Barbara Walters "offended" by BIFP

[mlawlessg]

on the May 18th show of The View - Barbara had some surprising comments to make to Elisabeth (new mom returning to work that day) about BFIP.... I got this in an email from a friend. and I immediately thought of you all - how do we go about expressing our disappointment? I don't think that we should be made to "cover up" in public. But I have NO IDEA how to say this eloquently or to whom.... their website has a link to send email to each member - but also to the "viewmaster"......

anyway - here is what was said on the show....

I don't know if any of you watch The View on ABC, but last week I watched it b/c it was Elisabeth's first day back after having her baby. They were discussing breastfeeding. During this time Barbara Walters told a story about how this woman on the plane beside her "fed her baby and didn't even cover herself with a blanket" and Barbara was horrified and "very uncomfortable" with this. This then led to a discussion of how it is hard to breast feed discretley but how you should really do it in public all covered up etc.

[muttix2]

Yeah, I stopped watching that show when they started in on how "crazy" it is to natural birth. The passing comments really kill me on that show. They'll be talking about something that is on the whole an ok belief or something and one of them will mumble something totally uninformed or racist or whatever and my head just spins around while the laundry goes flying :LOL They're on the whole pretty mainstream and, esp the older women, like to make it seem like anything *not mainstream is crazy or bad or violating other people's rights. Sorry for the rant, this show is just such a disappointment. I hate when mainstream views are pushed as the only views.

ETA: Missed a *not.

[Momtwice]

I think there's a thread at Breastfeeding Advocacy about this. Some NY moms are threatening a nurse in.

[MrsMoe]

It would be polite to keep in mind that not everyone is open minded, and some may be offended by seeing an exposed breast. It wouldnt' have harmed the woman to use a light blanket to cover her bare exposed breast, and would have been thoughtful and considerate to those around her.

[Losgann]

Originally Posted by MrsMoe

It would be polite to keep in mind that not everyone is open minded, and some may be offended by seeing an exposed breast. It wouldnt' have harmed the woman to use a light blanket to cover her bare exposed breast, and would have been thoughtful and considerate to those around her.

I doubt very seriously any of us breastfeed with our shirts pulled over our heads waving breasts around for everyone to see. You see more breast walking on a street on a fully clothed lady than you do breastfeeding.

Anyway.. I saw this posted here on MDC the other day and I it. Priceless!

Whatever hang ups people have is just that: their hang ups. It's not my job to deal with 'em.

[kate~mom]

Originally Posted by MrsMoe

It would be polite to keep in mind that not everyone is open minded, and some may be offended by seeing an exposed breast. It wouldnt' have harmed the woman to use a light blanket to cover her bare exposed breast, and would have been thoughtful and considerate to those around her.

where was it mentioned that there *was* exposed breast? while it is possible that babs's airplane neighbor whipped off her shirt, personally, you can see none of my skin when i nip - especially if i am sitting down - without the aid of a blanket.

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by Momtwice

I think there's a thread at Breastfeeding Advocacy about this. Some NY moms are threatening a nurse in.

They should do it!!!

[Parthenia]

Originally Posted by piscean_mama

Anyway.. I saw this posted here on MDC the other day and I it. Priceless!

:LOL
If you see someone out in public breastfeeding, since you're out in public, you have the freedom not to look. I don't force people to watch me feed my baby. And sometimes I don't cover up. I have large breasts, and I'd need a queen size bed spread to cover them. It's really not convenient to carry a bed spread.

[kate~mom]

Originally Posted by piscean_mama

Anyway.. I saw this posted here on MDC the other day and I it. Priceless!

love it!

[Momtwice]

That is HYSTERICAL. Go Hathor!

I think a baby has a right to eat without being suffocated under a hot blanket.

[rosie29]

Originally Posted by piscean_mama

Anyway.. I saw this posted here on MDC the other day and I it.

Slightly OT: is it true that a US rep wants to pressure WHO not to approve the pro-BF resolution, like the cartoon says? I'd like to know more about that! :

[townmouse]

Ms. Moe, I'm all for consideration, but I confess I'm not going to trouble myself for the kind of people who are offended by a baby eating.

I'm currently bf'ing my fourth son. There comes a time when a mama has to put her child and herself, first. Ahead of strangers.

This placating of strangers can lead to all sorts of bad stuff:
1. early weaning
2. poor growth of baby, or plugged ducts or infection in mother (from delaying feedings or cutting them short b/c of others' discomfort
3. perpetuation of abuse toward bf'ing mothers and babies. things won't change as long as mothers don't feel they can feed baby when, and how, they need to (or baby needs to)
4. NIP laws...still a problem in many areas. see #3.
5. older children, teenage girls etc. get a wrong message if the few NIP'ers they know are always juggling that blanket and covering baby's head. They learn that there's something shameful about feeding a baby the way God intended. They may be less inclined to bf or support bf.

my two cents. I just think the emphasis here should be on the health, comfort and safety of the breastfeeding pair. It shouldn't be all about the ignorant onlookers.

[medaroge]

I know that I have the right to nurse my baby anywhere that we are legally allowed to be and I do nurse him anywhere, anytime that he wants to. Usually I dont cover up with a blanket as you cant see any skin at all while I am nursing. However, it makes my husband uncomfortable for me to nurse in public, so he asked me to use a blanket and I did. Our son is not used to and does not like being under a blanket so it is quite an ordeal to keep the blanket over him, and in my opinion, it draws more attention to us with a blanket flying all over the place than if I quietly nurse him. Eventually, my husband realized this and stoped throwing a blanket over us.
I think most mothers who are nursing are as descreet at whatever level they are comfortable with and that is all that matters!

[Harper]

It would be polite to keep in mind that not everyone is open minded, and some may be offended by seeing an exposed breast. It wouldnt' have harmed the woman to use a light blanket to cover her bare exposed breast, and would have been thoughtful and considerate to those around her.

And I'm sure that those who are offended also do not watch TV, read magazines or even walk down the street on most days!! There are more exposed breasts assaulting us from advertisers than from bfing moms everyday. As soon as advertisers decide tha they need to protect those that aren't as "open minded," I will use a light blankget to cover up when NIP--until then--NO WAY.

[Starr]

[QUOTE=piscean_mama]I doubt very seriously any of us breastfeed with our shirts pulled over our heads waving breasts around for everyone to see.

: Now THAT I would love to see! A whole group of crunchy mommas shaking their stuff around for everyone to see. :LOL

[MrsMoe]

While I may agree that breast feeding is normal and natural, and it's pitiful and silly that people would be offended by it, the world is made of all sorts of people. Some of which may (or may not) be offended by our actions. I personally would rather not shove my beliefs on other people and take a more polite approach, especially when it comes to an issue of breasts.

Most of the Western (American) world views breasts as sexual. And while it may be an immature uneducated view, I would rather take a light blanket and cover up rather than offend somebody.

[Momtwice]

Originally Posted by rosie29

Slightly OT: is it true that a US rep wants to pressure WHO not to approve the pro-BF resolution, like the cartoon says? I'd like to know more about that! :

Someone started a thread here
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=291318

[CryPixie83]

Originally Posted by MrsMoe

It would be polite to keep in mind that not everyone is open minded, and some may be offended by seeing an exposed breast. It wouldnt' have harmed the woman to use a light blanket to cover her bare exposed breast, and would have been thoughtful and considerate to those around her.

Polite, thoughtful and considerate my foot. It wouldn't have harmed those around her to mind their own business.

If someone is bothered by a mother feeding her child then look the other way. I'll start covering my baby by a "light blanket" when the rude people that complain about this start covering their heads when they eat their lunch. An exposed bit of skin isn't harming anyone. They're BREASTS they make HUMAN MILK for babies to feed upon. Just because our society is twisted and brainwashed into thinking nursing is indecent does not mean we have to cater to these pervers thoughts.

[Losgann]

Originally Posted by Momtwice

"REFUSE TO HAND IT DOWN - THE LEGACY STOPS HERE."~Melissa Etheridge on homophobia

OT: Momtwice

We got our sigs from the same song.

[CryPixie83]

Originally Posted by rosie29

Slightly OT: is it true that a US rep wants to pressure WHO not to approve the pro-BF resolution, like the cartoon says? I'd like to know more about that! :

Yup, sure is. Here's a link:
http://www.thecowgoddess.com/blog/myblog.asp

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