Cheerleaders Can Display Their Breasts But Nursing Mothers Can't?

[verte76]

I'd much rather see a baby being breastfed in a stadium than some obnoxious drunk wielding beer bottles. I don't know how many horror stories I've heard about those jerks at local football games. They hit people who are pulling for the other team. They're dangerous. That's what I wouldn't want to pay to see. Babies? Bring them!

 

[Liesje]

However, no one would seriously support public masturbation. Thus, the arguments proposed so far are flawed as they cannot be applied on a consistent basis.

How about the "everyone else gets to eat in public/at the game" point....

 

[Liesje]

Also, your penis will not swell and become infected if you don't masturbate every 2.5 hours.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

This thread makes me want to laugh. A lot. I cannot really honestly believe that mature adults in the 21st century would possibly have any problem whatsoever with seeing women nurse their children. It certainly shows what a Puritanical double standard still exists in such an over-sexualized culture. Very sad indeed.

 

[pax]

Also, your penis will not swell and become infected if you don't masturbate every 2.5 hours.

Why is it, I wonder, that many of the same men who can't get enough of the female breast as a sexual object are so riled about a woman breastfeeding in public? If you become fathers, will you tell your wife that she should let your child scream, cry, and go hungry rather than feed it publicly? Or will you refuse to let her leave the house while she's lactating?

I hope y'all are a bit more understanding of your own present or future wives and children than you're being now.

 

[joyfulgirl]

This thread makes me want to laugh. A lot. I cannot really honestly believe that mature adults in the 21st century would possibly have any problem whatsoever with seeing women nurse their children. It certainly shows what a Puritanical double standard still exists in such an over-sexualized culture. Very sad indeed.

I could not agree more. I cannot believe we even have to have this discussion!!!

 

[Dreadsox]

Also, your penis will not swell and become infected if you don't masturbate every 2.5 hours.

It won't?

Damn...there goes my argument for it....

 

[Dreadsox]

Why is it, I wonder, that many of the same men who can't get enough of the female breast as a sexual object are so riled about a woman breastfeeding in public? If you become fathers, will you tell your wife that she should let your child scream, cry, and go hungry rather than feed it publicly? Or will you refuse to let her leave the house while she's lactating?

I hope y'all are a bit more understanding of your own present or future wives and children than you're being now.

I am wondering how many have not had the experience, hence the viewpoint....

Side story....when I was a new teacher, right in the middle of a parent conference the parent decided to nurse as the baby started to cry...at the time I was like, WTF over? Now as a father I have a completely different opinion on it.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Side story....when I was a new teacher, right in the middle of a parent conference the parent decided to nurse as the baby started to cry...at the time I was like, WTF over? Now as a father I have a completely different opinion on it.

Unfamiliarity does breed uncomfortability with just about anything so I can sorta understand but people need to get over it! A little self-awareness could easily lend the viewpoint that 'hey, this is weird for me but I know it's because it's a new experience and I'm not used to it but since women have been breastfeeding (publicly!) since the beginning of time the problem must be in me, not with breastfeeding in public, and I'll probably get used to it." Now is that really so hard?

 

[u2bonogirl]

very recently on a plane ride I was sitting next to a woman who had a baby and a young boy with her, and she was flying without her husband. The baby was crying and screaming and I was so relieved when the lady just whipped her boob out right there and nursed the baby.
I wasnt offended
I was offended by the fact that the family smelled like garlic But the boob didnt bother me

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

when I was a new teacher, right in the middle of a parent conference the parent decided to nurse as the baby started to cry...at the time I was like, WTF over? Now as a father I have a completely different opinion on it.

I don't think you even have to be a parent, to be honest when I first started seeing women breast feeding in public it felt "strange" to me because it was new and something I'd never experienced before. Now I don't give it a second thought, it's something I see more often and I'm used to it. Now I think it's rather beautiful to see a woman nursing her baby. It's extremely rare to see a woman who doesn't do it in a discreet way. Yet you see women flashing their breasts at Mardi Gras or whatever and people think that's somehow funny and/or acceptable

 

[nbcrusader]

Also, your penis will not swell and become infected if you don't masturbate every 2.5 hours.

I'll let DaveC respond to that..... at his age it may be a problem.

 

[BAW]

Yet you see women flashing their breasts at Mardi Gras or whatever and people think that's somehow funny and/or acceptable

And some people will actually pay for porn that shows lactating women but seeing a breast used for its intended purpose is disgusting and/or offensive. Go figure.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I'll let DaveC respond to that..... at his age it may be a problem.

 

[80sU2isBest]

Yet you see women flashing their breasts at Mardi Gras or whatever and people think that's somehow funny and/or acceptable

I think it's neither funny or acceptable.

 

[DrTeeth]

I'll let DaveC respond to that..... at his age it may be a problem.

At your age, it probably stopped being a problem years ago.

 

[Dreadsox]

At your age, it probably stopped being a problem years ago.

Hmmmm......How old in NBC? I think he is older than me....@37.

 

[nbcrusader]

As a parent who has been actively involved with the rearing of our two children, I hope I “qualify” as understanding enough to respond.

This has been the most telling response to date:

You know what I find entertaining? You've probably "seen" a dozen woman breastfeeding in public and never even realized it because they tend to be so discrete.

Public breastfeeding has occurred for decades. But the key word here is discretion. We seem to continue to evolve into a society where we measure our activities by our perceived rights and equalities, and lose sight of the fact that we are still members of a larger society. Perhaps we have lost a bit of that Chip N’ Dale quality (“after you” “no, no, after you”) when we always cared about how our activities impacted the people around us.

So far, no one has articulated a compelling principle for open public breastfeeding that would exclude activities to which we would object (masturbation, personal grooming (i.e., clipping toe nails), chewing with our mouths open, etc.). To me, the strongest argument in favor is the health of the child. Unfortunately, that is not really a working priority for society today.

 

[nbcrusader]

Hmmmm......How old in NBC? I think he is older than me....@37.

41 - and still chasing my wife around....

 

[Dreadsox]

41 - and still chasing my wife around....

Hopefully she is not as fast as my wife it

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

And some people will actually pay for porn that shows lactating women

What? I am very naive

You learn something new in FYM every day

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

So far, no one has articulated a compelling principle for open public breastfeeding that would exclude activities to which we would object (masturbation, personal grooming (i.e., clipping toe nails), chewing with our mouths open, etc.). To me, the strongest argument in favor is the health of the child. Unfortunately, that is not really a working priority for society today.

I've just read through the whole of this thread and seen numerous compelling reasons:

1) Women who are breastfeeding their baby need to be able to feed at regular intervals in order to avoid discomfort and possible medical problems.

2) Public bathrooms are not a suitable, sanitary place to breastfeed a baby.

3) The only options available to a woman if it is determined that breastfeeding in a public place (ie a sporting event) is unacceptable would be either to stay at home with their baby or endure discomfort and the risk of medical problems due to not being able to breastfeed.

4) The other activities to which you referred (eg masturbating and clipping toe-nails) could easily be postponed until the individual returns to the privacy of their own home. In the frankly unlikely event that someone was unable to wait a few hours to masturbate or cut their toe-nails they could choose to, um, perform such activities in a public bathroom. (While it would be unlikely to be an *ahem* pleasant experience, it wouldn't have the same potential health risks as breastfeeding a baby in a public bathroom.)

Once again, can somoene please present some compelling arguments for preventing women breastfeeding in public places? So far all we've had is "I don't like to look at it" which is an extremely weak argument - we could all list many things we prefer not to look at but that's no reason to ban those things.

 

[starsforu2]

Has anyone on here expressed the position of banning breastfeeding?

I think most people are being the devil's advocate, without actually being against the activity.

My personal view is that they should try to cover it up with a blanket if you can, in the same way you don't necessarily floss your teeth in public, or other hygienic activities that are generally regarded as being in poor taste. (Like spitting, making loud noises with your throat while clearing it, talking on a cell phone loudly in closed spaces, or farting)

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Has anyone on here expressed the position of banning breastfeeding?

I think most people are being the devil's advocate, without actually being against the activity.

I think randhail seemed quite clearly opposed to women being able to breastfeed at sports events, which would suggest to me that he would favour banning this. I hope he'll correct me if I'm wrong. And as for the other posters who have argued that womene shouldn't be able to breastfeed in public, I guess we'll have to wait for them to reply, but I would guess that at least some of them weren't simply playing devil's advocate but were describing their own opinions.

My personal view is that they should try to cover it up with a blanket if you can, in the same way you don't necessarily floss your teeth in public, or other hygienic activities that are generally regarded as being in poor taste. (Like spitting, making loud noises with your throat while clearing it, talking on a cell phone loudly in closed spaces, or farting)

The vast majority of women do whatever they can to be discreet when breastfeeding. I also think that comparing breastfeeding to other activities which are widely regarded as "icky" or in bad taste is wrong. How is a woman breastfeeding a baby comparable to someone spitting or farting?

 

[randhail]

2) Public bathrooms are not a suitable, sanitary place to breastfeed a baby.



While it would be unlikely to be an *ahem* pleasant experience, it wouldn't have the same potential health risks as breastfeeding a baby in a public bathroom.)

It may not be pleasant but how is feeding in the bathroom unsanitary? The baby is sucking from the mother's breast not licking milk off of the floor or toilet. Unless the mother wipes her nipple on the toilet seat, it will be clean and sanitary. Take normal precautions like using any public toilet...building a nest, good hand washing, etc and you won't have any problems.

 

[BAW]

It may not be pleasant but how is feeding in the bathroom unsanitary? The baby is sucking from the mother's breast not licking milk off of the floor or toilet. Unless the mother wipes her nipple on the toilet seat, it will be clean and sanitary. Take normal precautions like using any public toilet...building a nest, good hand washing, etc and you won't have any problems.

So you would have no problem eating a meal in a public restroom?

 

[joyfulgirl]

It may not be pleasant but how is feeding in the bathroom unsanitary? The baby is sucking from the mother's breast not licking milk off of the floor or toilet. Unless the mother wipes her nipple on the toilet seat, it will be clean and sanitary. Take normal precautions like using any public toilet...building a nest, good hand washing, etc and you won't have any problems.

Why should she have to go into a stinky, gross public bathroom just because you don't want to see it? Someone said the argument "if you don't like it, don't look" was lame but I completely disagree. She should not have to jump hoops and go through all kinds of gross inconveniences to feed her baby just because you don't want to see it when you could simply look away.

And, great post, Fizzing.

 

[BVS]

It may not be pleasant but how is feeding in the bathroom unsanitary? The baby is sucking from the mother's breast not licking milk off of the floor or toilet. Unless the mother wipes her nipple on the toilet seat, it will be clean and sanitary. Take normal precautions like using any public toilet...building a nest, good hand washing, etc and you won't have any problems.

You really seem to not only have a lack of compassion for the women and children but a huge lack of understanding of breastfeeding.

What are you going to have women do? Sit on a toilet while they feed their child in a room filled with nothing but bacteria and germs?

All because you don't want to see it?

 

[Liesje]

It may not be pleasant but how is feeding in the bathroom unsanitary?

Hey, you're the one that wanted to go biology on us! Look a few pages back and read anitram's post. She works in a lab. If anyone knows about germs and sanitary conditions, it's her.

 

[starsforu2]

The vast majority of women do whatever they can to be discreet when breastfeeding. I also think that comparing breastfeeding to other activities which are widely regarded as "icky" or in bad taste is wrong. How is a woman breastfeeding a baby comparable to someone spitting or farting?

My inclusion of bodily practices is that spitting when no one is looking or in a trash can isn't particularly offensive, but it does bother some people to see it happen in front of them. Same with clearing throats, farting etc. So my inclusion of breast feeding is also based on the audiences reaction and not to the moral or ethical wrongness of the act.

For some flatulence isn't a gift, but a plague and they can't help if they have grumpy guts. If they want to help their neighbor out, they'll remove themselves from the crowd and air it out somewhere else. Same thing is true if you have to swallow too much phlegm, you might throw up, so it's better to expectorate than to keep knocking it back. -- Both are necessary body functions on occasion, but generally not well received by the public.

It's not the act, but how someone conducts themselves while performing the act that matters most.