Editorial: Ignorance on breastfeeding
The recent incident in Englewood in which a mother was chastised for breastfeeding her baby at a public pool largely has centered on questions of modesty.
Did she show too much skin? How much is too much?
Frankly, it’s maddening to listen to people attempt to impose their own moral codes on a woman engaging in a natural and legal act.
She was fully within her rights, as the city of Englewood later acknowledged in a letter of apology. Colorado is among 45 states with laws allowing mothers to breastfeed in public.
People such as Charlotte Dirkes, who breastfed her baby at a kiddie pool while she watched her older children, ought to be supported. What’s lost in the debate over propriety are the significant health and economic benefits of breastfeeding.
U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin last year issued a call to action to support increased breastfeeding in the United States.
Breastfeeding babies get fewer infections and illnesses and are less likely to develop asthma. If they breastfeed for six months, their risk of becoming obese is reduced.
The economic benefits of not buying baby formula are obvious and amount to savings of $1,200 to $1,500 annually. In addition, one insurance company noted significantly reduced health care costs for newborns whose mothers participated in its employee maternity and lactation program.
It’s obvious there are personal health reasons to breastfeed a baby. But healthier babies are a benefit to society as well.
Interestingly, Colorado has exceeded national averages for breastfeeding, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While just under 75 percent of babies born nationally had ever breastfed in 2011, in Colorado the number was 80 percent. The state also far exceeds the national average for the proportion of babies exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months of age.
However, it’s not all good news for Colorado. Since 2007, the state has seen a significant drop in the percentage of babies ever breastfed, even as the national average improves.
Instead of inhibiting breastfeeding mothers, some of whom may already be concerned about pushback from strangers, we should encourage them.
If that means looking the other way if your personal tolerance level for breast exposure is exceeded, then do that. Just don’t try to tell mothers who are doing the best for their babies to cover it up or move along.
-The Denver Post
Nice!
As a mom who breastfed (in public and discreetly), I find this editorial short-sighted leaning toward childish. There are few people who object anymore to breastfeeding in public. But we do object to exhibitionism. In the cases recently which have made the news, this natural, beautiful and healthy act has been far more about an exhibitionist flaunting her “rights” than it has been about the health of her baby. It is neither difficult nor unhealthy to lightly cover the exposed area of the breast in order to be considerate of those around you. I managed to breastfeed all three of my children–many times in public spaces, without ever exposing myself or offending those around me. In fact generations of women have managed this with no damage to themselves or their children. Babies nurse more effectively when they are allowed to breast-feed in a calm, quiet environment. When women are asked to cover up, or move to a quieter, more private area this is not an attack on breast-feeding, but rather a much needed correction to a childish parent who considers herself (not her child) to be the only person of importance in her immediate surroundings.
I only wish what you said is true. I was attacked for nursing the first of my five children in a public group setting. It was also, ironically enough, one of only a handful of times that I used a blanket. The vast majority of mothers I’ve personally spoken to in the last ten years who were harassed for nursing in public were covered or not exposed at the time. As in 85% out of the 250 I’ve personally inquired or found out about. So yes….while you would HOPE that for most people it’s not an issue of whether the child is drinking breastmilk or powdered milk the unfortunate truth is for many people (85%?) that IS still the issue. It’s tragically sad.
“People such as Charlotte Dirkes, who breastfed her baby at a kiddie pool while she watched her older children, ought to be supported.”
The original story claimed she was breastfeeding IN the kiddie pool. That is what most of the comments I read had a problem with. Why would you need to breastfeed in the kiddie pool? Why did the editorial not address the actual complaints? Is it because it’s not as easy to call those people ignorant?
Were you there and witnessed that this mom was acting childish in the kiddie pool????? Frankly it looks like you have several issues, I have never heard of a former breast feeding mother go off on a rant about modesty and other mothers needing “much needed correction to a childish parent who considers herself (not her child) to be the only person of importance in her immediate surroundings.”
Frankly I find it difficult to believe you are a former breast feeding mom. I actually did breast feed both my kids OVER 30 YEARS AGO ie I’M OLD and can’t imagine any REAL veteran of breast feeding posting any sanctimonious poppycock like your post!!!!
Gee Nadia, I bet if you google the word “sanctimonious” you’ll see your picture as an example.
Nice little self serving rant of your own though.
The law is the law. And the fewer laws we have telling us what to do (and what not to do), the more free we are as a society, the closer we are to what the founding fathers had envisioned for our country.
And at the same time, with every right comes a responsibility. Mothers have a right to breastfeed when and where they want. As a mother currently breastfeeding her 6 month old, I believe we also have a responsibility to attempt to be descreet.
Somewhat like smokers have the right to smoke, they have the responsibility to attempt to do it in areas where there smoke doesn’t affect others. When smokers don’t respect the rights of others, non-smokers uproar and call for laws to protect themselves. Then we have more laws telling us what to do (and not to do). As a society, we become less free.
A woman has every right to breastfeed her child when and where she wants. No law should attempt to limit her freedoms. And when the health and societal benefits are concerned, in contrast to the health risks of smoming, women should, in fact, be encouraged to breastfeed their babies when and where they want.
And, a woman should take it upon herself to be discreet. If we do not, those offended will uprise and call for laws to limit how nursing can be conducted, much like the laws to keep smokers from infringing on the rights of non-smokers.
The most convenient nursing aid I have found is Bebe Au Lait, a lightweight nursing cover that allows the mom to nurse in public while easily watching over her baby. Anyone who is offended by nursing in public can make this “hooter hider” their favorite shower gift for expectant moms.
Now – think about this. this not full frontal nudity here, nor even a wardrobe malfunction. This is not some biker woman hoisting her shirt as she rides with her old man. Are people such Puritans that they cannot handle even a glimpse of a breast? This is at a pool where there may be a bit more skin that is visible than there was of the breast. Or is breast skin especially offensive?
And mature mom – you seem to feel that your perspective is the one that will decide proper public decorum, thus your use of the ‘royal we’. I take it that for you, ‘flaunting’ is a synonym for actually doing something that used to be illegal but is now widely permitted. And legal.
This editorial seems to just be about the merits of breast feeding, which few dispute. The first reports were that she was breast feeding IN the kiddie pool which seems a bit inappropriate… after all, the other kids pee in there.
Women have a legal right to breast feed in public which I have no problem with. Flaunting it just to pick a fight is what this issue seems to be about. A bit of discretion would not be too much to ask from her when breast feeding in public.
To the editors:
I will happily agree with you that this women has the right to breastfeed IN the pool, if you will let all of us posters urinate in the pool that you use (while you are in it). NOW, do you have an issue with it? After all, Urine is just as sterile as breast milk (and it is).
Tonight, my wife and I took our kids to Chucky Cheese. It was our first outing in over 6 weeks. Why? because of our 6 week-old. My wife breast feed him. In the corner table, under a cover.
We were not bothered by anybody. More importantly, we did not have ppl walking by to see what was going on (interestingly, 6 years ago, we did).
So, obviously, we do not have issues of ppl breast feeding in public. If they want to be gawked at, I actually do not care. They can whip it out, or lose the top for all I care. HOWEVER, I do not think that it is sanitary for mother, child, or other swimmers, for the mom to be doing this in the pool.
The editorial was simplistic and missed the mark. I certainly don’t object to breast feeding in public. Even if I did, too bad it’s legal. What is at issue is how one exercises one’s legal rights. A legal right and consideration of others are not mutually exclusive. Frankly, this seems to be much ado about nothing. Protest away, that’s part of free speech. However, the editorial board would do well to put a little more thought into editorials on this subject.
I suspect – if the mother were truly “flaunting it” as some of the more prudish allege – there would be pictures of that going viral! Looking at the mothers in the “nurse in” from the file photo above, I only see one who MIGHT be nursing.) Would snarky “Mature Mom” be happier if the mother in question left her child unattended in the kiddie pool and that child drowned?
There are several completely natural and healthy activities which should not be done publicly. I’m sure that the editorial board could come up with a list. I don’t know anyone who opposes any of those activities. Pretending that people who object to public immodesty also object to breastfeeding is intellectually dishonest. They are two different issues.
If you want people to support parks, malls, and other similar public places, then you have to make them comfortable for everyone. This requires compromise.
The people I know who have a problem with public immodesty solve their problem by avoiding malls, museums, public schools, swimming pools, and similar public places. Understandably, we also tend to vote against supporting those kinds of places with public funds.
Breastfeeding is the right thing to do. However, it can be done in a manner in which the public doesn’t have to see everything. Somethings still can be done in a modest way. Show a little class that’s all.
I am amazed at the comments on this editorial. We seem to miss the point that while we (Americans) believe we are somehow more advanced than the Taliban, we still impose restrictions on women that are as archaic as the burka.
Since men perceive women’s breasts as sexual objects and are apparently incapable of controlling ourselves we impose strict moral standards on them…..how dare a woman breast feed in public. And if she does….she better do it in a manner that doesn’t offend anyone or she better not show too much skin.
Good grief…you would have thought America was more evolved….perhaps we’re not much better than the Taliban after all.
No one is asserting that breastfeeding in public is immoral, or illegal.
The complaints I read are only that it is ill-mannered, and breast-feeding in a pool might be a bit unsanitary; hardly a drive by the taliban to force women in burkas like some posters have suggested
Totally agree! I am so proud of The Denver Post for taking this position.
As the mama who help organize the nurse in at Pirates Cove.. Thank you Denver Post!
Ugh. No one is arguing the nutritional benefits. There is no need to flaunt it in a public pool when there were plenty of options to do this. Trust me, there’s several extremely natural and intinctual human capabilities that people could do in public, but we don’t just because we “could.” It’s called courtesy.
Yes because as nursing mothers are goal is to flaunt.
***No food or drink in the pool*** I breast fed both of my kids for just over a year, and somehow managed not doing it in a pool.
I enjoyed this article. Breast feeding, albeit natural, is not easy and takes dedication from the mother to devote significant time and energy to nurse her infant. A task I am proudly doing myself. The number one reason I and other moms I know continue to breast feed is due to support from others. It’s not always easy to be discreet when nursing while you are trying to watch your older children, have an extremely active child who fights all attempts at covering up, and/or simply being in public raises the level of difficulty. I am proud of moms who choose to put their children first in a selfless act thats benefits far outweigh the alternative. Breastfeeding mothers challenge their own humility by risking exposing their breast and offending someone else or getting nasty looks or comments of disapproval. The best comment I have seen on breast feeding so far reads “everyone wants to see your boobs, until your baby needs them.”
I think breastfeeding is great and support it 100%, but what about those of us that couldn’t breastfeed? Every article, website, blog, etc that has anything to do with breastfeeding is so focused on the benefits of breastfeeding and makes those of us that can’t nurse feel as though we are lacking as mothers and that our kids are going to have all sorts of health and social problems. As I struggled to come to terms that breastfeeding wasn’t going to work out, I seeked out support online to learn more about bottle feeding. The only positive results in my search were formula company websites. The rest of the search response futher touted the benefits of breastfeeding and made me feel even worse. As the mother of a 3 year old and 8 month old that have never been sick and are healthy, smart and well socialized, I wish there could be more support for bottle feeding mothers to let them know it is OK not to breastfeed and that their kids will turn out just fine. If you want to and can breastfeed, I support you. If you can’t or don’t want to, give your baby some formula and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about it.
What about just supporting each other as mothers, an incredibly difficult job, and stop criticizing decisions we make?
Yay for the DP! I breastfeed and honestly, it’s hard. Both of our girls were preemies and learned to nurse with LC’s and NICU nurses standing over them with my boobs out. It doesn’t make it easy to nurse with a cover and I’m not fighting with a screaming baby in public. With that said, I’m not wearing a hooter hider at a water park and not all swim suits allow for a discreet feed and as I’ve said before, nobody but prudes are checking out the boobs of a nursing mom when there are girls in itty bitty bikini’s around.
While I agree with a lot here, including my friend Adrah’s comment, I still don’t think it’s that hard to move out of the pool. JMHO.
To clarify- I had more of an issue with her sitting in the pool. While I always nursed discreetly, I couldn’t really care less if someone else doesn’t…
I agree Meagan. To me, it is being in a pool. We all take other children out of situations when their sibling needs to go potty. This isn’t different. Just have your other children take a snack break as their sibling is taking a snack break.
First of all, too those trying to make this a hygiene issue: stop. Think. The Pirates Cove employee did not say, “we are worried about your breastmilk getting into the water, and we have a no food or drink in the pool policy, can you please feed you’re baby in the snack area.” The employee said, “other adults are complaining, please cover up or go where you can’t be seen.” No hygiene issue – that is a pure strawman. Also, anyone with any experience with breastfeeding knows that milk isn’t going to run like a faucet into the pool when a mother is feeding her baby while wearing a swimsuit (especially a baby that age). More breastmilk would likely get into the water from her just swimming!
So get off your hygiene horse, thus is purely an issue of sexual hangups. That said, breastfeeding shows no more breast – generally, it shows less – than the bathing suits worn by the other females are the pool. The whole “woman taking off her whole top and batting with her boobs hanging out in the middle of the mall/restaurant/movies/kiddie pool/White House” is such an urban myth. To people with sexual hangups about breasts, simply exercising one’d right to nurse in public – nothing extraneous showing – is “flaunting” it. Which is ridiculous. I’m not an exhibitionist, I’m not flaunting anything – I’m meeting my baby’s most basic need, wherever I happen to be. The law protects my right to do so – oh, and by the way, I dress quite modestly, and you see less when I’m nursing than you see on many females just walking around. Flaunting, indeed. This is why, when enacting breastfeeding legislation, any mention of “discreet” was purposely left out of the law – because it’s so subjective. For some people, nothing will ever be “discreet” enough, except locking yourself into your house, segregated from society and every day life, sitting in your darkened nursery with the door closed… And that’s nonsense. Leaving out “discreet” protects mothers and babies. If you are upset by a mother nursing her baby in public with less showing than the waitress serving your food, please feel free to eat your lunch with a blanket over YOUR head. Or in the public bathroom, where people perform germy bodily functions. Or you could just drop your life, pick up, and leave the restaurant. Don’t want to do that? Yeah, we nursing mothers don’t, either.