So there was some publicity on breastfeeding over the local media : Woman breastfeeds baby at Raffles Place to take stand against workplace discrimination The topic is a noble one to take up for sure but because of the provocative styling of the photos, it is only expected that there will be supporters and detractors to the photo campaign.
I am one of the detractors.
As I posted on a friend’s Facebook post, “I did NOT like the styling of the photos. And I’ve always said – why do you need to expose so much of yourself?! But in the same breath I’d also say I dislike nursing covers – totally screaming for attention!” and also, “Actually, this (campaign) does a great disservice to bf mothers! Now more will frown upon bf coz they’d think bf in public = exposing lots of skin! Totally not true!”
I have read comments along the lines of “only dirty minds will see and think dirty thoughts when a breastfeeding mother is seen”. I disagree. The way the photos are styled do not help the cause of breastfeeding. We ought to be normalising breastfeeding, not sexualising it or sensationalising it.
Breastfeeding is the normal thing here, not formula milk or even expressed breastmilk in bottles. In certain cultures, women just whip them out and nurse their babies and toddlers with no one blinking an eye. But in our modern civilised (ahem!) culture, breastfeeding is frowned upon on. And in reaction, some bolder women have thrown societal norms to the wind and just pulled down their tops and nursed their babies in public, showing lots of skin and daring anyone to say anything to them. I personally disagree with this strategy to win society at large to accept breastfeeding as the norm.
I have always nursed in public with all my 7 children. With and without nursing clothes. And never with a nursing cover. You almost never see skin unless you are staring at me latching on my baby. And for that, I usually cover with my sling if I had one or just turn my body sideways slightly. Once the baby is latched on, no one sees anything unless they are peering down at my baby. Or if the baby decides to do some nursing gymnastics 😛 But that is usually when they are much older and can make for another post!
Sure ladies, you have a right to nurse how you want to, but think about how you are helping or not helping the breastfeeding cause. If I am a shy new mother, and I see so much skin exposed, I will most certainly not dare to breastfeed in public. And I am sure, my husband and my parents and parents-in-law will not be happy if I said I wanted to nurse my baby out of the home. And so the isolation begins. Mother always has to retreat to the bedroom or nursing room to feed her baby. And we all know how long a nursing baby can take! So soon, mother will decide that she will just nurse when she is home because breastfeeding is too difficult outside. And soon enough, breastfeeding will stop.
This need not be so. Breastfeeding can be discreet. And the more often you nurse in public, the more confident you’ll be. Breastfeeding is a beautiful relationship between mother and child. But sadly, it is a relationship that needs to be fought for in our modern society. Please help new mothers breastfeed with confidence and tell them that there is no need to expose so much skin!
If you don’t want to wear loose shapeless clothing to nurse modestly, there is always the nursing cover (not my choice and definitely not my babies’ choice). This allows you to wear your normal tops and yet stay covered up. And then there are loads of nice nursing clothing, even dresses, nowadays.
- Note that I did not mention anything about our exposed skin stumbling men? In my opinion, that is their issue, they need to learn to avert their eyes. BUT! There is no need for us to blatantly expose ourselves to them. Remember, we are not to be a stumbling block to others around us.