Breastfeeding in public remains unfortunately controversial despite the fact that in most places it's a protected right for moms and babes. Now a prominent U.K. politician, Nigel Farage, has bewilderingly gotten in on the fray when he commented on a recent situation about a mom who had been asked to cover up in a restaurant. He suggested that women should go quietly sit in a corner to nurse their babies.
This didn't go over too well, and the sentiment was picked up by many and was argued back and forth. Unfortunately, it was then twisted into a new, disturbing low. A writer for The Sun wrote that breastfeeding is, of course, natural — just like peeing. And when we want to do that, we go to a private area to do so.
Breastfeeding in U.K.'s The Sun
Sorry chump. Breastfeeding isn't like peeing. It never has been, and it never will be. The irony is that The Sun adores breasts and uses photos of them generously — but only if they are not nourishing a baby. In fact, they are well known for their "Page 3" content, which features a photo of a completely topless model.
The irony of this is almost too much to bear. Female breasts are acceptable if they're presented for sexual enjoyment — in fact, it's so acceptable that untethered breasts are a regular, much-anticipated feature in a paper. But feeding a baby from breasts is too much like peeing and should be only done in private. Um, what?
Keep in mind that the mother who was harassed at the restaurant in the first place wasn't showing any boob at all… not a single wink of boob-flesh.
Mom nursing in public
Yes, breastfeeding is the normal way to feed a baby. It is the natural function of a human breast. Breasts create food, not waste, and it's completely twisted to deem the act as similar to peeing, pooping or having sex. Boobs can be sexual, and they can also be nurturing — unfortunately some haven't grasped the ability to deal with one function while fully embracing the other.
Despite all of the garbage that some continue to produce on the subject, I do hope that the more knowledge we have about the benefits of nursing, and how moms should be allowed to nurse wherever they are, will allow more moms to feel comfortable nursing their babies. The more support breastfeeding moms have, the better their outcomes will be as we as a society help them make their breastfeeding goals.
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