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Question

Breast not best for all readers?

By Andra | 3 years 15 weeks ago
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That headline caught my eye today and after reading the story, I thought this would be the perfect place to discuss and share opinions.


According to the article: "Readers of a US parenting magazine are crying foul over the publication's latest cover depicting a woman breastfeeding, with some calling the photo offensive and disgusting.

"I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine," one woman from Kansas wrote in reaction to the picture in Babytalk, a free magazine that caters to young mothers. "I was offended and it made my husband very uncomfortable when I left the magazine on the coffee table." Read the full story.

Well, moms, what do you think? In poor taste or public overreaction?

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21 Answers

I think breastfeeding in public is totally ok and those that dont like it should just not look and get over it. There are so many other things worth worrying about. I will nurse my son wherever and whenever he wants & I dare someone to question if what I'm doing is wrong or right. Serra Wife to Dewayne 6/9/01 Mommy to Dakotah 11/14/02 Madie 5/21/04 Wyatt 5/2/06

Serra
Wife to Dewayne 6/9/01
Mommy to Dakotah 11/14/02
Madie 5/21/04
Wyatt 5/2/06

The cover did offend my husband but I told him " It's a woman feeding her child would you be offended if that were a bottle?" He shrugged his shoulders as if I had made my point. I tell people that I did breast feed not always was it easy like the article did say but I was determined to give my child the best. The article had soem real good points on how society affects a woman decision to breast feed. It is a time consuming selfless thing to do. Any woman who breastfeeds MORE POWER TO YOU! And any woman who doesn't I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. I breastfed my oldest till he was 6months old and I will do the same with this one. I am a cheater mom as some have called I suplament with formula at the sitters and if we're in public and I just can't get breastfeeding done right then and there. As long as your baby is healthy and happy it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Be the Parent you want to be not what everyone else thinks you should be. Mommy to Jake 2/15/05 Jackson 6/28/06
We did it! as dora and my almost 3 yr old always say. i think breast feeding is a perfectly natural maybe not always comfortable way to feed your little ones. I think every woman is entitled to feed her baby in public now i'm not sayign flop is out for everyone to see but carry a light weight blanket with you and wear nursing tops most people never even know your feeding them unless they are staring and rude. and that magazine cover did not affect my hubby in the least actually his comment was "wow, hers are still pretty", lol. when men look at that the first thing their eye is drawn to is the breast, they are men big deal. but the next thing they notice is the baby and it goes from being sexual to be completly acceptable unless they feel uncomfortable with it because they are aroused by it. their problem, not mine. i breast fed both my babies till they were 6 months, both times my birth control made me stop lactating, but it was either that or more babies. we want to wait till we get a house built before we have our last one and hopefully then i won't have to take any more birth control becuase the hubby will get the snip snip. so i'll be able to breast feed for the full year. there are some women who don't feel comfortable with it, that's completly fine but don't let some jerk decide that for you. make the decision on your own about what you feel. i thought i would be weirded out by it at first but when i couldn't nurse my oldest anymore it actually upset me, it's a bond that your can't get any other way. mommy to Amy 9/14/03 Kathryne 8/24/05
I think the cover is great. It is important that people see that it is beautiful and normal, not something dirty or sexual. I was not able to bf my now 8 year old and for years, thought I was harboring guilt for it. I figured out that it was regret not guilt. I regret that bf'ing was not in the cards for us. I was able to bf my dd and did so for 29 months. I nursed everywhere. I never exposed my "boob" to the public.Never "whiped it out". I have a real problem with how our culture has sexualized women's breasts. Nature intended that they be used to feed our offspring. Interesting how we, the human race, as we become more educated and knowledgable about our world, get further and further away from what nature intended our bodies be used for and turn it into something dirty and wrong. I feel that moms tend to alienate each other based on this issue. Instead of formula moms vs. breast moms, we should empower each other to become educated and to make choices for our families based on having the knowledge and facts about our options, and support each other, knowing that we each made our choices based on our resources at any time. Bottom line is breast milk is the complete, best food for our babies. Our breasts were made to deliver it to our babies. Science will never be able to synthasize a more superior food for infants. Formula is *satisfactory* but definatly not equal to breast milk, the formula companies even say so..."breast milk is best" on all of their ads and product lables. As far as bf'ing in public, I refuse and any mother should, to be forced into a public restroom or to hide in my home in order to feed my baby the most wholesome food possible. nukemom2-mom to ds 8 years dd almost 4 years

SAHM to
B. 8 years old
O. almost 4 years old

I breastfeed for 4 months having to supplement after the first month just to keep her satisfied. I can say that I never nursed 'in public' because I didn't have the grace to get her latched on without several very graceless attempts. Only when I was engorged which was often did she latch on fast and properly (weird since the books said that if engorged there could be issues with the baby latching on correctly). I wish that I'd been better at it, but am very glad that I gave her the best that I could. I don't have issues with breastfeeding in public, but understand how it can make some uncomfortable. I feel uncomfortable when I see some of the 'kids'with their eyebrows pierced and their tongues pierced. It isn't my place to say what is going on with their bodies as long as they aren't shoving it in my face. I've never seen a woman breastfeeding who shoved 'it' into anyone but the babies face. Nett
Dh and I talked about this subject for a couple of weeks, since it seemed to be everywhere. Our take on this is if everyone would be just a little more gracious and tolerant on both sides, we'd be fine. Bfing moms do what they can to nurse discreetly (there ARE many ways), and everyone else just look elsewhere. Most of the time you can't even tell a mom is nursing. At least that has been my experience.
You can't deny the facts that breastmilk is best for newborns. You also can't deny the fact that some women physically are unable to breastfeed. We all want what is best for our babies and as long as we are all doing what we can to achieve that...then what's the big deal? BF'ing moms should never judge or criticize formula-feeding moms, and formula-feeding moms should never judge or criticize BF'ing moms. We're all moms and we're all doing what we can to give our babies the best. The breastfeeding baby on the cover of this magazine is a beautiful portrait. When it arrived in my mailbox I was flooded with wonderful memories of when I was still nursing my daughter. I thought it was a great way to depict the ultimate bond between a mother and her child. Kudos to BabyTalk! And Kudos to ALL mommies for doing what's best for their baby however they can! www.playcafe.blogspot.com

MamaHall

...and I was a formula feeding mom for all three of my children. I love breastfeeding moms, and was fortunate to have a group of friends who understood that for reasons of my own, I would always "whip out" a bottle and often ask them to do the honors! We have a wonderful family, with three healthy kids - and I am proud of the way we are raising them.

 

Thanks for the wonderful site!

Lauri

I did not breastfeed my older son.  I pumped milk for 9 weeks.  At the time, I couldn't get him to latch on correctly and I was uncomfortable.   My second son was almost exclusively breast fed for 5 months.  He was a preemie so I felt he needed all the extra help he could get.  Both of the boys also had formula and both did FINE!

 As long as you are discreet when feeding in public, I don't see a problem.  I can understand why someone might be "shocked"  if you just whipped out your breast in public, so just cover up.  Plus, many places are nursing mom friendly in case you need to be completely uncovered.  (I nursed a lot in my car parked away from everyone else for privacy).

Whatever you feel is best for both the child and you is going to be the right decision!  Don't let anyone tell you either way!  Everyone will have their opinions, but make sure you are happy and comfortable.

i think it's sad that we even have to have these kinds of discussions.  There really isn't anything more natural than a mother breastfeeding her baby.  Breastfeeding is why we have breasts! the more women breastfeed in public, the more people will get used to it, and the sooner we get over all of this shyness and prudity.

 

Yes, I am a breastfeeding mom.  My son has been exclusively breastfed for 5 1/2 months and we plan on continuing for the first year and then we'll see how it goes.  There are some women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed and that's their choice.  But breast really is best.  we all do what we can to feed our babies.

 

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