Dubious Lactivism at Best

[annettemarie]

http://www.altoonamirror.com/Life/ar...articleID=5379

While she is an advocate for breast-feeding in public, she is also trying to appease those who don’t want to see public breast-feeding by working toward creating legislation that not only would support a woman’s choice to breast-feed in public, but would also require public places to have some sort of separate area for mothers to breast-feed away from the public.

“It’s protecting everybody,” she said. “I want all public places to have an extra room to breast-feed, even if it’s just an old storage room cleaned up and with a chair. It’s something to protect people who are uncomfortable with it and to give mothers a little privacy.”

My concern is that once a business is legally obligated to create a room, they will have the mistaken idea that women are legally obligated to use it. Thoughts?

[annettemarie]

Meh. The more I think about it the more I think it's a bad idea.

[hipcoolmama]

Sounds good hearted, but maybe misguided.

Why should BF moms/ babies have to always be separated?

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by hipcoolmama

Sounds good hearted, but maybe misguided.

Why should BF moms/ babies have to always be separated?

Exactly. And why should people who don't want to see breastfeeding be appeased?

[nausicaamom]

I agree with you, it smacks at bit too much of "separate but equal for my taste"

[Mama Poot]

Bad idea. If someone told me I had to go to their "designated breastfeeding area" I would

[jessjgh1]

Impractical besides being a bad idea. Its hard enough to find a public bathroom in many places-- adding a public breastfeeding area is not going to work-- and a bathroom with a public nursing place is just gross

Jessica

[annettemarie]

There was other good stuff in the article; it's just this part I disagree with.

[tallulahma]

"even if its an old storage room cleaned up with a chair?"
For some reason that immediately sounded creepy.
But even more than creepy, it feels like "oh, geez, breastfeeding moms......well....uh....just put them in here"

I dont like it.

[Hayes]

I am feeding my baby! When they make a room for mamas with bottles, then I will be appeased.

sorry, it's been a bad emotional day.

[nonconformnmom]

I think, too, that if a special room is created for breastfeeding it would imply that anyone who breastfeeds elsewhere (in that building or proximity of the public space) is intentionally doing it to get in people's faces. Over time, the expectation would become that all breastfeeding activity be done behind closed doors. Not a good development. :

[mammal_mama]

Yeah, I realize some women prefer a private place to nurse -- but then, why is that? For a few, it may be that Baby relaxes better when (s)he's just one-to-one with Mommy -- but for most moms who want a private spot, it's because they've internalized societal attitudes about breastfeeding being inappropriate in public.

I prefer just nursing wherever I happen to be with my baby and not having a designated area. The problem with having designated areas is they're often not just "available" to moms who want them, the rest of us are often told, "This is where you go to breastfeed."

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Exactly. And why should people who don't want to see breastfeeding be appeased?

That's the problem I see with it, too.

[nonconformnmom]

I'd like to see someone propose a "room" where people can go who don't want to see breastfeeding. Now that would be good lactivism.

[*caitlinsmom*]

Originally Posted by nonconformnmom

I think, too, that if a special room is created for breastfeeding it would imply that anyone who breastfeeds elsewhere (in that building or proximity of the public space) is intentionally doing it to get in people's faces. Over time, the expectation would become that all breastfeeding activity be done behind closed doors. Not a good development. :

:

it would just re-enforce the notion the BF is something that should be hidden away and that is not the point of lactivism, now is it?

The idea (or so I thought) was to normalize, rather than marginalize BF. Having a seperate "BF room" means that all BF moms will be expected to use it, and places that provide it will then feel justified in harrassing the moms that don't want to use it... and their defense will be "see, but we made a room and offered it to them..."

hidding to bf doesn't further the cause and just caters to the anti boobie patrol.

[Birth Junky]

Originally Posted by the article

“In restaurants especially, there’s just nowhere to breastfeed,” she said.

This was one of the parts that jumped out at me. Nowhere to breastfeed?!? I have nursed in many a restaurant, in my seat at my table. I'm eating, why shouldn't DD?

Add me to the list of people who think that it is unnecessary to separate nursing moms from the rest of the public.

[soccerchic21]

Having a separate area for breastfeeding women doesn't sound "public" to me.

[Cassiopeia]

I agree. Thumbs down.

[Clarinet]

I think in order for it to work both ways (having comfortable, pleasant hidey-hole for nursing mothers who wish to nurse in private as well as making sure women who want to nurse with their company can do that, too), restaurants and stores have to first educate their employees and tell them it's optional but not mandatory. You are right, AnnetteMarie. I see it as nursing mothers being told to go there or leave and everyone will think it's OK because they have the room available and it's the nursing mother's fault for not using it.

[Shenjall]

Originally Posted by nonconformnmom

I'd like to see someone propose a "room" where people can go who don't want to see breastfeeding. Now that would be good lactivism.

Too good to let go by without quoting.