Breastfeeding Modestly
I am not a mother, let alone a breastfeeding mother, but there are some things that one does not have to experience to understand. Like the importance of breastfeeding modestly. You know, making sure that people only see your breasts in the correct contexts.
So I was quite happy to see a post linked to by Mama Kalila on Kim Kardashian’s stance on breastfeeding women covering up/nursing in public.
If you’re okay with the amount of breast typically bared by the Kardashians you should be fine with this post. Check it out!
What do you think of breastfeeding modestly?
LOL – Thanks for the link!
You already know my stance on it obviously
I had never really given much thought to this topic until I read a blog post from a mother who breast feeds in public but covers up. She was blasted for this post and received a lot of harsh and judgmental criticism for even taking breastfeeding out into the public sphere. I talked with my mom about registering for a nursing cover and she was appalled that I even considered breast feeding in public- even if I was covered up. I would never judge a woman breastfeeding in public- whether she was covered up or not. Me personally- I would probably feel more comfortable with a cover. I admire those women who don’t- I just don’t think I could do it.
I didn’t think I could w/out for awhile either… but by the time it became a necessity (ie baby decided she hated it and would pull it off) I’d gained a lot of confidence with it. Like I’ve mentioned on my blog, I still do cover from time to time… and obviously see nothing wrong with it if you feel more comfortable doing so, but I’m a lot less comfortable with it than without. No more is covered and its a lot more obvious what I’m doing that way…
Sorry you’ve had to deal with the neg comments about it even this early. Thankfully I’ve had very few of those. Btw a good breastfeeding group (even online, that’s the only place I’m in one) helps a ton. We need all the support we can get… esp if its not gotten elsewhere.
I’m sorry that you’re already taking flack from your mother! It is so wrong that we expect women to breastfeed (you’re a bad mother if you don’t) but not to nurse in public (or else you’re indecent).
So you know how much of a breastfeeding advocate I am! It is a shame that people insist that women cover up when they are nursing in public. Or even worse, they don’t want a woman to nurse in public. Formula fed babies eat in public and their moms don’t put a blanket over them to hide the bottle.
What it really comes down to is that our society views breast as sexual objects and not what they really are-a source of nourishment. (thanks to the likes of Kim Kardashian.)
In other countries where breast are not portrayed as sexual objects, women can nurse anywhere they want, no cover, and nobody would bat an eye. Why? Because the act itself doesn’t mean anything sexual. My friend lived in Europe for a few years and at the time she was a nursing mom. She remembers sitting at the playground with a group of moms while they all nursed their little ones. She would nurse at restaurants, everywhere. But when she came back to America, she couldn’t do it anymore.
Why? In America, we are a sex craze society and breast are sexual items. That’s why we have this whole debate. It is so aggravating.
In the beginning with Mary Rene I wore a cover. But the cover only made it more obvious that I was nursing and it was very uncomfortable for her and myself. So I decided to stop covering up and started placing a blanket around her. Once I did that, people thought she was sleeping most of the time. I would nurse in church, in the second pew, week after week and most people didn’t know.
I love your perspective! I wish that more people would promote the fact that breasts are made for feeding babies, and our culture is messed up.
Good topic! Right now I’m planning to get a nursing cover for when I breastfeed in public. I just think that I personally would feel more comfortable using that (and then I’m not stuck in a bathroom or anything). While I agree that breasts have been oversexualized and that’s not a good thing, I would still rather not expose my own (nor would my husband). I’ve heard people say it’s not a modesty issue, but for me it is; in an ideal world I suppose it shouldn’t be, but we obviously don’t live in the ideal world. I am always impressed by the women who are comfortable nursing in public, but as a soon-to-be new mother, I’m just not there.
However, I reserve the right to change my mind on all of this, especially if the baby hates the cover and/or when I have multiple children and it’s just too much work to try to cover up
I’ll admit that while I fully support others nursing in public I don’t think that I could do it myself at this point… with or without a cover. But I think that it might just be one of many sacrifices that mothers make and I’d just have to learn to get over myself if given a baby who needed to be fed!
I enjoyed having a cover for latching until I got more adept at it and when we were with people I knew it would make uncomfortable, but I’m certainly not going to be house-bound because I’m nursing.
Kardashian Link: Too funny (sad, but funny).
Great approach!
I don’t mind when people breastfeed in public with a cover – I’m not a huge fan when people show off their breasts either like Kim Kardashian or while breast feeding. I know that when we do eventually have kids, I do plan on breastfeeding them and if I’m in public, I’m definitely going to use a cover as I don’t really relish in the idea of just anyone getting a peek at my breasts.
I’m rather picky about hiding my breasts, but I’ve seen so many babies who hate having their faces covered that I’m not sure there is a good way around it! I hope you blog about your experience when you find a way to deal with this.
2 shirts… one a nursing tank the other doesn’t matter. Position baby, unlatch tank, lift shirt and latch baby on… Everything’s covered either by clothing or baby. Takes some practice but very doable!
Sounds great!
I think at this point I’m planning to use a cover while in public, for many of the reasons mentioned above. However, that said, I’m not going to starve my child if he/she hates the cover and pulls it off but we happen to be in a public place. The only place where I can say I would absolutely *never* feed uncovered would be in church. Pretty much anywhere else could be fair game, though that’s not my plan now.
Kim Kardashian is a moron, I’m just saying.
As I said above, I’m not really in a position to talk (other than to support others) because I don’t know if I could breastfeed in public with or without a cover.
But that said, if you should ever feel the need to breastfeed in church, know that you have support, and you really wouldn’t bother most people. There is a reason that we have statues and paintings of Mary nursing Jesus without a cover!
Breasts are useful and beautiful. Mother nor baby should have to surgically drape to feed or be fed. I don’t cover my hands to make dinner; a woman shouldn’t have to cover her breasts to feed her child. This is a strange conversation to have in a society where I can run without a shirt!
Couldn’t agree more!
I nursed my babies in public, at Mass, etc. I’ve never used one of those covers and I agree with a previous poster that said it makes it a bit more conspicuous anyway. Receiving blankets make good cover ups until the time that baby bats covers away anyway. I will admit to being a bit embarrassed when women just really let it all hang out while nursing. I guess I have a line that gets crossed somewhere, LOL.
It’s funny, though, because really, circumstances often dictate what we are capable of. A fussy, just-about-to-scream newborn that is rooting around for your breast while you are jammed in the middle of a crowded pew at church and everyone is knealing while getting ready to go up for Communion means that hey, maybe I CAN nurse in Mass!
And then you get to a place like I am now, when it’s been a short 6 months since you’ve nursed anyone and you think, “Gosh, how did I ever nurse during Mass?!?!”