula you are provided with a hospital-grade automatic breast pump. I didn't seek out WIC assistance however until it was too late, so I ended up switching to formula after 6 months. Had I known this was available to me I would have taken advantage sooner, but the manual breastpump just didn't work out. I have met very few women in my generation who are even willing to try and I find it sad. Sure it sucks for the first week or so, but since you're on pain meds anyway you might as well tough it out!

LOL! "moobs"

Men lawnmowing is on private property!!!!!!

Breast feeding on public property is EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS !!!!! All one has to do is be a LITTLE, yes just a LITTLE CONSIDERATE of the other person.

Out-of-shape, uncovered men are not always on private property. Why don't YOU a be a 'little considerate' - carry a blanket with you when you go out and then when you see a woman exposing those disgusting breasts of hers for the purpose that nature intended (nursing an infant) - you can throw it over your head. This way we all win.

Men lawnmowing is on private property!!!!!!

Really?

Breast feeding on public property is EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS !!!!!

Are you the one getting breastfed? If not, then it's not your business.

All one has to do is be a LITTLE, yes just a LITTLE CONSIDERATE of the other person.

Why are you trying so hard to get a good look at a nursing mother's breasts? Do you get off on it?

As I said earlier...there are these things called breast pumps...

INGNORANCE!!! Pumping doesn't work that way. If the baby eats every 3 hours the mother needs to nurse or pump every 3 hours or she will lose her supply. It's called Supply and Damand

pocketfulofpeanuts is right if it is feeding time then she either needs to feed the baby or pump. So if she isn't feeding the baby in public then she would be pumping in public.

Then how is it working moms still breastfeed? They aren't there when the baby needs to feed. My friend would pump on her breaks just to keep up the supply for home and to keep from drying up. Pump ahead on time then you won't have to worry about needing to feed from your breast on the spot in public places.

I think its kind of amusing how all of you didn't think about pumping ahead of time lol

What is amusing - LanaD - is how little you know about breastfeeding and pumping.

More of my friends have kids than don't have kids. I know 2 who successfully breast fed and they both used pumps to supplement food for the babies while they worked or for when they went out.

What no one is explaining to you Lana, is that when the baby is hungry, he/she (not "it" by the way) needs to be fed, AND a mother's breasts need to be emptied. Women who are working (like myself) pump every 3 hours to maintain supply and provide milk for the next day. We are often able to pump in a private area at work because pumping is much less dignified than breastfeeding (have you EVER seen someone pump in public???). This is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than if a mother, her husband, and their baby would like to go on an outing for more than 2-3 hours, and the baby needs to eat. You are right, you can pump a bottle to give the baby to spare people like yourself the horrible image of a mother feeding her baby in the most natural way possible, but that mother who if she was at work would close her office door and pump still needs to empty her breasts! Even though she has fed the baby a bottle! If she does not, she will be engorged, in pain, leaking, and her supply could be affected if her body is thinking her baby does not need that milk it just made! And until you've experienced the pain and discomfort of engorgement you cannot minimize it. It hurts!

You obviously are not a mother and have no experience with breastfeeding/pumping. I hope I've explained it in a way you can understand. It's not as easy as just giving a bottle of previously pumped breastmilk. Something still has to be done about the milk in the breasts ready and waiting for baby at that moment! Like a previous commenter said, should the mother then pump in public? Or not go anywhere if she's going to be away from home for more than 2 hours? That's just ridiculous.

If I were you, I'd stick to only opining on topics you actually know something about.

Oh trust me my friends have explained plenty to me. Both working moms pumped on their work breaks too. They had to for reasons you and I both stated previously. I would not promote public pumping either. I also don't think we should pay women on the clock to pump their breasts but if it saves them from breast feeding in public I guess I will compromise.

My friend has been at my house with baby for over 5 hours many times and never once did she breast feed. One time though we did go to the movies and shopping (without baby) and she had to go to the car to pump.

Or not go anywhere if she's going to be away from home for more than 2 hours?

Not just home but also the baby. A mother isn't always with her child to breast feed. Whether it be at work, going out with friends, or if the baby stays with the grandparents for a night the baby will not be with her every 3 hours to feed. She will still be pumping even if the baby isn't around.

If I were you, I'd stick to only opining on topics you actually know something about.

And you seem so knowledable. Seems you are missing some common sense here

You don't think women should be on the clock and getting paid while they pump?!! Do you realize what these women are trying to accomplish in 15 min. or less? What about the people who use their breaks to smoke, text their friends, do their nails or my goodness - go to the bathroom or grab a snack? Should they get paid breaks? Just a little something to think about on your next break!

Um, I am at least more knowledgeable than you, I can say that with certainty--because I am a MOTHER, who BREASTFEEDS, and PUMPS. You are a woman who has gathered all of her information based on your interpretation of observations of your friends. I am no expert by any means, but I am definitely more of an expert than you are I can safely say!!!

But I'm sure if you asked any of your friends outright about what it's like to go without pumping for more than a few hours when your baby is less than 6 months old and needs to eat anywhere from 8-12 times a day, they'll tell you how uncomfortable it is. Did you know Lana that newborns nurse 8-12 times a day? Did you know that as they get older they can go longer stretches without eating and can nurse anywhere from 5-7 times a day? Perhaps your friend who went 5 hours had an older baby. Perhaps she is a mother who supplements with formula and therefore nurses less often. Perhaps she was in pain and didn't share it with you (surprise, surprise). She obviously didn't feel comfortable nursing or pumping around you! It doesn't seem like many of your friends do! I wonder why?? Did you know that when you don't empty your breasts of milk either by nursing or pumping, you adversely affect your supply? Just because some women do it, doesn't mean all women can, or should. The solution you offer--giving the baby a bottle of expressed breastmilk while not draining your breasts at baby's feeding time--is not an actual solution for mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding their young babies. Sure Lana there is going to be an instance every so often when a mother will go several hours without nursing or pumping--I've done it myself--but it's not something that can be done on a regular basis, so the majority of time we nursing mothers figure out a way to feed our babies no matter where we are.

I don't even know why I am bothering addressing your staggering ignorance on this topic, I just hope one day that when you do become a mother you realize the error in your thinking. It's one thing to have the reasonable opinion that if you were to nurse you would only feel comfortable doing so discreetly. It's quite another to be so misinformed and indignant in that misinformation! Feeding your newborn is a big job, takes a lot of love, time, and effort, and it's obvious in how you speak about it that you don't even have the capability of grasping that.

I breastfed my son for over a year, did not cover up with a blanket in public as it was hot and sweaty for him and me both, and did not have an issue with other people seeing it. No one saw my breasts, I used my shirt to disguise the latch on and wore clothing that was easy to feed in. I also pumped for feeding him while I was at work. But he would not take a bottle if I was with him, and I would not try to force the issue. Most babies want the milk from mom if she is available and they know when it mom is there and not there for that purpose. And his crying could set off the milk flow and make it impossible to ignore him. Pumping is not the same thing as the baby breastfeeding either. You don't get the same demand for milk with it. I also did not use any formula and toughed out the milk demands by fitting more pumping in when he needed it. Please don't tell me I have to go feed my son in a dirty bathroom, you wouldn't eat your lunch in a bathroom and he should not have to either.

Jean, you are absolutely incorrect. There are many studies that show the benefits of breastfeeding over formula. You cannot use your own family and those around you as fact. Please do the research before making this kind of statement. Thanks!

CO-Mama, I strongly feel the evidence you speak to is not accurate due to other factors. We pay extra for private day care and my son has only had the sniffles 2x in 6 1/2 months - it has little to do with his diet. However, there is no way I can eat a perfect diet that matches the balance and nutrition that the makers of Nestle Goodstart are providing him. Also, my own doctor admitted of her two boys, the one she did not breastfed had fewer colds. The moms I know who breastfeed are either too poor to afford formula (and thus can't be eating all that healthy themselves) or who are stay at home moms and keep their kids home so they are less likely to get sick anyway. I do think we should pay attention to studies, but personal experience and talking to friends within our own social/economic groups is very reliable as well.

"Not so fast Mr. Bush"

I am NOT poor and I am NOT a stay at home mom, and I breastfed my daughter, without even one drop of formula, until she was 27-months-old. And I know SEVERAL other moms who have done the same. Stop making assumptions about a population of women you know nothing about.

As for my thoughts, each mom needs to do what is best for her family. Period.

Unfortunately, I think JeanP bought into the stereotypes that were fed my mother's generation by Nestle. They've made a huge profit on people like this. During the 70's they also tried to tell mothers in third world countries that formula was better for their babies. They sent female marketers in white dresses who called themselves "milk nurses" (none had nursing degrees) and talked these women into buying formula that cost around 5o% of their monthly income. As a result, they added more and more water to the formula trying to make it last. Babies died. I have not forgotten. Don't buy Nestle anything!

Also, my own doctor admitted of her two boys, the one she did not breastfed had fewer colds.

My sister and I were not breastfed. We usually go a year or two without getting colds. My last cold was well over a year ago. Really sucked when we were in school and there were lots of kids who got to stay home because of being sick regularly. Oh well, at least I got some perfect attendance awards out of it! lol

Lana D, there's your evidence... not breastfeeding really DOES cause lower intelligence

I made a post earlier about the biological benefits of breastfeeding. Jeanp posted up there that there were no facts or studies done about how breast milk can reduce future health problems. This abstract from a scientific article has a brief explanation of the biological benefits. In fact, I encourage you all to do a quick Google Scholar search for legitimate research articles all about breastfeeding.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11550600

There have been numerous studies done that demonstrate the link between breastfeeding and future health of children.

Once I was breastfeeding at the LA zoo. I picked a bench secluded off the trail, my friend sat beside me as we chatted (and slurped) and I was covered with a blanket. Then a tour bus with Japanese tourists disembarked nearby, and about 40 people started taking snapshots of the scene. My daughter and I were more popular than the elephants!

Oh, please. I have seen women breastfeeding without covering up and I still couldn't see any but maybe the tiniest sliver of the skin of their breasts, especially if they are breastfeeding with the baby in a sling. It's not like they are topless. I am certainly not going to put a blanket over my baby's head just so he can get hot and sweaty because some people cannot handle the fact that babies drink milk from their mothers' breasts.

The next time you see a woman nursing in public, you should thank her for giving the child the best nutrition ever!

That was my method!

I also think, though, that mothers should attempt to cover up with a blanket

Would you eat with a blanket over your head? Babies like to see their mommies when they nurse, why would you force your baby to eat in the dark?

great post!

I was so happy making up that first bottle of formula...you have no idea...ditto!

I had a similiar experience with my first son - he wouldn't nurse, I was frustrated - he was frustrated - after 6 weeks gave up. SO glad I gave it another try with the second child. I was more relaxed and she could sense it - it was a wonderful experience. Anyone who has ever had a bad experience with something this important - shouldn't be afraid to give it another try if they have another child.

The funny thing is that when I had such latch and supply issues with my son, a gillion people told me to try Reglan for the supply issues. Yes, take drugs. How "natural" is that?

I'm actually planning on trying again with my second (who will arrive shortly). It's just that I have no plans to torture myself this time if it doesn't work out.

I agree with you 100%. We all want what is best for our babies and should support each other.

LoL oh he knew ;) I know how those unobvious dirty old men work. Seen it/heard it myself many times

Breast-feeding is NOT sexual and most normal people know this instinctively.

You are ignorant if you think dirty old men aren't just hoping for a peak of some young nipple on a large swollen breast. It can be turned into something sexual whether you want to admit it or not. Denying it isn't going to make it any less true.

Most dirty old men know instinctively they might be able to cop a peak of some nipple action.

I think it is you, actually, that has major 'issues' when it comes to breasts. They seem to be a real turn-on for you.

LoL you go ahead and keep ignoring the facts. See what I care. It will be you with dirty old men trying to cop a look at your baby feeders not mine ;)

Breasts are not a turn on for me, but my husband sure seems to like mine.