Well I'm definitely for breastfeeding. I was,my sisters and brother were and my baby brother is doing it too. For those moms on the go I recommend a pump. Some moms work and can't stay with the baby. If you don't want to give your baby formula just pump a few bottles. The problem with that is that you don't know how much your baby will drink during the day.

Then again, I don't see why shirtless women would be a big deal.
Men can run around without shirts on, and yet if a woman does that, she'd get in trouble. Breasts are meant to feed children. There's nothing sexual or inappropriate about that.

The only reason seeing boobs feels like it's offensive is because in certain places, people (mostly men) have sexualized the idea of breasts over time. There are still countries today where women walk around without shirts. It's not a problem for them. Go figure.

So I don't get the whole boobs-are-a-big-deal-and-totally-rude-to-show.
That's just my opinion, personally.

@Anhata, I think it kindof is sexual (not breast feeding, but breasts). There are several nerves in the nipples that are very sensitive and can trigger arousal. This can also happen in men, but to a much lesser degree (or it just makes them feel "weird").

Also, it seems that anything that directly involves child-rearing should be covered up (genitals, breasts, and baby bumps).

"because it relates to child-rearing" is a dumb excuse to cover up anything, I think.

A lot of women actually don't have super-sensitive nipples, and I know a lot of guys that in fact do. The image of a shirtless man can definitely arouse women as much as the opposite, so even the fact that a bare chest could be taken as sexual isn't taken into equal consideration between the sexes, is it?

But this isn't a debate on what's fair for men verus women, is it?

And breats are a sexual thing because that it what society has made it. If from the moment I'm born I live in a culture where things like that are found inappropriate, well chances are it's going to make me uncomfortable.
If other countries have shirtless women, well that is good for them. That's another country, with a different culture, beliefs, and values.

I support public breastfeeding. Sometimes I think the mothers could be a bit more discreet about it, I know there pervs out there that get off on that sort of stuff and that bugs me. I don't like to see creepy people staring at a mother feeding her baby the natural way.

Personally, it doesn't bother me. It's a natural process, and I wouldn't want the baby fed in some sort of dingy bathroom instead. Breastmilk is very good for the baby! That packaged stuff can't compare.

Sometimes I find it not difficult to stare when some woman flaps it out infront of everyone, but I manage to be polite and just let it be. In America, our society seems to look on mammaries as serious naughty bits, and a lot of us grow up with similar view points - they shouldn't been seen in public. For some reason, breasts seem to attract the attentions of straight men and are viewed as sexual symbols and objects. Perhaps if we didn't strive to censor the world, it wouldn't be so weird and our society wouldn't be so covertly fixated on sex. Repression only makes it worse xD

People who think of breastfeeding as sexual or arousing have some serious issues, in my eyes.

@Amelia: Hey, I'm just saying that where you come from doesn't HAVE to define you. If you can see things from another point of view, hell, watch more documentaries with shirtless women or something, maybe breastfeeding wouldn't bother you anymore.

I just think people being offended or whatever are silly.
And I didn't grow up in a thrid-world country, either. That is all.

I don't see anything wrong with it. Most of the women I've seen breastfeeding in public are some what covered up. They have a blanket covering the breast and baby. It shouldn't be illegal to do it in public, I mean a baby got to eat.
It really not the mothers that are breastfeeding that is making it bad, it is how people see breast that are making it bad.
Breast are usual seen as something sexual. If you take that train of thought and bring it over to what breast are really ment for, it turns negative. There is nothing wrong with breast, everywoman has them. I don't see why someone should be offended when a mother is trying to use her breast for what they are made for.
In my mind if breastfeeding is illegal, than shouldn't girls showing to much clevage be illegal? What about woman running around without a bra and their nipple shows through?
If exposing your breast in order to feed a child is wrong, than shouldn't exposing them for sexual attention wrong as well?

I don't like it. At all. It's just a little inconsiderate in my opinion. No one really needs to see that, especially children. And while some may say it's not sexual, I think it is. A woman's breast is not the same as a man's chest.

If you want to breastfeed, do it in closed doors. Get a pump if you're going to be out and make a few bottles.

I agree, and I understand where you're coming from. I was just pointing out that, to society as a whole, that is typically the mindset you'll come across.

The women are inconsiderate?
Well, pot, meet kettle.

How can you sit by and declare that a woman feeding her child is inconsiderate, when you basically just asked a woman to stay at home until her child is old enough to eat on its own? :| Honestly, such hypocrisy is astounding.

These women don't do it because they want people to see it. They do it because their child needs to eat. I'm sorry if it's a newsflash to you that children eat, but, hey, it's a fact of life. Shocking, isn't it? Who ever heard of a child needing to feed, right?

I honestly think that asking people to cater their actions to you, because you are prudish against nature, is more inconsiderate and rude than most things a person can do. If I need tampons should I be disallowed to go to a male clerk, because it might make him uncomfortable? Should I not read books or magazines about women's sexuality because it might make someone feel "icky"? Should I not talk about homosexuality because it'll make someone uncomfortable?

Or, since everyone has different things which make them feel uncomfortable, should we leave it to the person at fault to deal with their fault, instead of burdening and hurting women and children?

Um, forgive me if I'm mistaken, but isn't public breastfeeding already illegal in most places? As in, it's lumped together with "public indecency" and women who attempt it are cited for it. It's perhaps more often looked-over than streakers and whatnot, and it occasionally makes the news if the arresting officer is particularly rude about it, but I'm pretty sure they aren't allowed to do that. So yeah, there is a way to prevent women from breastfeeding in public, and they're doing it currently.

And as far as what society finds 'sexual', the entire female body is sexualized, with or without clothes. Just about every woman's worth, at some point or another, is estimated based on her sexual attractiveness, and that determines how she's treated by society. Even with the breasts alone, if someone's going to stare, they're going to do it regardless of whether or not there's skin showing. To suggest that making women deny their infants food because they're in the wrong place for "that sort of thing" will keep their every feature from being sexualized in one way or another by someone is simply an attempt to cover up the true reason for it -- women are expected to be ashamed of their bodies, men are not. The end.

i don't have a problem w/ breastfeeding in public. i just don't want to see anything, as in the way of partial boob or whatever. i've heard that in switzerland or somewhere like that, they have special cafes for breastfeeding mothers. i think that's genius. not just b/c they're out of the public eye, so to speak, but b/c they're around people going through the same thing they are, so they can communicate w/ other mothers and stuff. that's a great idea.

you know, I think that is genious! That would be really cool if we had something like that in the US, if there aren't placed like that already.

Though the act bothers me personally, I don't think it should be illegal. I think if women breatffeed, they could be out of public but I guess sometimes that cannot be the case. I would look away and keep about my business if I saw that. I actually have never seen a woman breatfeed in publlic though. I just don't think it should be illegal. How can a mother feeding her child be illegal? Don't like? - Don't look.

Firstly, can you read? And don't even go about how I am attacking you, because you completely disregared my post. Don't sit there and type out a few paragraphs because of the first few lines.

Of course babies eat. Everyone does. And you know what? So do grown people.
I shouldn't have to be on a train and see a woman just pull down her shirt, or whatever she may do, and have the baby drink milk. It's not like no one is going to look when a woman pulls out her boob, whether they are perverted or just freaked out.

There are pumps. Baby formula. They do not have the breastfeed in public. And my sister tried the pumps, and she said they didn't hurt. Not to meantion that my entire family was fed via formula, and we are all fine. As have my nephews & nieces, and they are more then healthy/smart. My half-sister was breastfed, and she's not in the best health at all. I'm not saying breastfeeding is unhealthy. But niethe is the formula. So, don't try to tell me that women have to feed their children in public using their breasts.

It has nothing to do with what is natural, it's about caring about those who are around you. Reading a homosexual magazine is not the same as coming on the train with your lover and having sex. Tampons are advertised on TV. He will get over it. Breastfeeding? Not on TV. Well, nowhere available to those under 18.

This idea is wonderful, and should be put into place in more countries/cities.
Because women do not have to be confined to their homes/cars/whatever, and can be in the company of others. Bonding, and making friends!

I'm not really sure what this is about, but based on your attitude it seems like an attack to me. Just saying.

You know, if we changed the social stigma to be that people are respectful and intentionally look away, then no one would look. But we, as a society, have to change.

In a perfect world, sure. I don't think you're aware of the cost of those things though. Not all mothers can afford it.

It shouldn't be. It absolutely should not be. Breastfeeding is natural, and in no way should we condemn it. Society should change to be respectful towards breastfeeding mothers, instead of staring and ridiculing and whispering under breath about how indecent the mother is.

My last summer job had a mother's lounge just for that. Unfortunately not all companies see the value in this, and personally I think it would be less expensive from an infrastructure standpoint and more considerate from a social standpoint to just allow mothers to breastfeed in public.

If we teach children that it's okay for mothers to breastfeed in public, then that is how it will be. We can change things, but you have to be willing.

It is wrong that we have taught women to be ashamed of their bodies. It is wrong that we condemn them to bathrooms and cars and homes because their breasts are icky evil sexual things. It is insulting to tell them to hide themselves if they want to quiet a crying hungry infant. It is insulting to say, "No, we are on an airplane, go hide yourself in the toilet so your spawn will stop disturbing everyone else, don't you dare do it out here."

Are we no better than cultures that cover up womens' hair, face, ankles, and arms? I don't think we are. We can't even let mothers feed their children. Because people think it's gross and unnatural and you should just do it some other way because I am offended that you would do something the way we have done it for centuries.

Surely, breastfeeding is natural, but so is reproduction, and the act of sex.

And no one wants to see that.

Yes, because it is a sexual act.

Explain to me this: how is breastfeeding a sexual act? How is a child eating a sexual act?

I'm glad your sister could pump, but your sister is not everyone. What is good for one person is not good for everyone. For someone women, pumping just doesn't work. For others, it is too painful to do. Formula is expensive and not as good for the child.

I don't think that was quite the point Double S was making. She was just saying it's a natural act that no one wants to see. Don't think she meant it was a sexual act.

And I don't think Kris was saying Double S thought breastfeeding was a sexual act. She was saying that intercourse is a sexual act, which is why we're not okay with seeing it in public. It isn't because there's nudity, because there are ways around that which don't detract from the offensiveness of it in a public setting. It's not violent, it's (usually) not breaking any laws besides the obvious. So, there's no real comparison between sex and breastfeeding.