I’m one of those mothers who’s not shy about breastfeeding in public – sushi restaurants, brewery tours, the New York State Fair — if my daughter’s hungry, it’s time to eat. Where ever we are. Sometimes I cover up, sometimes I don’t, but I always try to be as discreet as possible and no one has ever complained (as far as I know).
It seems I’m in good company, as most Americans aren’t bothered when they happen across a nursing mother. In response to a recent Top Question Tuesday question submitted by one of our readers, we asked how Americans feel about breastfeeding in public, and nearly 80% believe women should be allowed to breastfeed in public or private places they would otherwise be allowed to be. Overall, more than half (51%) believe a woman should have to cover up while nursing in public, but more than one in four (28%) are fine with public nursing without a cover. Younger Americans are particularly tolerant of nursing in public while uncovered – 50% of those age 18 to 24 feel this way, compared to just 11% of those 70 or older. This anything-goes attitude about breastfeeding is also more common among men (38%) than women (18%), which may or may not come as a surprise, depending on your perspective.
Some nursing mothers have caught some very public flak as of late for feeding their babies out in the open. One mother at an Indiana Olive Garden was asked to nurse her baby in the restaurant’s rest room after complaints were made to the manager. Another was told to cover up at a Chic-Fil-A in Orlando, prompting a group of nursing mothers to hold a “nurse-in” at the fast food restaurant. Facebook has a policy of removing some images that show women breastfeeding, which lead the formation of a group called “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene!”
To the 16% of Americans who believe women should be allowed to nurse in public places, as long as that place is a restroom (given that I have found very few places that have specially designated nursing areas for privacy) – would YOU like to eat your food in a public restroom? I think not. Even before I became a mother, I would much rather be in the general proximity of a woman quietly nursing than listen to hungry baby shrieking to be fed. As for the 2% of Americans who believe women shouldn’t be allowed to nurse in public at all, I have a gentle suggestion. If you see a woman nursing her baby in a restaurant, perhaps you should keep your eyes on your own food, instead of what her baby’s eating.
I know many who refer to women who insist on nursing in public by such unflattering names like “breastfeeding Nazis”, but I often wonder if they pass equal judgment on the other cases of much more blatant breast exposure – like the scantily clad women on the covers of magazines by the grocery store checkout and in countless advertisements on billboards and television that leave nothing to the imagination.
By Stephanie DeVries, who works in Zogby’s Corporate Communications and Research department, and is a proud nursing mother who is ready to take part in a nurse- in at a moment’s notice, should one ever come to Utica.
Leann Uncategorized communication, television, Top Question Tuesday, work, zogby
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