Own It!

My Facebook scroll has featured a growing number of posts/ articles that discuss public breastfeeding. Since I've never given birth and/ or breastfed, I haven't paid much attention to these posts, except be puzzled by why people are upset about public breastfeeding. I remember my mother breastfeeding my youngest sister in the hot, stuffy car, and on hindsight, believe it would have been easier on my mother and sister if she could breastfeed in public. But that was the extent of my "encounters" with breastfeeding as mothers usually breastfed in a private room.

Hence I didn't think much about it...until I watched this video produced by JoeySalads about a week ago (copy and paste https://youtu.be/sKjO0jZWkx4 if the hyperlink doesn't work). It recorded the reactions of people who passed a mother breastfeeding in public. I was shocked by the rude comments that men and women flung at the mother.

A week later, JoeySalads conducted another similar social experiment. This time, he recorded the looks/ comments of people who saw a woman dressed in a top with deep cleavage (I'll call her "the model"), and a mother breastfeeding in public. He first recorded the model and mother separately, then sat them next to each other. The results are in this video HERE. Please watch it. I was appalled by some of the comments made by people, especially the man who said that it was fine for the model to display half her boobs because it was "hot," but it was not okay for the mother because it was "disgusting."

Jaw
Drop.

In a rare twist, the comments section for both videos were very supportive about public breastfeeding, and I am impressed that the vast majority of the public seem to be comfortable with public breastfeeding. For once, the internet trolls are silent.

While I don't support the so-called "Free the Nipple" feminist campaign, there is nothing inappropriate in a mother briefly revealing her nipples to breastfeed her child in public, or showing half her boob while her child is sucking. Besides, how many mothers let their naked breasts "hang out" longer than necessary? Most of them either a) cover their child with a nursing cloth that I heard is hot and uncomfortable for the poor infant, or b) cover their breasts before and after the feeding as soon as possible. As JoeySalads and many others have pointed out, breastfeeding is natural and a non-sexual act, so no mother should feel guilty for baring her boobs in public within this context.

Furthermore, even if you disapprove of public breastfeeding, you should not make such rude comments to nursing mothers. This is basic etiquette. Public breastfeeding is not a moral issue, hence there is no need to correct these mothers. Leave quietly if you are uncomfortable with what you see.

So to you mothers who are breastfeeding, you continue doing so in public if you want to. Know that you have the support of the majority of the public (and me). And like what the video below says, OWN IT!

(Video link)