Is Breastfeeding Okay in Public ?

Breastfeeding is scary for most mothers because of public feeding and just being a first time mother. Mother’s think that people would give them weird or dirty looks and would be publicly embarrassed by breastfeeding. When out in public breastfeeding draws a lot of attention to the mother because most people don’t just walk into a public place and see a mother openly breastfeeding her baby. Although some may think breastfeeding should be done in private, once someone has analyzed that the mother has to feed, pump breast milk, and care for the baby’s need they’ll understand what breastfeeding means, Also breastfeeding rates have went up dramatically since the early 1970s.

In the United States, the legal right of a mother to breastfeed in public is clear, And yet public behavior shared by members of the society prevents breastfeeding mothers from feeling equal and autonomous in public spaces. Public places such as the park, the mall, restaurants, buildings, and offices show many challenges for breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding makes other feel uncomfortable and disgusted, it forces people to look and notice or self-conscious about not looking.

In several stories mothers have admitted to feeling embarrassed while breastfeeding in public places. In order for some moms to feel comfortable they would breastfeed in the nasty public restrooms because they didn’t want to risk the public shaming. In December of 2015 Whoopi Goldberg stated “If they’re old enough to hit then they shouldn’t be breastfeeding”. The baby has to feed off the mother for up to 4 hours or so when the baby gets hungry while out you’ll have to immediately attend to the child.. If the child is hungry the mother has to rush to the restroom with a crying & hungry child which would draw attention as well. One can clearly deduce that it is a shame that these mothers are being harassed because they are simply feeding their needy child, stated by Janice Porter, 31, A mother of two.
“A simple burp rag over the child and the problem goes away” stayed John beck. The problem of public breastfeeding cannot be solved with a burp rag. If a mother is out eating at an restaurant and her baby is being very fussing she’ll have to attend to her baby. If a mother uses a breast cover the baby can easily throw it off or even pull it down to expose what’s under. Some mothers are even asked to leave the restaurant or even go to the restroom to breastfeed. When people see things like this they don’t know how to act, where to look, or even what to do.

Rates of breastfeeding have went up since the early 1970s by race and just all breastfeeding mothers. In the 1970s, breastfeeding rates in the hospital were as low as 24 percent, with only 5 percent of mothers nursing for several months following birth. The feminist women groups and Christian women groups such as La Leche began challenging the medical model by promoting natural childbirth and breastfeeding. “ These groups promoted the benefits of breastfeeding and also raising a child.* Some of the feminist health groups helped organize a boycott of nestle in the late 1970s for promoting formula in developing curries. Therefore these groups claimed that nestle led to 1 million infants deaths because of their formula.

Ones say that breastfeeding is healthier than bottle feeding. Breastfeeding provides advantages for the babies health and growth. Breastfeeding is a way to achieve so-called good mothering idealized notion of mothers as selfless and child-centered.*Mothers who take breastfeed into consideration doesn’t have to pay for high price formula and cereal. As one can see breastfeed is cheaper and healthier for the parent and child.

In the 1980s there was a little decrease and flateau in the breastfeeding rates and then in the 1990s, the rate steadily rises to a higher percent. Currently only about one third of mothers report breastfeeding at six months. “In 991, breastfeeding rates, both for imitation and six months after birth began to increase again”.* Between 1991 and 2002 breastfeeding rates for all mother’s increased 16.8 percentage points at birth and 15. Percentage points six months after birth. Therefore all mothers across all democratic characteristics experienced increase in breastfeeding rates.

While society wants mothers to breastfeed to protect and promote infants health, It wants them to do so behind closed doors. Most mothers are asked to cover up or go to the restroom while out muring in restaurants. “In 2007 a nursing mother was asked to cover up while nursing in an Applebee’s restaurant” stated by John.* This incident resulted in “nurse/ins” at Applebee’s location all over the united states in protest. As one can see the resistance to nursing in public areas from the link between breast and sexuality, including the idea that breast are in accent.

Children that have been breastfeed for six months of life are healthier than the children that are given formula. They say breastfeeding even helps the baby fight infections and develops healthy immune systems. This research found that children who were breastfeeding for that least nine mothers had higher IQ test scores when tested in their late teens and 20s.* Mothers who choose to breastfeeding are healthier with less risk of ovarian and breast cancer. Therefore breastfeeding helps digest easier that’s why babies have to have their diaper changed almost every feeding.

The first six months of a babies life are the crucial stages of growth and development. The first six months of life the baby is immune to get more sick, virus infection, ear infection ect. Many health professionals believe that breastfeeding reduces the sickness and helps to provide the baby with a healthy start.* Within the first five years research suggest that breast milk is the best milk because it meets all the nutritional requirements.”* Human milk is different in its composition and chemial make-up than formula and canned milk. Therefore the protective factors in human milk are natural and cannot be artistically produce.

Breastfeeding is an important factors in a child’s life and mothers have to care for their baby at all times. Breastfeeding is a normal factor for mothers and it’s the child in need of feeding and needs to be fed. “Breast Milk is more healthy than formula milk” stated by Amanda. For a long healthy life time for you and your child breastfeeding is one way to make it possible.

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