100 Reasons Why I Nurse in Public
This is in response to Christine Flowers op-ed piece in the Philadelphia Enquirer in Sept. 19, 2005. You can access the article at www.philly.com and search on Christine Flowers. I will also copy and paste the text below.
100 Reasons Why I Nurse in Public
1. The restroom is smelly.
2. The restroom is dirty.
3. The restroom is too far away.
4. There's no place to sit other than on a toilet in the restroom.
5. You try sitting on a toilet for 30 minutes and see how your butt feels.
6. I am attending to older children.
7. My other children are playing, watching, eating, or otherwise involved in
an activity.
8. My other children don't want to go to a smelly, dirty, boring restroom
9. My other children don't want to go to a boring, stuffy, cramped nursing room.
10. I am eating too.
11. I am in line and can't leave.
12. I have to pay before I can leave.
13. The baby is crying and can't wait for me to hike someplace private.
14. I am paying for your services by the hour.
15. I am not paying you while I go nurse my baby.
16. You are on a schedule.
17. I am on a schedule.
18. Babies don't understand "wait."
19. Pumps are expensive.
20. It is time-consuming to pump.
21. Pumps are impersonal and mechanical.
22. Why should I invest in bottles and nipples when I'm breastfeeding?
23. Sterilizing baby bottles is time-consuming.
24. Pumped breast milk only last 4-6 hours at room temperature (79˚ F).
25. I have no place to heat the bottle.
26. Formula is expensive.
27. Breast milk is convenient and portable.
28. Breast milk is sanitary.
29. Breast milk is always the right temperature.
30. Breast milk contains all the right nutrients for my baby.
31. Supplementing with formula will adversely affect my milk supply.
32. Feeding with formula is a known health risk.
33. My baby is sensitive to the proteins in cows' milk based formulas.
34. My baby is sensitive to soy-based formulas.
35. My baby is underweight and needs to nurse frequently.
36. Doctor's orders!
37. I'm trying to be as discrete as possible!
38. I don't want to miss ______.
39. I don't want to be stuck in the house.
40. Negative social attitudes toward public nursing adversely affect breastfeeding rates and the health of babies.
41. Get used to it.
42. It is natural and normal.
43. It is not obscene or gross.
44. DO NOT compare it to sexual intercourse, urination, or defecation.
45. The law says I can nurse anywhere I am allowed to be. (varies by state)
46. The law specifically excludes breast exposure while nursing from public indecency laws. (varies by state)
47. My baby's need to eat supercedes your need not to be offended.
48. It's my own damn house (yes, some people are even offended when it's your own house).
49. You see more on the cover of Cosmo.
50. Our culture has sexualized the breast at the expense of its primary function as a nourishing organ.
51. That's what they're for.
52. Breastfeeding aids in visual development and hand-eye coordination in the baby.
53. Breastfeeding enhances the mother-baby bond.
54. Breastfeeding releases hormones that contract my uterus.
55. Breastfeeding releases hormones that relax me and improve my mothering abilities.
56. Breastfeeding aids in the development of the jaw and mouth, lessening the need for braces later in life.
57. My baby refuses a bottle.
58. Introduction of an artificial nipple may cause nipple confusion leading to sore nipples, poor weight gain, frustration, mastitis, and a host of other very bad things.
59. My breasts are engorged.
60. Going too long between feedings at the breast can lead to mastitis.
61. Breastfed babies have fewer ear infections.
62. Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses in general.
63. Breastfed babies' poop smells better.
64. Breastfed babies rarely get constipated.
65. Breast milk is easily digestible.
66. Breastfed babies who are held a lot and fed on cue cry less.
67. Delaying a feeding can reduce my milk supply.
68. There's a reason why a baby's cries are so annoying.
69. Breastfed babies are smarter.
70. Breastfed babies have a much lower risk of obesity.
71. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer for mothers and baby girls.
72. The AAP recommends I breastfeed my baby for at least one year and as long thereafter as desired.
73. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend I breastfeed for at least two years.
74. Breast milk provides immunity to disease, something formula can't.
75. Breastfeeding reduces the incidence of allergies.
76. Breastfeeding eases the postpartum hormonal changes, making me less moody.
77. Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of SIDS.
78. Exclusive breastfeeding on demand suppresses my fertility for 6 months or more (and in this case, "exclusive" means no pacifiers or bottles).
79. Breast milk is environmentally friendly – no excess packaging, no industrial waste.
80. Breastfeeding reduces overall health costs.
81. Government subsidized formula costs you money.
82. Breast milk is free.
83. Breast milk tastes better.
84. Breasts are easy to carry with you.
85. Breast milk never gets recalled.
86. Less spit up.
87. Nurturing my baby boosts my confidence.
88. Nursing in public will inspire more girls to breastfeed.
89. Nursing in public conditions boys to see breastfeeding as normal behavior.
90. Nursing in public inspires other mothers to breastfeed.
91. Nursing in public gets fathers used to the idea.
92. Nursing in public helps grandparents accept and support healthy choices for their grandchildren.
93. I'm paving the way for future mothers to nurse anywhere.
94. I'm doing my part to make a more baby-friendly world.
95. It's easier to feed a hungry baby before he starts crying.
96. Crying babies make my breasts leak.
97. Because he asked to.
98. Breastfeeding is beautiful.
99. Babies are important people.
100. Babies have a right to breastfeed.
Here is the text of the editorial:
Christine M. Flowers | LACTOSE-INTOLERANT
THE OTHER DAY, I was counseling a client on her legal options when, without pausing to ask if I minded, she lifted her blouse and began to breast-feed her infant daughter.
Taken aback and not wanting to interrupt the child's meal, I guided the consultation to a swift conclusion.
There would have been no problem had the client asked if she could excuse herself and take the child to our bathroom or to a vacant office. What irritated me was the assumption that her right to nurse the infant trumped any obligation on her part to be courteous and ask, "Do you mind?"
I would never presume to tell someone what they could do in their bed, in their bathtub or at their dinner table. But what I expect and demand is that people not force their own militant preferences on me in public places.
I actually started this piece at least three times, searching for an inoffensive way to say it.
There was the sensible, statistic-driven approach that emphasized the overwhelming health benefits of breast milk. Too safe, I decided.
There was the acknowledgment that nursing was a unique form of love, representing the eternal bond between mother and child. Too cliched, I thought.
There was even an attempt at humor, as in "I really need to get this off my chest." (Who was it that told me puns were the indication of a deficient mind?)
But the only way to say it is boldly and without apology, girding myself for the onslaught of criticism from the La Leche activists:
Women shouldn't breast-feed wherever they choose.
If I'd said, "Men shouldn't urinate in public," it's unlikely that anyone would vociferously object. But I feel the backs stiffen and the claws unsheath at the mere suggestion that nursing is a private affair.
Infants are magnificent creatures. While certain specimens may eventually turn out to be unpleasant (e.g., the ones who develop into adults like Paris Hilton and Michael Moore), the consensus is that they bring joy and hope for the future.
Without them, in fact, there would be no future. So it is important for us to do whatever we can to ensure their survival.
At a minimum, they need to be fed. Newborns have a lot of time on their hands since they don't hold down jobs, drive or fret about the state of the world, so eating becomes disproportionately important to them. They crave nutrition on an hourly basis, regardless of where they might be.
For nursing infants, "appetizer-entree-dessert" is wherever mommy happens to be when the urge strikes. So unless nursing mothers agree to be trapped in their homes for the first year of junior's life, they sometimes have to breast-feed in public.
That's not the problem. Women should be permitted to nurse unobtrusively in restrooms and other public places specifically designated for the purpose.
The craving for nutrition and the ability to satisfy it are natural and beautiful, as are a woman's breasts. The problem arises when an essentially private activity becomes part of the public domain.
There are, of course, ways to accommodate both modesty and utility, allowing breast-feeding in certain areas and prohibiting it in others, just as we do with any activity that encroaches on the public domain, like smoking and playing loud music.
To those who resent the implication that breast-feeding might be as annoying as cigarettes and blaring hip-hop, I say that bared breasts can make some people very uncomfortable, even when a child is attached to one of them.
There is also the option of using a breast pump to express the milk at home, and then using a bottle in public. This way, the child gains all of the benefits of mother's milk while society is spared the sight of a human Playtex nurser.
When I mentioned this to a friend, she looked at me in horror and said, "But then people would think I was feeding my child formula!" It was as if I'd accused her of being Jim Jones on a Kool-Aid jag.
That seems to be the problem with many nursing mothers - it's more about the image than about the child.
And at the risk of sounding deficient, it feels good to get that off my chest.
Christine M. Flowers is a lawyer. E-mail cflowers1961@yahoo.com.
100 Reasons Why I Nurse in Public
1. The restroom is smelly.
2. The restroom is dirty.
3. The restroom is too far away.
4. There's no place to sit other than on a toilet in the restroom.
5. You try sitting on a toilet for 30 minutes and see how your butt feels.
6. I am attending to older children.
7. My other children are playing, watching, eating, or otherwise involved in
an activity.
8. My other children don't want to go to a smelly, dirty, boring restroom
9. My other children don't want to go to a boring, stuffy, cramped nursing room.
10. I am eating too.
11. I am in line and can't leave.
12. I have to pay before I can leave.
13. The baby is crying and can't wait for me to hike someplace private.
14. I am paying for your services by the hour.
15. I am not paying you while I go nurse my baby.
16. You are on a schedule.
17. I am on a schedule.
18. Babies don't understand "wait."
19. Pumps are expensive.
20. It is time-consuming to pump.
21. Pumps are impersonal and mechanical.
22. Why should I invest in bottles and nipples when I'm breastfeeding?
23. Sterilizing baby bottles is time-consuming.
24. Pumped breast milk only last 4-6 hours at room temperature (79˚ F).
25. I have no place to heat the bottle.
26. Formula is expensive.
27. Breast milk is convenient and portable.
28. Breast milk is sanitary.
29. Breast milk is always the right temperature.
30. Breast milk contains all the right nutrients for my baby.
31. Supplementing with formula will adversely affect my milk supply.
32. Feeding with formula is a known health risk.
33. My baby is sensitive to the proteins in cows' milk based formulas.
34. My baby is sensitive to soy-based formulas.
35. My baby is underweight and needs to nurse frequently.
36. Doctor's orders!
37. I'm trying to be as discrete as possible!
38. I don't want to miss ______.
39. I don't want to be stuck in the house.
40. Negative social attitudes toward public nursing adversely affect breastfeeding rates and the health of babies.
41. Get used to it.
42. It is natural and normal.
43. It is not obscene or gross.
44. DO NOT compare it to sexual intercourse, urination, or defecation.
45. The law says I can nurse anywhere I am allowed to be. (varies by state)
46. The law specifically excludes breast exposure while nursing from public indecency laws. (varies by state)
47. My baby's need to eat supercedes your need not to be offended.
48. It's my own damn house (yes, some people are even offended when it's your own house).
49. You see more on the cover of Cosmo.
50. Our culture has sexualized the breast at the expense of its primary function as a nourishing organ.
51. That's what they're for.
52. Breastfeeding aids in visual development and hand-eye coordination in the baby.
53. Breastfeeding enhances the mother-baby bond.
54. Breastfeeding releases hormones that contract my uterus.
55. Breastfeeding releases hormones that relax me and improve my mothering abilities.
56. Breastfeeding aids in the development of the jaw and mouth, lessening the need for braces later in life.
57. My baby refuses a bottle.
58. Introduction of an artificial nipple may cause nipple confusion leading to sore nipples, poor weight gain, frustration, mastitis, and a host of other very bad things.
59. My breasts are engorged.
60. Going too long between feedings at the breast can lead to mastitis.
61. Breastfed babies have fewer ear infections.
62. Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses in general.
63. Breastfed babies' poop smells better.
64. Breastfed babies rarely get constipated.
65. Breast milk is easily digestible.
66. Breastfed babies who are held a lot and fed on cue cry less.
67. Delaying a feeding can reduce my milk supply.
68. There's a reason why a baby's cries are so annoying.
69. Breastfed babies are smarter.
70. Breastfed babies have a much lower risk of obesity.
71. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer for mothers and baby girls.
72. The AAP recommends I breastfeed my baby for at least one year and as long thereafter as desired.
73. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend I breastfeed for at least two years.
74. Breast milk provides immunity to disease, something formula can't.
75. Breastfeeding reduces the incidence of allergies.
76. Breastfeeding eases the postpartum hormonal changes, making me less moody.
77. Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of SIDS.
78. Exclusive breastfeeding on demand suppresses my fertility for 6 months or more (and in this case, "exclusive" means no pacifiers or bottles).
79. Breast milk is environmentally friendly – no excess packaging, no industrial waste.
80. Breastfeeding reduces overall health costs.
81. Government subsidized formula costs you money.
82. Breast milk is free.
83. Breast milk tastes better.
84. Breasts are easy to carry with you.
85. Breast milk never gets recalled.
86. Less spit up.
87. Nurturing my baby boosts my confidence.
88. Nursing in public will inspire more girls to breastfeed.
89. Nursing in public conditions boys to see breastfeeding as normal behavior.
90. Nursing in public inspires other mothers to breastfeed.
91. Nursing in public gets fathers used to the idea.
92. Nursing in public helps grandparents accept and support healthy choices for their grandchildren.
93. I'm paving the way for future mothers to nurse anywhere.
94. I'm doing my part to make a more baby-friendly world.
95. It's easier to feed a hungry baby before he starts crying.
96. Crying babies make my breasts leak.
97. Because he asked to.
98. Breastfeeding is beautiful.
99. Babies are important people.
100. Babies have a right to breastfeed.
Here is the text of the editorial:
Christine M. Flowers | LACTOSE-INTOLERANT
THE OTHER DAY, I was counseling a client on her legal options when, without pausing to ask if I minded, she lifted her blouse and began to breast-feed her infant daughter.
Taken aback and not wanting to interrupt the child's meal, I guided the consultation to a swift conclusion.
There would have been no problem had the client asked if she could excuse herself and take the child to our bathroom or to a vacant office. What irritated me was the assumption that her right to nurse the infant trumped any obligation on her part to be courteous and ask, "Do you mind?"
I would never presume to tell someone what they could do in their bed, in their bathtub or at their dinner table. But what I expect and demand is that people not force their own militant preferences on me in public places.
I actually started this piece at least three times, searching for an inoffensive way to say it.
There was the sensible, statistic-driven approach that emphasized the overwhelming health benefits of breast milk. Too safe, I decided.
There was the acknowledgment that nursing was a unique form of love, representing the eternal bond between mother and child. Too cliched, I thought.
There was even an attempt at humor, as in "I really need to get this off my chest." (Who was it that told me puns were the indication of a deficient mind?)
But the only way to say it is boldly and without apology, girding myself for the onslaught of criticism from the La Leche activists:
Women shouldn't breast-feed wherever they choose.
If I'd said, "Men shouldn't urinate in public," it's unlikely that anyone would vociferously object. But I feel the backs stiffen and the claws unsheath at the mere suggestion that nursing is a private affair.
Infants are magnificent creatures. While certain specimens may eventually turn out to be unpleasant (e.g., the ones who develop into adults like Paris Hilton and Michael Moore), the consensus is that they bring joy and hope for the future.
Without them, in fact, there would be no future. So it is important for us to do whatever we can to ensure their survival.
At a minimum, they need to be fed. Newborns have a lot of time on their hands since they don't hold down jobs, drive or fret about the state of the world, so eating becomes disproportionately important to them. They crave nutrition on an hourly basis, regardless of where they might be.
For nursing infants, "appetizer-entree-dessert" is wherever mommy happens to be when the urge strikes. So unless nursing mothers agree to be trapped in their homes for the first year of junior's life, they sometimes have to breast-feed in public.
That's not the problem. Women should be permitted to nurse unobtrusively in restrooms and other public places specifically designated for the purpose.
The craving for nutrition and the ability to satisfy it are natural and beautiful, as are a woman's breasts. The problem arises when an essentially private activity becomes part of the public domain.
There are, of course, ways to accommodate both modesty and utility, allowing breast-feeding in certain areas and prohibiting it in others, just as we do with any activity that encroaches on the public domain, like smoking and playing loud music.
To those who resent the implication that breast-feeding might be as annoying as cigarettes and blaring hip-hop, I say that bared breasts can make some people very uncomfortable, even when a child is attached to one of them.
There is also the option of using a breast pump to express the milk at home, and then using a bottle in public. This way, the child gains all of the benefits of mother's milk while society is spared the sight of a human Playtex nurser.
When I mentioned this to a friend, she looked at me in horror and said, "But then people would think I was feeding my child formula!" It was as if I'd accused her of being Jim Jones on a Kool-Aid jag.
That seems to be the problem with many nursing mothers - it's more about the image than about the child.
And at the risk of sounding deficient, it feels good to get that off my chest.
Christine M. Flowers is a lawyer. E-mail cflowers1961@yahoo.com.
posted by Mary Joan | 8:34 AM
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