Breastfeeding while driving - Page 3

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by abimommy

I have been in the same position, my son was born with a heart defect. I would pull over or stay at my appointments longer to appease him so we could leave. The hospital had a very nice courtyard where I could sit and nurse him while I read.

Driving while nursing isn't safe at all. The danger is blunt force trauma from the air bag. It is a well-known *fact* that most accidents occur close to home.

We do have to measure and weigh parenting choices and consider safety.

I wouldn't be here at all to even be posting this if it wasn't for a seatbelt.

I certainly did not plan for another driver to fall asleep at the wheel and crash into me in the middle of a saturday afternoon and had I been nursing my child would be dead.

abi I'm glad you're here

My point was more that sometimesyou NEED to get somewhere and still comfort your baby. This woman sounded like she could have made a diffeerent choice. I just dont' want my choices legislated away. Like I said, I nursed my daughter many times in the back of the car when my husband or mom was driving. If I needed to go pick up a prescription, ie insulin or something and I didn't have anyone to turn to for help and i had to take my daughter to the store with me, I may consider driving and nursing her (before her repair and if she were hysterical). I'm just saying I wouldn't want to be ticketed or whatever for making that choice, ESPECIALLY if no harm came from that choice.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton

I'm not following here - how is it a good thing that a woman can legally breastfeed her child while operating a motor vehicle with her child's head just millimeters from an extremely powerful airbag

The "good thing" is that the government is not micromanaging our lives or parenting our children for us.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by mama2beans

So what you're really saying is her need to be on time is more important then the safety of her child. Instead of stopping the vehicle and unbuckling the child in the safety of a stopped car to nurse because of hysterical crying or medical necessity or whatever, the need to be on time was more important, so the childs safety can be compromised in order to nurse and drive.

I don't think so.

That is not what I said. I have had children who cry in ther carseats no matter what. For my daughter who was born with a CHD that crying could cause her brain damage. There were actually times i HAD to travel with her in the car. If I didn't have someone to chauffeur me and she was hysterical, then I might make the choice to nurse her while driving. I didn't say anything about her need to be on time being more important than the safety of her child. Not using a carseat is NOT unsafe, unless you're in a car accident. Are you in a car accident EVERY time you drive? We all make choices that are POTENTIALLY unsafe EVERY day. Crossing the street. Vaxing or not. Driving even while in a carseat is risky.

I dont' want the government telling me what I can or cannot do with my own person or my children.

[betsyj]

I dont' want the government telling me what I can or cannot do with my own person or my children.

Except in this case your child would probably die because of your not using a car seat. Not all gov't regulations are bad.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by betsyj

Except in this case your child would probably die because of your not using a car seat. Not all gov't regulations are bad.

Actually, my child would probably NOT die (not being in a car seat is not a death sentence. ONLY if you are in an accident - which most people are NOT). How many times do you drive a year without getting in an accident? I haven't been in an car accident in several years. I drive EVERY day.

[prothyraia]

Originally Posted by betsyj

Except in this case your child would probably die because of your not using a car seat. Not all gov't regulations are bad.

Well, let's be realisitic here. I'm a proponent of mandatory car seat laws myself, but no, her child will not probably die because of not using a car seat. If I had never been in a car seat as a child, I (and most other people) would still be alive.

Probably, everyone will be fine. Because, probably, they won't get in a car accident.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by betsyj

Except in this case your child would probably die because of your not using a car seat. Not all gov't regulations are bad.

Should VBAC be outlawed because the POTENTIAL for harm is there? Or not even VBAC, what about just vaginal birth in general? Would you want the government to say, "Vaginal birth is POTENTIALLY life threatening, therefore no more vaginal birth"?

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by prothyraia

Well, let's be realisitic here. I'm a proponent of mandatory car seat laws myself, but no, her child will not probably die because of not using a car seat. If I had never been in a car seat as a child, I (and most other people) would still be alive.

Probably, everyone will be fine. Because, probably, they won't get in a car accident.

Thank you for saying more clearly than I

[Smalls181]

FTR, it is now illegal in Michigan to remove a child from a car seat to nurse. When Gov Granholm signed the booster seat law last year, they also removed that article.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by Smalls181

FTR, it is now illegal in Michigan to remove a child from a car seat to nurse. When Gov Granholm signed the booster seat law last year, they also removed that article.

Just what we need...more micromanagement of our lives by big brother.

Is that even for passengers?

Sec. 626d. A person shall not breast-feed a child while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway. A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.

(2) This section does not apply to any child being nursed by a passenger in a motor vehicle.


https://legislature.mi.gov/documents...3-SIB-0728.htm

[Giraffe]

FTR it is a very high traffic area with 2 lanes going each way & a center turn lane. There are tons of lights, side streets & plenty of congestion any time of day. The speed limit is 35, but drivers routinely go 40-45. There's tons of opportunity for accidents. I've nearly been hit plenty of time through no fault of my own. I think they might have finished construction, but when lanes were shut down it was even worse.

Sometimes there have to be laws to protect innocent children from people incapable of making very serious decisions. She doesn't think the airbag hitting the baby would be any different than hitting her. That shows that she is indeed ignorant about car safety.

[Porcelain Interior]

What about the rest of us? She's got a squirming child attached to her breast right by the steering wheel.

How many times have you seen someone with a dog in their lap while they are driving?

This type of behavior is not only dangerous if you get in an accident, it can cause the driver (with dog/child/phone) to have an accident.

This woman is behaving very selfishly. I'm not ok sharing the road with someone who's obviously unable to handle the very serious PRIVLEDGE/RESPONSIBILITY (not right) of operating a motor vehicle.

People and cell phones are bad enough, let's add in a two year old right on the steering wheel and totally tempt fate.

Should 100% be illegal. Has nothing to do with parenting choices or breastfeeding.

There is only one safe thing to be doing while you're driving.....driving. We all do little things here and there, drink a coffee, pop a piece of gum in our mouths, or change the radio station. Something alive with his/her own mind like a child on a lap while driving is insane. No excuse.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by Porcelain Interior

What about the rest of us? She's got a squirming child attached to her breast right by the steering wheel.

How many times have you seen someone with a dog in their lap while they are driving?

This type of behavior is not only dangerous if you get in an accident, it can cause the driver (with dog/child/phone) to have an accident.

This woman is behaving very selfishly. I'm not ok sharing the road with someone who's obviously unable to handle the very serious PRIVLEDGE/RESPONSIBILITY (not right) of operating a motor vehicle.

People and cell phones are bad enough, let's add in a two year old right on the steering wheel and totally tempt fate.

Should 100% be illegal. Has nothing to do with parenting choices or breastfeeding.

There is only one safe thing to be doing while you're driving.....driving. We all do little things here and there, drink a coffee, pop a piece of gum in our mouths, or change the radio station. Something alive with his/her own mind like a child on a lap while driving is insane. No excuse.

then make doing ANYthing while driving illegal. Eating nachos from taco bell is dangerous while driving. Should that be illegal? Changing the radio station is dangerous.

[Porcelain Interior]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

then make doing ANYthing while driving illegal. Eating nachos from taco bell is dangerous while driving. Should that be illegal? Changing the radio station is dangerous.

Tacos can't bite your nipple or kick the steering wheel or pitch a fit.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by Porcelain Interior

Tacos can't bite your nipple or kick the steering wheel or pitch a fit.

My point is, ALL sorts of things can distract a driver. Should they all be outlawed? Should pets not be allowed in a car? Because they can jump on the driver. Should kids not be allowed, because they can screech and surprise the driver? Should hot food not be allowed, because it can burn the drivers toungue, or fall in the driver's lap, causing the driver to look down. Should mothers - in law not be allowed, because they can be annoying and passive aggressive, wait, I digress....

[lolar2]

Actually a friend of mine recently had a hard taco shell gash his esophagus while driving. We dressed him down for eating hard food while driving.

[Giraffe]

So I could agree on the MIL provision. Mine isn't allowed in my car...lol

[betsyj]

What I meant was if you were in an accident and holding your baby he would probably die, or at the very least be seriously injured. By your reasoning people can drive drunk with their children in the car as well. Is that ok?

There is no excuse for not keeping your child in a car seat. None. And if you don't you are irresponsible and deserve to be ticketed.

Children unbuckled in cars is a known danger to their health.

And saying then make everything illegal is unworkable and unrealistic. Of course you can not legislate against every stupid thing people do while driving. Reasonable people pick the most dangerous things and make laws for that. And making children ride in car seats is one of those laws.

[PoetryLover]

Originally Posted by Porcelain Interior

What about the rest of us? She's got a squirming child attached to her breast right by the steering wheel.

How many times have you seen someone with a dog in their lap while they are driving?

This type of behavior is not only dangerous if you get in an accident, it can cause the driver (with dog/child/phone) to have an accident.

This woman is behaving very selfishly. I'm not ok sharing the road with someone who's obviously unable to handle the very serious PRIVLEDGE/RESPONSIBILITY (not right) of operating a motor vehicle.

People and cell phones are bad enough, let's add in a two year old right on the steering wheel and totally tempt fate.

Should 100% be illegal. Has nothing to do with parenting choices or breastfeeding.

There is only one safe thing to be doing while you're driving.....driving. We all do little things here and there, drink a coffee, pop a piece of gum in our mouths, or change the radio station. Something alive with his/her own mind like a child on a lap while driving is insane. No excuse.

I agree. Also, one person's rights end where another's begin. Other people (and one's own child) have the right to be safe.

[mamajama]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

My point is, ALL sorts of things can distract a driver. Should they all be outlawed? Should pets not be allowed in a car? Because they can jump on the driver. Should kids not be allowed, because they can screech and surprise the driver? Should hot food not be allowed, because it can burn the drivers toungue, or fall in the driver's lap, causing the driver to look down. Should mothers - in law not be allowed, because they can be annoying and passive aggressive, wait, I digress....

No. But it should be illegal to drive whilst nursing.