If you have chosen to breastfeed, you are without a doubt, going to face the task
of feeding your baby in public.
It seems these days this is a hot topic, with women taking a stand and posting pictures
of themselves feeding their babies in public.
Moms often shy away from going out due to fear of germs, fear
of feeding baby in public or just plain not being ready to face the world.
Little has changed about our village's disapproval
of feeding babies in public.
Not exact matches
That's not to say it's always easy, despite this being my fourth time
feeding a
baby I'm still a little shy
feeding in public, I don't mind
feeding him
in a coffee shop or where people don't know me, but feel a bit self conscious
in front
of some friends and family.
In developing countries, there may be cases where the individual situation
of the mother and
baby would make replacement
feeding the safer option, despite the
public health recommendation to breastfeed.
The movement to protect
public breast -
feeding, which began
in the mid-1980s
in New York, has gathered steam as research has shown the value
of breast milk to a
baby's mental and physical health.
You know kind
of finding (inaudible) and you know the right carrier so I was able to
feed him or just saying forget it being able to get it out and being comfortable with myself enough to
feed my
baby in public
But amidst the plethora
of substantial, legitimate information, there is also a cacophony
of foreboding, judgmental voices: «lactivist» blogs that compare formula
feeding to child abuse;
public message boards with calls to action - «I automatically feel sorry for the
baby sitting
in the cart
in the formula aisle as their parent loads up on cans
of the stuff.
I was 17 by then and no other girls I knew
of my age were getting their breasts out
in public — not to
feed their
babies anyway!
It is
in honor
of this dick - whipping that I have found even more dudes who just can't tolerate the idea
of a woman
feeding her
baby with her breasts
in public.
Feed your
baby with them and they are suddenly the most offensive body part
in the world, and if you want to breastfeed your
baby in public some
of these guys feel they should be able to whip their dicks out and urinate anyplace they want.
Things like how to make sure your little one has an adequate supply
of breast milk when you go back to work, or how to
feed your
baby in public without flashing everyone
in the restaurant!
Women who are trying to do the best for their
babies should not be forced by other people's hang - ups or lack
of understanding to stay home or
feed their
babies in public washrooms.
In 4 + years as a breastfeeding mother I have NEVER come out the top of a shirt to feed a baby in public and rarely even do so at home because their nails go from clipped to SHARP in the blink of an eye and I want to protect my skin with a layer of fabric!
In 4 + years as a breastfeeding mother I have NEVER come out the top
of a shirt to
feed a
baby in public and rarely even do so at home because their nails go from clipped to SHARP in the blink of an eye and I want to protect my skin with a layer of fabric!
in public and rarely even do so at home because their nails go from clipped to SHARP
in the blink of an eye and I want to protect my skin with a layer of fabric!
in the blink
of an eye and I want to protect my skin with a layer
of fabric!).
Even just a cursory Internet search shows that breastfeeding promotion materials framed
in terms
of «the risks
of formula
feeding» are currently being used by some state breastfeeding coalitions, two hospitals, two private corporations, the Departments
of Public Health
in California and New York, the City
of New York, as well as The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs
in at least five states... The United States Department
of Health and Human Services» Office on Women's Health publishes a 50 - page guide to breastfeeding that points out that «among formula -
fed babies, ear infections and diarrhea are more common».
If you are pregnant or a new mummy who is nervous about
feeding your
baby out
of the house, here is my quick guide to breastfeeding
in public with confidence.
I am such a strong believer
in the fact that if society was more accepting
of breastfeeding and particularly seeing breastfeeding happen
in public places that more mums would attempt and continue to
feed their
babies for longer.
As much as they claim to be victimised for
public breastfeeding, FFing parents are frequently compared to child abusers, told that they are
feeding their
babies poison, that they don't deserve to have children and shown sensationalist «infographics» like the ones a few posts back which stated that formula
fed babies are x times more likely to die within the first year
of life without even accounting for the numerous confounding factors that would cause those numbers to be elevated
in the first place.
The option
of NOT having to choose between removing clothing
in public or
feeding a
baby in a toilet.
Women who are trying to do the best for their
babies should not be forced by other people's lack
of understanding to stay home or
feed their
babies in public washrooms.
If you want to go beyond that and consider whether or not the criticism was valid
in an ethical or moral sense, I think you should consider that this woman made a
public demonstration designed to draw attention and then posted a photo
of it on the internet along with her own opinions about formula being poison (clearly a criticism
of anyone who
feeds it to her
baby).
I'm a real proponent
of nursing
in public (I think the more people see women nursing their
babies out
in public the more normal it will become and the less stressful it will be for women who need to
feed their
babies while they're outside) but I try to do it as discreetly as possible.
I am about to have our third
baby and I breastfed each
of my others but I hated
feeding in public.
In the recent article «Controversy over public breast - feeding in Illinois has moms and health experts contemplating issue» (News, June 15), Tribune reporter Serena Maria Daniels said, «the sight of a mom breast - feeding her hungry baby in a public space — even discreetly — is still unacceptable to some and at times is cause for controversy.&raqu
In the recent article «Controversy over
public breast -
feeding in Illinois has moms and health experts contemplating issue» (News, June 15), Tribune reporter Serena Maria Daniels said, «the sight of a mom breast - feeding her hungry baby in a public space — even discreetly — is still unacceptable to some and at times is cause for controversy.&raqu
in Illinois has moms and health experts contemplating issue» (News, June 15), Tribune reporter Serena Maria Daniels said, «the sight
of a mom breast -
feeding her hungry
baby in a public space — even discreetly — is still unacceptable to some and at times is cause for controversy.&raqu
in a
public space — even discreetly — is still unacceptable to some and at times is cause for controversy.»
The required provision
of baby changing facilities was a large step towards making
public places more accessible for parents and
in many countries there are now laws
in place to protect the rights
of a breastfeeding mother when
feeding her child
in public.
The MEPs voting for the Resolution were heeding the expert opinions
of medical and
public health bodies from across Europe, US, Asia and Latin America and from UN bodies, including WHO, UNICEF, Save the Children, the UK Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), the European Midwives Association, Eurochild, Association of European Cancer Leagues, the European Federation of the Association of Dieticians (EFAD), the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN), COFACE (the Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union), EPHA (the European Public Health Association) BEUC (the European Consumers Association), the German Midwives Association, the California Women Infants and Children Association, Sustain's Childrens Food Campaign, the National Childbirth Trust, the Baby Feeding Law Group and the International Baby Food Action N
public health bodies from across Europe, US, Asia and Latin America and from UN bodies, including WHO, UNICEF, Save the Children, the UK Royal College
of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Standing Committee
of European Doctors (CPME), the European Midwives Association, Eurochild, Association
of European Cancer Leagues, the European Federation
of the Association
of Dieticians (EFAD), the European Federation
of Nurses Associations (EFN), COFACE (the Confederation
of Family Organisations
in the European Union), EPHA (the European
Public Health Association) BEUC (the European Consumers Association), the German Midwives Association, the California Women Infants and Children Association, Sustain's Childrens Food Campaign, the National Childbirth Trust, the Baby Feeding Law Group and the International Baby Food Action N
Public Health Association) BEUC (the European Consumers Association), the German Midwives Association, the California Women Infants and Children Association, Sustain's Childrens Food Campaign, the National Childbirth Trust, the
Baby Feeding Law Group and the International
Baby Food Action Network
This statistic literally translates to mean that 57 %
of Americans are uncomfortable with a
baby being
fed in public in a normal way.
These 15 stories go even further than the
public shaming
of moms about their breastfeeding; these particular cases escalated to the point where these moms were either arrested or threatened with arrest for
feeding their
babies while out
in public!
While there's no denying that women are shamed for unapologetically breastfeeding (especially
in public without a cover) mothers are also judged for formula
feeding their
babies, too, sometimes regardless
of the reasons why formula
feeding worked for them.
IBFAN — the International
Baby Food Action Network — consists
of over 27o
public interest groups working
in 168 countries to promote the health and well - being
of infants, young children and their mothers through the protection, promotion and support
of optimal infant and young child
feeding practices.
In consideration of global public health recommendations, including WHA Resolution 63.23, the WHA Global Strategy of Infant and Young Child feeding and the global impact of exports from the Union to third countries, the labelling and marketing of processed baby foods should make it clear that these products are not adequate for use by infants of less than 6 months of age and should not undermine the 6 month exclusive breastfeeding recommendation; Considers therefore that the labelling and marketing should be revised in line with WHA recommendations for foods for infants and young childre
In consideration
of global
public health recommendations, including WHA Resolution 63.23, the WHA Global Strategy
of Infant and Young Child
feeding and the global impact
of exports from the Union to third countries, the labelling and marketing
of processed
baby foods should make it clear that these products are not adequate for use by infants
of less than 6 months
of age and should not undermine the 6 month exclusive breastfeeding recommendation; Considers therefore that the labelling and marketing should be revised
in line with WHA recommendations for foods for infants and young childre
in line with WHA recommendations for foods for infants and young children;
Part
of the Mother Projects initiative, where the agency tries to solve a problem or highlight an issue it feels passionate about, the effort from the creative team is about helping women who might feel embarrassed or judged while
feeding their
babies in public.
However lots
of moms are not comfortable with breastfeeding their
babies in public and find it stressful trying to find a place to
feed their
babies in public.
Integrated Management
of Childhood Illness (IMCI)- Part III - Chapter 11 - Breastfeeding Nutrient adequacy
of exclusive breastfeeding for the term infant during the first six months
of life (2002) Geneva, World Health Organization Full text [pdf 278kb] The optimal duration
of exclusive breastfeeding: a systematic review Geneva, World Health Organization, 2001 Full text [pdf 1.06 Mb] Report
of the expert consultation
of the optimal duration
of exclusive breastfeeding Report
of an expert consultation Geneva, World Health Organization, 28 - 30 March 2001 Full text [pdf 122kb] The WHO Global Data Bank on Infant and Young Child
Feeding Breastfeeding and Complementary
Feeding Feeding Your
Baby From Six Months To One Year Your guide to help you introduce food to your baby Adapted and reproduced with permission of Peel Public Health, Region of Peel A Practical Workbook to Protect, Promote and Support Breastfeeding in Community Based Projects Health Canada, Ottawa, 2002 This workbook is intended to assist the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) or similar community based prenatal projects to identify strategies and specific actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in a population health cont
Baby From Six Months To One Year Your guide to help you introduce food to your
baby Adapted and reproduced with permission of Peel Public Health, Region of Peel A Practical Workbook to Protect, Promote and Support Breastfeeding in Community Based Projects Health Canada, Ottawa, 2002 This workbook is intended to assist the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) or similar community based prenatal projects to identify strategies and specific actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in a population health cont
baby Adapted and reproduced with permission
of Peel
Public Health, Region
of Peel A Practical Workbook to Protect, Promote and Support Breastfeeding
in Community Based Projects Health Canada, Ottawa, 2002 This workbook is intended to assist the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) or similar community based prenatal projects to identify strategies and specific actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding
in a population health context.
Those
in favor
of allowing breastfeeding
in public say
feeding your
baby is about as natural as it gets, so if you have a problem with it, just look elsewhere!
Not with standing any other provision
of law, a mother may breastfeed her
baby in any location,
public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective
of whether or not the nipple
of the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to the breast
feeding.
It's for anyone that is supportive
of breastfeeding and it's fine with moms being able to
feed their
babies, the way they want to
feed their
babies in public.
As compared to bottle
feeding where you just pull out the
feeding bottle with some formula and
feed your
baby while seated on a bench
in a mall, the thought
of baring your breasts
in public may seem unacceptable to you.
70 %
of breastfeeding mothers are relatively comfortable breastfeeding
in public, choosing to
feed their
baby whenever and wherever he / she is hungry.
I'm hoping that continuing to take my supplements and starting domperidone will take me to exclusive levels
of production, but all I know is that I haven't received shade from formula feeders but I have received it from breastfeeders, and that makes me sad because I unapologetically nurse our son uncovered, remind everyone that boobs were made for
feeding so they can deal with breastfeeding
in public, feel that breastmilk is truly the best for
babies and have an extremely hard time with the fact that I can't
feed him just breast.
If you're wondering if you should breastfeed
in public or just stay home to avoid potential awkwardness, here are 10 reasons to
feed your
baby in front
of others.
WomensENews reported this week that The
Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, launched 10 years ago by the World Health Organization to promote breast -
feeding in maternity wards, has given its stamp
of approval so far to only one
public hospital out
of 11
in New York City, and only 79 hospitals nationwide.
Thankfully, most
of the time breastfeeding moms aren't going to encounter any issue when they
feed their
babies in public.
Evenflo has since decided to abandon the WHO Code
in favor
of more marketing, and one
of the results is this advertisement that mocks breastfeeding
in public, depicting uncomfortable and pushy
in - laws who claim that breastfeeding means no one else can
feed and thus bond with the
baby, and includes an awkward scene after the mom pumps (We wanted to be able to share the video with you but after a strong backlash it appears to have been pulled but not after millions had already viewed it.)
Ultimately though, regardless
of how absurd it sounds, women are harassed for
feeding their
babies, asked to leave restaurants, fear meeting their child's needs
in public due to
public shaming, face judgment for how they
feed their children, and feel pressured to
feed a certain way but be invisible.
This commercial,
in all it's camped up attempts at humor, gives onlookers «permission» to say to a breastfeeding mom «why can't you just go pump so someone else can
feed the
baby» or «you should bring a bottle
of pumped milk so you don't have to breastfeed
in public.»
Members
of the
public, NGOs and donor agencies want to assist
babies and giving them good information about infant and young child
feeding in emergencies will help to prevent harmful practices and help to protect the most vulnerable to illness and death.
However, if you are still interested
in feeding in public, but have some anxiety, one
of the best solutions is just to look at your precious little
baby.
She is organizing a series
of «nurse -
ins» at Target stores across the country on December 28th at 10:00 am to raise awareness about a
baby's right to be
fed in public.