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07/16/2007: "Discreet Breastfeeding, Needless Debate"

ABC's Good Morning America is jumping in on the so-called "debate" about public breastfeeding. Their article is here. But there need be no debate, because confining breastfeeding mothers to their homes in order to feed their babies amounts to house arrest, which would be absurd.

I want to warn you about GMA's article, because it gives a significant amount of BAD advice. My response to their bad advice is this:

As a Mom with 11 years cumulative experience breastfeeding all my children, I object to THREE(!!) of your pieces of "advice", GMA/ABC.

" * Wear a button-down shirt and nursing bra."

NO! NEVER! Do not wear a constricting top like a taylored button-down shirt, unless you want to totally defeat being descreet. You do not ever want to be in the position of a newbie mother, such as the model photographed for this article, of exposing yourself by unbuttoning from the neck and hanging a breast out from above. ALWAYS DO wear a loose enough fitting top that you can pull it up from below -- then it will help you conceal yourself as the baby nurses.

Also, DO NOT wear a nursing bra with lots of hooks & latches & eyes that you have put down your baby to fumble with, calling attention to yourself with your own hands groping around under your shirt to re-connect it all, once the baby has finished eating. DO wear a soft sports bra that measures a few sizes too large for you (you won't be wearing it running), because this also pulls up nicely from below, and quickly draws back into place once the baby is finished eating.

" * Ask permission if you are a guest."

NO! DO NOT EVER ask permission to feed your baby. I never cared what the law was, because I was feeding discreetly. It is your baby's human right to eat, and your human right to feed him. Asking "permission" only hands your own human rights over to the whims of somebody else, possibly a stranger. DO feed discreetly, even if it means sitting in another room for a few minutes, but do not EVER ask "permission". It is far easier to apologize later than to ask permission in advance.

" * As a courtesy, when at a private home or party, ask if it's okay if you breast feed. "

NO! Again, see above. DO NOT EVER ask permission. Size up the situation and the people around you and cover yourself and nurse discreetly, or simply say "Excuse me", and retire to a bedroom for a few minutes with your baby. You would do that anyway if you were changing his diaper.

"* Stand up for your rights."

Damn right! Just be sweet about it. Don't "ask", and don't tell. Act as if it simply never occurred to you that anybody would object to feeding a baby, (because they really have no right to). Just learn the tricks of being discreet, and go about your life with your baby.

All the Breast,

Suzanne.