Breastfeeding in public why not?

Melissa Mihalovic

Weds-6:30PM-9:50PM

Argumentative Essay

Draft

            Women should be able to breastfeed in public without feeling embarrassed or being criticized.  Breastfeeding is one of the most natural ways of feeding your infant baby.  It develops a special bond between the Mother and her new baby.  Breastfeeding in public is one of the most controversial topics in today’s society.  Breastfeeding in public is simply misunderstood and thought of by most people as an act of indecent exposure. 

            There are health benefits to breastfeeding for both the Mother and baby, reasons why public facilities as in restaurants, malls and places of employment should provide an area for breastfeeding Mothers to feed their babies, and reasons why a Mother should be able to breastfeed in public. 

            There are many health benefits for both Mothers and babies to breastfeed.  Breast feeding milk fights disease, the antibodies in breast milk help protect babies from illness, lower respiratory infections, asthma obesity, and type 2 diabetes.  It also has been shown to lower the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).  It can be good for the Mother too and is linked to a lower risk of certain health problems including; type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and postpartum depression.  It can help save money and can feel great, the bond and physical contact is important to the Mother and the baby, it helps the baby feel more secure, warm, and comforted.  There are even some studies shown that breastfeeding can assist the Mother with weight loss after pregnancy. 

            For nearly two years the U.S. department of Health and Human Services launched a campaign to promote breastfeeding by educating Mothers about the risks and importance of breastfeeding.  This increased the rates of breastfeeding in the U.S over the next three years by 75%.  This sparked the term “breast is best”, and these rates are higher in middle class, educated Mothers.  Communities have passed laws to support breastfeeding moms in the workplace they have passed laws to ensure that breastfeeding in public is not seen as indecency but a right, and therefore protects the rights of the mother. The Wisconsin law reads as follows: 

Section 1.253.16: Right to breast-feed.  A mother may breast-feed her child in any public or private location where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be.  In such a location, no person may prohibit a mother from breast-feeding her child, direct a mother to move to a different location to breast-feed her child, direct a mother to cover her child or breast while breast feeding, or otherwise restrict a mother from breast-feeding her child as provided in this section.

Doctor’s, midwives, and nutritionist all recommend mothers’ breastfeed their babies for the health benefits still remains controversial.  While society wants moms to breastfeed they want them to do it behind close doors.  In 2007 there was an incident at an Applebee’s restaurant where a nursing mother was breastfeeding her baby and was asked by a employee to cover herself while she was nursing or to leave the premises.  This was in despite of a law that extended mothers rights to breastfeed in public.   Applebee’s received so many calls to headquarters by

Outraged mothers regarding this incident that all Applebee’s in the U.S. developed “nurseins” at every restaurant.  

            Infants require feeding almost every 2 hours at times, and a mother can not plan her day around a breastfeeding child with this frequent feeding schedule it is almost impossible.  Breastfeeding moms that breastfeed in public are subject to scrutiny by individuals that do not see breastfeeding for what it is, but rather as a public display of exposure.  The La Leche League International offers a few different ways to respond to people that criticize, ignore the comments or change the subject, share information on breastfeeding with the other person, make a joke about the situation to lighten the mood, show that you are recognizing the person’s viewpoint by asking further questions without agreeing or responding to the criticism. 

               Breastfeeding mothers and breastfeeding in public continue to be on the rise and should not be viewed as indecency.  I view it as if a mother is breastfeeding in a public place it is their right by law in most states, and if it bothers someone that bad look away, and remember babies must eat too and they eat all the time, why is it ok to scrutinize breastfeeding mothers when they are just feeding their hungry babies.