Public Breastfeeding Debate

I was driving home from Medicine Hat today and listening to one of my favorite programs on Sirius Cosmo Radio which is "Cocktails with Patrick". He wanted to discuss something that happened during his morning commute on the subway (New York City). He said he was on a very crowded train, when a very attractive woman started breastfeeding her baby.

Now his issue wasn't with her breastfeeding so much as he was questioning whether it was kosher to do this without bothering to use any discretion whatsoever. She didn't use a blanket, coat, shirt etc to cover her breast in anyway so her areola (the dark circle of the nipple) was visible to the entire crowded train including but not limited to the strange men sitting on either side of her. Patrick also said that he took in the reaction of the other people and every single person on the train seemed to have a look saying that what she was doing wasn't appropriate.

So how do you all weugh in? Let me share with you my view point and then some of the listeners that called in. In my opinion it is fine to breastfeed in public but it is common courtesy (and personal comfort) that a woman should make an effort to not expose her privates to the public (a.k.a. use a blanket to cover up the act). My reasoning being that we live in a very sexualized society where the breasts are a sexual organ. If it is censored on public television that you shouldn't be able to have a live showing of it right? I have spent 25 years of my life covering up my "bathing suit" area and not letting just anyone see it so I can't imagine converting to a public breastfeeder myself let alone doing it with visible nipples showing...my experience with my exhibionist breastfeeding sister-in-law has only strengthened this viewpoint! Why would I want to allow others to see my breasts without earning the privledge??? Ha ha

The majority of the listeners who called in supported this (saying that breastfeeding was fine but that she should have covered herself up somehow) with a rare few saying it wasn't a big deal and she should be allowed to do that and that people should just get over it. Here are some of the specific comments that I remember:

• 100% if the states say it is legal to breastfeed in public & it is not an indecent act.
• Yes breastfeeding is a natural act however we all do lots of natural acts that aren't appropriate for public viewing at different levels of extremity (a.k.a. passing gas to going to the bathroom to having sex to making out, etc).
• As a mother you should be prepared for circumstances such as these by carrying either a bottle for feeds or even just a blanket or bib to cover yourself.
• There is something called a "Hooter Hider" that is an apron like thing you can use to safely cover your baby for private breastfeeding (check it out at http://www.psychobabyonline.com/site/epage/28160_533.htm)
• The mom might not thing it's a perverted act however you can't control the minds of the perverts beside you!
• Some breastfeeding mom's said when your milk lets down you gotta breastfeed no matter what cuz it is so painful.
• Another listener pointed out that young men are taught from a very young age that breasts are a private thing for woman so having them on display would be very hard for them to understand public breastfeeding plus seem like a "naughty" and thus arousing thing when faced with it.

Patrick himself said that he felt both aroused and put off by this woman's apparent lack of concern for her boob hanging out on a crowded train. Where do you weigh in? Please post your comments!