by Ann Rivers

Created on: March 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

There seems to be a lot of controversy around breastfeeding in public. I agree that I feel uncomfortable if I see a woman openly nursing her child in public. But that is only if she doesn't cover up. I believe that breastfeeding is best. I am currently nursing my daughter, and I find it to be a very rewarding bonding experience between me and my child. This is my third child and I have nursed all of my children. In this day and age it shouldn't be a problem for a woman to nurse in public without making other people feel uncomfortable about it. There are so many different styles of nursing tops that you can purchase that make it pretty much impossible for your breast to show to the public. I have no problem with nursing my child in public as long as I have a comfortable place to sit while I do it. However I do still get the straying eye my way every once in awhile, but it's not that big of a deal. I figure it's human nature to be curious and there is no reason for me to be uncomfortable about it. Woman have been nursing their children since the beginning of time, there is no reason for any woman to feel uncomfortable about this.

I hope that someday we will progress in society to a point where this won't be an issue, but that probably will never happen. This is why us mothers have to be willing to brush off a few strange looks to do what they feel is best for their child. What are we to do? Are we supposed to just let our child cry because they are hungry? Or should we just stay home all the time in order for us to be able to feed our child when they are hungry?

Personally I am a stay at home mom, and I can't just stay home with my children all the time. I have responsibilities that I need to take care of... I am the one who does mostly all of the shopping in our household. I also have to make sure that my oldest child gets home from preschool. And anyone who has older children knows that not only will you as a parent go crazy from being stuck inside all the time, but it is not good for your children to be cooped up all of the time. Therefor breastfeeding in public can become a necessity.

Of course there are alternatives to nursing in public. You do have the option of purchasing a breast-pump and pumping milk when you plan to be out of the house for an extended period of time. I use this option as well. However any breastfeeding mother knows that it is virtually impossible to tell how much your child ingests at a time, so it can be difficult to know how much you should bring out with you. I have had many times where I ran out of the milk that I had brought with me, and had no other option but to nurse my child in public.

Where I live a lot of places have recently began to try to accomodate breastfeeding mothers more by offering nursing rooms. This is a nice feature at some malls. But unfortunately not all stores or malls offer this as an option for breastfeeding mothers.

In conclusion I really don't believe that it should be an issue in our society if mothers choose to nurse their children in public, as long as they have themselves covered up. I also believe that mothers should not feel any kind of anxiety about nursing their children in public either. It is a normal part of nature, and no woman should ever be made to feel uncomfortable about that.

Learn more about this author, Ann Rivers.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.