Monday, June 10, 2013

Eating in Public

My friend Jenni posted something up on facebook today about some breast feeding nonsense. I'm from Brazil where there is no prejudice against breast feeding in public. So I'm going to go on a little bit of a controversial rant....
We all eat, just because I don't like the guy at table 12 chewing with his mouth open or slurping his soup doesn't mean I'm going to be going up to him and telling him off for bad habits.
The problem with breast feeding in public isn't that it's a bad habit, it just makes people uncomfortable.
The question is why??!

You were breast fed when you were a baby, I was breastfed when I was a baby. When did it become such an "ugly" thing to feed your baby in public?
I haven't breast fed yet so I don't know how it is, but I imagine it would be uncomfortable having to cover yourself up and your baby in 90 degree weather just so Mary Sue over there doesn't get offended by your boob showing a little Also It cant be comfortable being smothered underneath a shawl to eat as a baby..
Am I flashing you? Am I going out of my way to make you feel uncomfortable? No. I am merely thinking about feeding my baby, I could care less about you and your ideals. I think its a lot more offensive to see a 17 year old girl working at a bikini coffee stand than seeing a woman breast feeding...
Should you really change something thats not necessarily offensive just perceived as offensive because society has become so sensitive in the past 20 years?
I personally have never seen a mother who's breastfeeding sit next to me and shove it in my face, most of the time all they want is a little peace and quiet and for their baby to eat and relax. They're not doing it because they want to show you their boobs, they're doing it because they have to, their baby is hungry. Once the baby is done eating that boob is going back inside her shirt and she's going on with her day. Is that mother thinking about whether she offended you? She probably feels insecure about that nasty glare you're sending her way, but what is she to do? Stop feeding her baby, tell her baby that they aren't allowed to eat unless they are at home in the comfort of their privacy?



You want to tell me that feeding a small baby is sexual? Because my breast is out? How does a baby eating even become sexual? It's a breast, yes, is that mother fondling or shaking it in your face?
Are her boobs just out in plain view? No, there is a baby in front of it. I have seen so much worse walking through the mall now days, side boob everywhere, outrageous cleavage shirts, see through tops and bras showing. None of that is scandalous though?

It's not offensive because her nipple isnt showing?

The way I see it, is if you don't like it don't look. It's easy. I don't like guys with soul patches but do I march up to every  one of them and bitch and moan about how douchie a soul patch makes you look?

Look I'm not a hippie or that crazy all natural mother who's going to use cloth diapers, but I will stand for not giving into what the public sees as offensive when it's merely a natural act of nature. Why is it that an animal drinking milk from an udder is okay and "cute" but a baby human isn't?

At the end of the day you gotta remove yourself from the situation and think, "Is this woman doing this to make me uncomfortable?" No. She's got so much on her mind trying to take care of a crying baby its the last thing on her mind whether you're upset.


I will be that lady breastfeeding wherever my baby decides he wants to eat. If you have an issue with it, don't look. It's simple, I'm not going to suffocate my kid so you can feel comfortable, I'm not going to go to the bathroom to feed my kid....I'm just not. I'm not flashing you or doing anything sexual, I'm merely feeding my baby, like you were fed and others before you.


Until the day that a 17 year old girl can wear scantly clad outfits and not be berated for walking around like a complete hooker and a mother who's silently feeding her baby gets judged for it our society will never evolve.



I will however buy this awesome beenie!!

 




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