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I have never been able to understand why some people frown, mutter or even comment to the breastfeeder - the nerve. How uptight have we become as a society, that we actually take exception to the natural feeding of an infant in a public place? Hello, this is how we are supposed to feed our young - it's everywhere in nature.

We've been inundated with information on how superior breast milk is to formula (no offense intended to formula moms and dads), so we know when we see someone breastfeeding, they deserve a bit of our respect. It's really hard to get on track, breastfeeding an infant - there's weight gain issues (the charts aren't updated), friends/family can be unsupportive, it's painful, it ruins the appearance of your breasts, and so on. So on top of that, we give grief to those who need to feed their child in open-concept public? Let me tell you, infants are hungry when they're hungry, and it's pretty hard to find nursing rooms, let alone change tables. Breastfeeders make do with very little.

I breastfed in public once or twice out of necessity, and luckily my worst problem was gawking perverts, not offended prudes. Conversely, before I was old enough to understand, I'd see a nursing mother and think she was courageous and must have really loved her baby.

The breast is sexual to people for obvious reasons, but one of the main reasons men love breasts is because of the comfort and nurturing connection. Some people, for whatever reason, are offended by seeing a breast? They need to remember why breasts exist in the first place - to feed infants. And if that's why they're seeing a boob in public, well, there you go. Case closed.

To all those women who toughed it out and continue to do so, breastfeed happily, wherever you like (although a shawl is a wise idea), and if enough people do it despite the mutters and scowls, we may actually change the way people look at breastfeeding in public.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Birchall.
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