I am a woman, and I hate the idea of breastfeeding in public.
OKAY, so hate is a strong word, but it conveys the correct emotional concept. I can't stand it when I'm in a public place and some woman whips her breast out to feed her baby.
The reason is pretty plain and simple, really. As a woman, seeing another woman's bare breast makes me uncomfortable. Yes, even as a full-fledged adult woman with two fully developed grapefruits sitting pretty on my chest, the sight of a complete strangers naked breast does make me uncomfortable, gives me secondhand embarrassment, and also makes me never want kids.
Now, many of you are probably already up in arms. "She has the right to breastfeed her baby wherever she wants!" or "It's only natural!" or "She's tired, she's busy, she doesn't have time to excuse herself just to make you more comfortable!" or, my favorite, "Just look away if you hate it that much!!" I GET IT. Truly, I do. I'm not being ignorant and unreasonable in my statements. I have fully considered each option, and yet I still hold my ground.
As I've said, seeing a naked boob in a public place makes me uncomfortable, and I feel that the woman doing said feeding should take that into account when choosing where to feed. I understand that people should never do anything just to appease other people, but I believe that only follows suit when no one is being harmed or put in a position they don't want to be in. This is that exact position. By whipping out something that is normally covered and is considered a very personal body part, it creates a tension of unease because people are forced to pretend that you aren't showing a very private part of your body.
For example, my boyfriend is a server at a very busy breakfast restaurant in our town. He sees hundreds of customers a week and has seen all kinds of awkward situations. He told me one time about a woman who, while giving her order, just started breastfeeding her child, uncovered, in the public restaurant, while maintaining eye contact with him... Am I the only one who sees how rude that is? My boyfriend, being the nice person he is, didn't say anything about it, but he said it made everything super awkward from then on, and he felt tense every time he was near the table. This is his place of work, he should not have to walk on eggshells out of fear that this woman who he has never met might just decide to flash him again.
I also dealt with a similar situation during my brief stint as a waitress. It wasn't my table but one close to my section. The woman was breastfeeding while drinking a beer, and would leave her exposed breast out because her hands were too full of baby and alcohol. All of the other waiters and waitresses were too nervous or awkward to say anything to her, even though it made the one serving her have a mini panic attack in the back; she had to mentally prep herself each time she went out there because it took all she had not to just stare at this woman's boob. That should never happen!
What I'm really trying to get at is that it all comes down to common courtesy. Flashing someone on the street is an arrestable offence, and yet somehow it's become okay to flash your boobs to complete strangers as long as there's a baby's head in the way? No!
I'm not completely heartless. I understand the struggle of motherhood, of the sleepless nights followed by long busy days full of crying. Last thing you want to do is get up in the middle of eating, take your crying baby to the bathroom or car, and stand there while they eat away with the knowledge that your food is slowly getting colder and colder. I get all that. However, if you are going to stay in a public and exposed spot, take into consideration the feelings of those around you who will be subjected to the sight if your breast while they are eating, shopping, reading, talking, drinking coffee, whatever it may be. Have the common courtesy to cover up your chest, with a blanket or towel, just so as not to traumatize any other unsuspecting passersby.
Yes, I may have boobs, but I see enough of my own, and don't want to see any of yours.
