While breastfeeding is considered the best option for mother and baby, women still face judgemental comments when they’re doing it in front of others. Usually, they have to do it because their child is hungry and they happen to be in public, not because they particularly enjoy it. However, this still doesn’t sink in for some people, and they continue to offer unsolicited remarks to mothers whenever they nurse in front of them.
Like this woman who told her son’s wife not to breastfeed near her in her own home. The tired new mom couldn’t be bothered to come up with an adequate answer to her comment, so she did something entirely unexpected that made jaws drop.
Women breastfeed in public simply because their baby is hungry and they happen to be out and about
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
However, some still think it’s because of some hidden sexual agenda, like this MIL, who told her DIL not to breastfeed in front of her
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Ill-Hall-2953
The need for frequent breastfeeding means that nursing moms have to do it wherever they are
No mother has to explain herself why she’s breastfeeding in front of others. However, for those who are slower in understanding the reasons, professor of pediatrics Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH, gives one of them.
“Infants typically feed anywhere from 8 to 10 times in a day. It’s normal that babies feed regularly throughout the day and may literally feed as often as every hour. Nutrients in human milk are absorbed rapidly and thoroughly so they can provide the best benefit. Babies feed in small volumes as the stomach capacity of an infant is very small,” she explained.
The need for frequent breastfeeding means that nursing moms have to do it wherever they are. While at first moms might prefer to breastfeed only where they feel the most comfortable, which is usually at their home, after some time they start to feel more confident about nursing their babies in front of other people when they’re out and about. After all, a baby is included into an already existing family’s lifestyle, not the other way around.
However, negative reactions from onlookers often make women more hesitant to breastfeed in public or even feel ashamed to do it. The people who offer such unsolicited comments to them usually do so because they struggle to view breasts as functional biological organs designed for infant nutrition, explained certified breastfeeding counsellor Katie McCann in a previous interview with Bored Panda. “Objectification, combined with deeply ingrained modesty norms and lingering discomfort around female bodies, contributes to the persistent stigma.”
Society still has a long way to go before we normalize public breastfeeding
As mentioned earlier, no woman has to explain why she’s feeding in public or feel ashamed about it. But because our society isn’t perfect, we still have to work to make this our reality by normalizing it. Board-certified lactation consultant Leigh Anne O’Connor, in a previous interview with us, suggested doing this by stopping hiding and making specialized places for women to secretly nurse their babies
“Educate all healthcare workers about breastfeeding. Have breastfed curriculum in high schools. Require ALL healthcare workers to be educated about breastfeeding. Stop using bottles as the image for feeding babies. Stop the marketing of formula, especially in low-income areas. Hospitals should not be giving away formula,” she proposed.
These goals are very difficult to achieve, so until they come true, women can find healthy ways to cope with negative breastfeeding comments since they don’t have to offer anyone an explanation for nursing in front of others.
McCann suggested the following ones:
- Seeking support from other breastfeeding mothers, either through local groups or online communities.
- Prioritizing personal well-being and recognizing that uninformed opinions do not diminish the importance of their choice to breastfeed.
- Connecting with supportive family members and healthcare professionals who can provide emotional backup.
- Remember your rights! In most countries (and everywhere in the US), you have the right to breastfeed anywhere a child is allowed to be so you cannot be intimidated or asked to move by any member of the public or employee at that establishment.
Some commenters supported the new mom
While some thought she was acting childish
English (US) ·