Thursday, December 3, 2009

indiscreet breastfeeder


I'm tired of modesty. There, I said it. I'm fine with keeping my belly covered, my rear end well above my skirt hems, and my necklines appropriate for school, but if anyone EVER tells me to cover up while feeding my child I might very well lose my cool. People don't ask a bottle-feeding mother to put a blanket over her child's head or to move to a "more private" area or bathroom (yuck!). They don't stare or point at bottle-feeding mothers and their babies, nor do they make rude or condescending comments ("That is inappropriate or disgusting or unnecessary", "You have no business flaunting yourself that way", "Why don't you just make him a bottle for when you go out?", etc.).


Just for the record, I've personally never been harassed in any of these ways. Reactions at every place I've nursed publicly have ranged from indifferent to admiring; never have I been hassled (though some people probably DID stare or point when I wasn't looking). I don't make a point to emphasize what I'm doing or "flaunt" it, but neither do I cover up or try to hide anything. My baby eats when he's hungry or needs settling regardless of where we are or what we're doing, and I will NEVER apologize for doing the best thing I can possibly do for my child.


And, by the way, it's not my (and definitely not Zeke's) problem that our culture has hypersexualized breasts to the point that their intended purpose is completely masked by their perception of being available to and used by men. *Rant over*


1 comment:

  1. Nice blog. Keep writing, you never know where it may lead. Shoutouts to my boy Larry Legend!

    ReplyDelete

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