things you could do without seeing or watching someone do

[knitster]

>mwah!<

I'm right with you. Those laws are important and they're written the way they are for a reason. The loopholes that prudes were using to try to prevent woman from naturally feeding their babies were closed over a course of years.

I always carry a blanket when breastfeeding. That way if we're distressing anyone, I can offer it to them to put over their head.

hahahaha I love it!

After having 3 kids, I have never figured out how to nurse a baby and keep a blanket over them at the same time. For some reason my babies don't like to be suffocated while they eat. Go figure.

[lady ulrike]

I have a child and I breastfed her. She had no problem with a blanket over her, it was by no means suffocating her. I think covering up (more so in some places than others) is simply the polite thing to do, not because one should be ashamed of a natural function, but because you may be bringing on questions from a child to their parent that they're not ready to answer yet. I feel it's rude to force that kind of conversation on a parent whom you do not know at all just because you feel you have a right to do whatever you want.

[knitster]

I have a child and I breastfed her. She had no problem with a blanket over her, it was by no means suffocating her. I think covering up (more so in some places than others) is simply the polite thing to do, not because one should be ashamed of a natural function, but because you may be bringing on questions from a child to their parent that they're not ready to answer yet. I feel it's rude to force that kind of conversation on a parent whom you do not know at all just because you feel you have a right to do whatever you want.

Well none of my babies tolerated blankets being over their heads. They just thrashed around and ripped them off and I usually ended up flashing people in the process. However, I (always!) have a camisole on under my shirt, which covers my back and belly, then I pull my shirt down so that it covers everything from the baby's mouth up to my neck, so there is literally not one inch of flesh showing. I don't feel the need to use a blanket to cover because, at that point, the only thing it would cover would be the baby's head, and what's the point in that?

I'm forced to have conversations with my kids all the time that I don't want to have. Yesterday a neighbor kid called another kid "gay wad" and I had to discuss hate speech with my 9 and 5 year old. A few weeks ago we drove by a bill board with a half naked woman on it and I had to discuss that with my 5 year old who asked why people want to look at woman in her underwear. It happens. It's life. I can't keep my kids in a bubble and by putting them out there in the world, I'm guaranteed that they will hear or see things that force me to talk to them about subjects that I'd rather not discuss at that time. And I will never understand why people think that kids shouldn't know about breastfeeding. I don't get it - at all. Why should a child not know that women - like every other mammal - produce milk for their young? It's not sexual, it's biological.

[Big Wallaby]

I feel it's rude to force that kind of conversation on a parent whom you do not know at all just because you feel you have a right to do whatever you want.

So what you're saying is my freedoms end where yours begin, and vice versa.

I like that train of thought.

[PatchOBlack]

I am not arguing that breast-feeding isn't a "natural process". It is. However, it is irrelevant, as there are several other "natural processes" that the law does not allow one to engage in in public normally. That the mother is not attempting something sexual in nature is, also, irrelevant. Many nudist would also say that being sans clothing should not be taken as being something sexual in nature. They are still subject to laws dealing with indecent exposure.

It is all well and good to talk about the virtues of breast-feeding, and how it is a wonderful act of a mother with a long historical tradition. However, while I don't think there should be anything like a ban on it, I think the laws that were quoted go too far in there attempt to protect breast-feeding mothers. For example, I do believe a business has a right to ask a breast-feeding mother to be considerate of their other customers and be discrete when feeding their child. If it is a question of it being difficult to find places where one can breast-feed a child while out-and-about, perhaps we need to have laws similar to ones that require that businesses of a certain size provide certain facilities such as bathrooms.

I don't think a person who is uncomfortable with someone public breast-feeding is necessarily a "prude", any more than the mother should be labeled an "exhibitionist".

[lady ulrike]

Well none of my babies tolerated blankets being over their heads. They just thrashed around and ripped them off and I usually ended up flashing people in the process. However, I (always!) have a camisole on under my shirt, which covers my back and belly, then I pull my shirt down so that it covers everything from the baby's mouth up to my neck, so there is literally not one inch of flesh showing. I don't feel the need to use a blanket to cover because, at that point, the only thing it would cover would be the baby's head, and what's the point in that?

I'm forced to have conversations with my kids all the time that I don't want to have. Yesterday a neighbor kid called another kid "gay wad" and I had to discuss hate speech with my 9 and 5 year old. A few weeks ago we drove by a bill board with a half naked woman on it and I had to discuss that with my 5 year old who asked why people want to look at woman in her underwear. It happens. It's life. I can't keep my kids in a bubble and by putting them out there in the world, I'm guaranteed that they will hear or see things that force me to talk to them about subjects that I'd rather not discuss at that time. And I will never understand why people think that kids shouldn't know about breastfeeding. I don't get it - at all. Why should a child not know that women - like every other mammal - produce milk for their young? It's not sexual, it's biological.

You are making an attempt at covering, that's completely different than those whom I've seen who literally just pull it out and flash the world (and sometimes with children who are way too old to be breastfeeding, but that's a whole other topic).

And yes, I realize that forced conversations happen all the time and I feel that in the case of other children forcing those conversations onto you are the case of bad parenting. The problem with not covering while breastfeeding and that conversation being forced on someone is that too many people view it as sexual. I realize it's not and it shouldn't be, but for too many people in this world, it becomes a sexual conversation. And honestly, sometimes it'll forced to be a sexual conversation because of the world we live in. They probably have a lot less problems with this kinda thing in other countries where sex isn't a bad word.

I am not arguing that breast-feeding isn't a "natural process". It is. However, it is irrelevant, as there are several other "natural processes" that the law does not allow one to engage in in public normally. That the mother is not attempting something sexual in nature is, also, irrelevant. Many nudist would also say that being sans clothing should not be taken as being something sexual in nature. They are still subject to laws dealing with indecent exposure.

It is all well and good to talk about the virtues of breast-feeding, and how it is a wonderful act of a mother with a long historical tradition. However, while I don't think there should be anything like a ban on it, I think the laws that were quoted go too far in there attempt to protect breast-feeding mothers. For example, I do believe a business has a right to ask a breast-feeding mother to be considerate of their other customers and be discrete when feeding their child. If it is a question of it being difficult to find places where one can breast-feed a child while out-and-about, perhaps we need to have laws similar to ones that require that businesses of a certain size provide certain facilities such as bathrooms.

I don't think a person who is uncomfortable with someone public breast-feeding is necessarily a "prude", any more than the mother should be labeled an "exhibitionist".

I think that you've hit the nail right on the head. And I think the level of discretion with it does vary depending on the place you're at.

[knitster]

You are making an attempt at covering, that's completely different than those whom I've seen who literally just pull it out and flash the world (and sometimes with children who are way too old to be breastfeeding, but that's a whole other topic).

I totally agree with you that whipping it out and flashing the world is unnecessary and rude. It's just not that hard to cover up in some form - whether with a blanket or with a shirt or what have you. And if you can't breastfeed discreetly (as I wasn't able to do with my youngest due to some issues he had with latch in the beginning), then you need to find a private place to nurse. I 100% agree with that. My feathers only get in a ruffle when people have an issue with *all* public nursing - even the discreet kind.

[lady ulrike]

I totally agree with you that whipping it out and flashing the world is unnecessary and rude. It's just not that hard to cover up in some form - whether with a blanket or with a shirt or what have you. And if you can't breastfeed discreetly (as I wasn't able to do with my youngest due to some issues he had with latch in the beginning), then you need to find a private place to nurse. I 100% agree with that. My feathers only get in a ruffle when people have an issue with *all* public nursing - even the discreet kind.

We're totally on the same page. I have no issue with public nursing and did it, pretty much everywhere, it's when people are not discreet about it that it gets to me.

[GaTechGal]

You are making an attempt at covering, that's completely different than those whom I've seen who literally just pull it out and flash the world (and sometimes with children who are way too old to be breastfeeding, but that's a whole other topic).

In a town down by the airport they passes some sort of ordinance restricint breastfeeding in public of children older than two. There was a lot of hoo-haw and a sit in of some sort of breastfeeing women. But most of them were UNDER 2 and wouldn't be covered by the law. It's also in line with language in other similar ordinances in the surrounding area.

I always covered mine with a blanket or towel caused it helped them focus. If they were uncovered, they got too distracted looking around and not finishing up.

[CptnSkippy]

I always covered mine with a blanket or towel caused it helped them focus. If they were uncovered, they got too distracted looking around and not finishing up.

I used to play this game with our little ones. I'd wait until they were latched on, then try and make them laugh or look away.

Would drive the wife nuts. (Of course this was only in the house - outside or at the parks, she would cover with a jacket or blanket. A lot of times, you couldn't even tell she was nursing).