Exposed in public
I have been a bus rider for a few years and I think this is the weirdest thing I have seen. I was riding the 17 along Nicolett Mall, when I got on, I saw a woman breast feeding a child, with her breast exposed. I don’t care whether or not a mother is breast feeding a child, but not in public. I’m just suprised that she felt comfortable doing that.
Jun 20th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
A woman has the right to breastfeed wherever she wants, even in public with her breast exposed- MN Law protects that right. It’s just a breast doing what nature intended it to do. If you don’t want to see it, I suggest you turn your head.
Jun 21st, 2007 at 6:03 pm
I agree, let the woman do it.
Jun 21st, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Minn. Stat. ยง 145.905 a mother may breastfeed in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.
Women have breasts to feed their babies. Women have been turned into sexual objects by advertisers using scantily clothed women for advertising their goods.
Jun 24th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Agreed. The only reason you think it’s weird is because US media has taught us boobs are for dudes.
Jun 27th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I am just surprise you feel comfortable being so small minded in public.
I have been riding the bus regularly with my daughter since she was born. And when a baby is hungry you feed it. What do you think breasts are for? Not just oggling.
You are likely the sort of a-hole who would also complain a mother had a crying baby because it was hungry.
Jun 29th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
How come no one had such harsh remarks for my story, “look at the scenery”? Well, the kid i saw was like 5. I say, if they have teeth, it’s time to cut them off!
Jul 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Human breasts are the equivalent of a cow udder. They exist to nourish the young.
The male of the species might find them sexually exciting, but that’s just evolution in action. We men find a nice pair of knockers “hot” because some primitive part of our brain is programmed to think that the woman who owns those bazooms is a desirable mate. A woman well-equipped to nourish the young will be more likely to carry on our genes, so that’s what makes a lot of us “breast men”.
It’s all kind of ridiculous, but that’s life. If you don’t want to watch a woman nursing on a bus, try bringing a book or magazine along with you.
Jul 8th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Rather a curious lot of heat directed at Kevin just because he was puzzled that a woman would be so open about nursing in a crowd of strangers. Of course she has a legally protected right to do so. But it seems a bit disingenuous to take the line that ‘its only a breast.’ If so I suppose that Julie never covers hers because she’s wise to the snares of US media. But that isn’t so, of course. As Kim said, if he doesn’t want to see it, he can turn his head. But what if he’s curious, then it should be just as acceptable for him to watch since its only a breast.
Jul 13th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I would like to say that this practice is gross to people that have never gone through any pregnacys, and who have never had kids, there are places for that and it,s not in public!!!!!!!!!!! What happened to respect for others these last 15 yrs.? I,ll tell you……….It seems to be a ( All about me additude, and I,m all that personality, ) I,ts SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aug 1st, 2007 at 10:10 am
Diane,
>>I,ts SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have a strange conception of sickness. Here is a definition from a dictionary: “affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function”. Well, by definition breast feeding is a “normal physical” function. If you are attempting to impair this act by forcing a mother into a “place for that” then _you_ are by definition the sick person.
And where pray tell is the “place for that”? A public bathroom perhaps? Do you eat in the bathroom amid the smells and sounds? And in case you forgot what site you are posting on, the mother / child were on a bus. There is _no other place they could go_. And no, they could likely not have waited. When a baby is hungry, you feed it. You do not worry about the tender sensibilities of “sick” individuals who may be offended (such as yourself).
It does not matter that you have never had a child or been pregnant. The important thing is that _you_ were a baby once. And when you were a baby, you were fed. Thus, you have no right to criticize the feeding of a baby, because _you were in exactly the same situation_. Just on the receiving end.
And if your mother only bottle fed you, or never breast fed in public, that is her right (and your loss). But such deviant behavior on your part (i.e. a behavior that deviates from the norms of the vast majority of humans in history (i.e. bottle feeding)) does not make the standard / natural behavior “gross”.
You clearly live in an upside down Alice in Wonderland sort of reality. where natural activities are “gross” and a woman performing an action to directly benefit another person is labeled as having an “All about me” attitude…
I am sorry for you. Perhaps you will mature some day.
And as you grow, you may also learn to use a keyboard, spell, and use grammar / punctuation.
Until then you are an idiot.
Aug 7th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I TOTALLY disagree with you. I think that it is because of people like you that something so natural turns in to “the weirdest thing” (to use your own words). Did your mom breast feed you?
How would you have felt, being a hungry baby in a bus if your mom
couldn’t feed you because an ignorant person seating next to her thought it was not right to do it in public?
If you don’t feel comfortable I suggest you get help!
Aug 11th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Andrew, it is curious that in the name of toleration you feel entitled to call others ’small minded,’ an ‘a-hole’ and ‘an idiot.’ The original poster gave no indication that he confronted the woman. He just found it curious and off-putting. You’ve overreacted more than a little.
Why should the nursing mother’s only alternative be a bathroom? Many nursing mothers use a breast pump and fill bottles before they go out. It is possible that this woman was poor and couldn’t afford a breast pump but we don’t know that and your febrile attempt to overdramatize the situation isn’t constructive.
Resorting to a dictionary definition is a sophomoric ploy. Criticizing others spelling is baselessly arrogant. Everybody does it, including you. In post #5 you used ’surprise’ when it should have been ’surprised.’
Also, I don’t think you really feel sorry for Diane.
Oct 31st, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Breastfeeding is fine in public so long as the skin is covered. Why that woman didn’t put a blanket over herself, I don’t understand. She must lack class (like some of the overreacting posters here.) Since when are bare tits in public acceptable? Just because there’s a kid involved doesn’t change things. If a homeless guy was licking his lips, sitting across from her, maybe she’d get a clue that she needs to cover up. Or would you crazies shame the guy for looking at the free peep show?.
Nov 9th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
To “lindemann”: Some women cannot use a pump simply because they do not work with every woman’s breasts.
Oh, and I’m not such a stickler for spelling as I am for proper use of apostrophes. You should have typed “others’ ” to show a plural possessive. The fact that everyone does it doesn’t make it a good thing.
Seriously, though, the breastfeeding issue seems to be just as much about a feminist reclaiming of breast-image as taking a nutritional stand for infants everywhere. The poor poster didn’t realize what a hot-button issue this is–particularly in elite circles.
Nov 20th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I owned a small independent coffeehouse that I opened when my oldest son Sage was six weeks old. I brought him with me to work each day, and breast fed him when I was not waiting on customers. I was pretty good at making sure I wasn’t exposed, but it got tricky when he got older (five months or so) and was animate about lifting up my shirt or blanket so he could “see.” I know this “grossed” out some people-mostly old men who had other “issues” but I also feel it was liberating for other women in my small town to see how comfortable I was nourishing my child in public. I also feel I was a role model to girls, teens, etc…I highly doubt this woman was acting inappropriately, I’m sure he did see some boobs and well, so what? We really need to get over this fear of nakedness our culture has, honestly, and re-direct our energies into stopping real obscenity aka violence, rape, war, hate, etc…
Nov 21st, 2007 at 1:49 pm
OK, I’m totally fine with women breastfeeding wherever (although I think it’s nice if they cover with a blanket or something, if possible). I have to admit to some discomfort, though, when I was riding a crowded 21 bus with a friend and her 4 y/o son. She’s a member of the La Leche League and breastfed her son well into toddler-hood. They had their own special name for it, and in the middle of our bus ride, her son yelled out, “Titty time!”, lifted her shirt and started feeding. Obviously, toddlers have no inhibitions and do outrageous things all the time (I love that about them), but I did think that the incident might open the door to some age-appropriate discussions on public and private behavior.
Mar 25th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Breast are for feeding young. Breast are a part of sexuality in our culture. It creates an awkward situation WE don’t need to be down on the woman for breast feeding, but there needs to be some recognition for the fact that seeing a nipple in public is a special occasion. I kiss my girlfriend’s boobs and nipples and like to see and feel them. I also recognize that she may feed our children with them some day. There is a lot of irony and awkwardness all mixed up in seeing a stranger’s boobs and nipples. It’s not black and white. Being open to mothers means being open to guys that like boobs as a part of suxuality as well. It goes both ways if we are talking about making a more accepting world.