Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Live and Let Live

I don't necessarily consider myself to be a granola crunching natural woman type, but I find myself slowly leaning that way. I have tons of friends having kids right now, and I have a lot of friends who have had kids or who plan to have kids. All of this has got me a little bit closer to some debates which really rile people up. Like breast feeding. Who knew? To state it (in case you couldn't tell) I am for breast feeding. Even in public. I'm actually a "live and let live" kinda gal. I won't give you my opinion unless you ask for it. Everyone's got their issues and situations - who am I to judge? And, as a bike commuter who lives in the city, I know sometimes kids get hungry at the most inopportune times. I'm not exactly sure why people are so offended by breasts. I understand there is a sexual connotation about them, but honest to god, could you put that aside for a few minutes and let a lady breastfeed? Or, there's always the argument about the "children". Oh my god. The kids. How can they ever see anybody's breast? How traumatizing! How scarring! Honestly, the shit people come up with is astounding. In my mind, the benefits far outweigh your uncomfortableness at seeing a mammal feed their child. Breast feeding gives babies much needed gut flora (ever wonder why there's so much IBS and intestinal problems?), gives kids antibodies they need early on in life. Breast feeding bonds mother and child, provides nourishment, and has even been shown to improve kids academic and social lives long after breast feeding has stopped. What could the problem possibly be?
Well, let's see. Many jobs don't provide areas for women to pump breast milk (I am hoping this will change soon) and many public places only provide bathrooms for women. When I was a kid, the women's restroom in Broadway had a lounge and a bathroom. Mothers could go into the lounge to breastfeed, change diapers, etc. That seems perfect - why aren't more places like that? I don't know about you, but I don't want to feed my kid while sitting on a public toilet - blech!
So, I am hoping that people can get over this ridiculousness. Of course, I am sure, my friends are much more comfortable at home feeding their babies. But, you know what? Life happens. And sometimes you just gotta feed your kid. Get over it.

2 comments:

Randi said...

I'm going to breast feed but the day you see me whip out my tit for a crowd is the day I die. They sell breastfeeding blankets. Do I think boobs are offensive? No. But I am for modesty.
Plus my nipples are terrifying right now. Thanks, baby!

Coodence said...

Werd up, Crustacean. Werd up.