"Breastfeeding uncovered is undignified"

[Celticqueen]

I was talking to a mom today who said this. UNDIGNIFIED? 

Wow...So apparently, we are uncover-upers are breastfeeding without dignity. Better go get that cover...

Sheesh.

[velcromom]

Most people have a deeply held (won't admit) belief that bf is somehow sexual, I believe that to be the root of the various "modesty" arguments. When they see (or imagine) a babe at the breast, they aren't seeing a baby feeding, they are seeing

a person with their mouth on a woman's nipple.

Apparently they are unwilling or unable to take into account the age of the person, the relationship between the person and the woman, and the exact reason why the two are "doing that".

That reminds me, I haven't been to my favorite site in a while - here's a link to a site that is the antidote to mainstream anti-bf attitudes -

www.007b.com

[annettemarie]

That would be really frustrating to hear. I would actually have a hard time not making a snarky reply,
I'm going to move this out to the main forum since it's not a call to action.

So undignified.

[Dr.Worm]

Maybe it's undignified to be so concerned with what other people are doing.  I honestly don't get it.  If you have a problem with it, who the bleep is holding you down and prying your eyelids open??? Walk away and mind your business!!  And velcromom, love the site you linked to!!

[princesstutu]

I, too, love that site.  Thanks for posting!

Undignified.  I'm sorry, but I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from laughing if I heard someone say that.  It's moronic!

[mom2happy]

Isn't it sick that people think it's so shameful?

[BrennaRawks]

Hmmm. I don't really understand the undignified thing. Granted, I cover up when I have to NIP due to my own shyness/embarrassment/fear/etc etc. But that's my choice, kwim? Actually, I do believe if more women NIP uncovered, then maybe women like me won't be as worried about NIP as it becomes more normal to see. It really doesn't have much to do with dignity or lack thereof, imo.

[sosurreal09]

Oh would I have lost it on that woman.

[abm79]

I feed EVERYWHERE uncovered.  If my DD is hungry, I feed her.  Even if I'm just walking down the street (I've got that one down pat).  I just don't understand how people have this view - they're babies and they need to eat.  End of story.  I always figure that if I can pull out a granola bar and chomp on it anywhere, my baby can do the same.  I also wonder - would they prefer a screaming baby to having to witness a mother nurse?  Ridiculous!

[JustMeAmy]

Nursing covered up is complicated. The longer it takes me to get a crying baby to the breast, the longer we all have to listen to it. *That's* undignified.

[~Adorkable~]

i was at the peds office for a well baby vist this week and in a waiting area with my twins my dh and one other couple with a 10 day old infant. i was chatting to them about their questions about if spitting up was normal and letting them know i was in he same boat, we were having a nice chat. i started breastfeeding my 8 week old son, the lady asked, with a disgusted look on her face, for me to turn around. 

i said "why? im just breastfeeding"

she said she did not want her dh to see my boob (my ds was already latched on and with my nursing shirt barely anything showed)

i said "nothing to see, im just breastfeeding"

she said, "you know there is cover for stuff like that?

i then said very proudly, Yeah those are for ladies who want to use them or are ashamed, and I'm not BECAUSE I'M JUST BREASTFEEDING!"

[Ellien C]

Good for the PP - and at the PEDS office for heaven's sake.  I love it I'm just BREAST feeding, you know.

[goinggreengirl]

Undignified? Seriously? I can think of a whole huge list of things that I see in public that are undignified and breastfeeding is not one of them! I try to be modest, but mainly because my DH stresses out when I nurse in public and he thinks someone will see something. When I'm alone, I don't care as much!

[peainthepod]

Staring at a nursing mother's naked breast, in hopes of getting a peek at her nipple, is way more undignified. Don't like it? Don't look.

I nurse everywhere and since I'm bra-free (I wear camisoles only), it's usually over the top of my v-neck or boatneck shirt. I've fed my babies everywhere from church to funerals to subway trains to city parks to airports to dinner parties...at the table! They're babies, they're eating, and we're mammals so my milk is what they eat. Anyone who gets offended by that should really consider seeking therapy IMO. It's not my job to cater to someone else's irrational neuroses.

[Celticqueen]

Peainthepod...congrats, you're my new hero!

[averlee]

Undignified? Forgive me for being coarse but...

I wasn't worried about "dignified" when I got pregnant with this baby, with my feet up in the air and my 3 yr old watching Barney way too loud in the next room.

I also wasn't worried about "dignity" when I squatted, shat myself, let sweat drip off of me, and tore my cooch pushing this baby out.

I sure as hell ain't gonna worry about what somebody thinks is "dignified" now that I'm just trying to feed my baby. At least I have pants on!

[miche28]

You know what's undignified? A grown woman wearing a bib (aka nursing cover). That's undignified :)

Now, if it helps a mama nurse her baby when s/he needs it, then I'm willing to overlook it, but no one should ever think that it's their right to impose it on her.

[cocoanib]

Reading stuff like this just makes me sad. How can naturally feeding your baby be undignified. What?

And if you can't BF comfortably in a Ped's office, then that's just silly.

I don't get how we are in this place in 2011.

[KempsMama]

Originally Posted by miche28 

You know what's undignified? A grown woman wearing a bib (aka nursing cover). That's undignified :)

Now, if it helps a mama nurse her baby when s/he needs it, then I'm willing to overlook it, but no one should ever think that it's their right to impose it on her.

No, I'm not undignified, thank you very much.  I have very large breasts and a very distractable baby and I don't want the world seeing my bits because it flusters me, stresses me out, delays my let down and makes my LO even crankier.

I totally respect those of you who feel covers aren't needed, but without mine I'd never leave the house.   And I think the OP is right in her frustration that some people believe a cover is required for the comfort of others, but please let's not turn this into a thread bashing women who feel the need to cover. 

[annettemarie]

Amen, Heathyr. I don't understand responding to mom bashing with more mom bashing. Some moms are comfortable covering and they don't owe anyone an explanation. It needs to be about the comfort of the mother and the baby and breastfeeding, not about shaming and namecalling.