There may be more important things, however, if your biggest problem is that other people breastfeed in public, you can't pull that argument anymore.
Also, if you can't breastfeed in public, and you're a nursing mother, you're confined to your house. Many babies have problems with nipple confusion. If you give them a bottle, this interferes with their ability to nurse from the breast. Many women have trouble pumping. They can't pump milk. They therefore can't give EBM. And the less you nurse (or pump), the less you produce. This can produce a vicious cycle of women supplementing with formula, producing less milk, and then having to supplement more.
This isn't "a tiny bit of oppression". This is a big deal.
This isn't "a tiny bit of oppression". This is a big deal.
I totally agree, for exactly the reasons you mention.
These bills are introduced mainly to protect those breastfeeding in a public area from being told that they have to remove themselves from said area in order to feed their child. That causes many people to be asked to feed their child in the bathroom. I don't kow how many public bathrooms you've been to, but most of the ones I've seen are pretty filthy. If I don't even like going in there to take care of urgent elimiation business, I sure as hell do not want to feed my child in there!
Also, in some areas if their public indecency law is not amended to exclude breastfeeding, a woman could theorectically be arrested for nursing her child.
Very often, the women making such a big stink about getting these laws amended or written in the first place are discreet nursers to begin with. But as with any legislative action you want to happen, you have to make some noise to make some change.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2005-03-09 05:24 pm (UTC)Also, if you can't breastfeed in public, and you're a nursing mother, you're confined to your house. Many babies have problems with nipple confusion. If you give them a bottle, this interferes with their ability to nurse from the breast. Many women have trouble pumping. They can't pump milk. They therefore can't give EBM. And the less you nurse (or pump), the less you produce. This can produce a vicious cycle of women supplementing with formula, producing less milk, and then having to supplement more.
This isn't "a tiny bit of oppression". This is a big deal.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-09 07:46 pm (UTC)I totally agree, for exactly the reasons you mention.
These bills are introduced mainly to protect those breastfeeding in a public area from being told that they have to remove themselves from said area in order to feed their child. That causes many people to be asked to feed their child in the bathroom. I don't kow how many public bathrooms you've been to, but most of the ones I've seen are pretty filthy. If I don't even like going in there to take care of urgent elimiation business, I sure as hell do not want to feed my child in there!
Also, in some areas if their public indecency law is not amended to exclude breastfeeding, a woman could theorectically be arrested for nursing her child.
Very often, the women making such a big stink about getting these laws amended or written in the first place are discreet nursers to begin with. But as with any legislative action you want to happen, you have to make some noise to make some change.