Topic : 10/07 The Latest Debates

As a person who doesn't even like to breathe the air in a  public restroom, I wouldn't expect you to feed your baby in there.  That is wrong.   

However, I do appreciate discretion while breast feeding.  I have three children of my own, and it never occurred to me to make others uncomfortable by feeding my child in front of them. 

Well I just finished listening to a few women's opinions on TV and have a few things to say. 

I live in Canada, I guess I have not been to a lot of public facilities in the states so I can't be sure about this or not and perhaps I might have missed something but there seems to me to be a very simple solution to all this arguing and that would be to place mother's lounge's in public area's such as malls and shopping centers.  This is a place where a mother can go to change her child to go to the bathroom with her stroller and to also breastfeed in an enviroment where she will not be seen or scowled at by grumpy people who find it offensive (which is sad really)   

We (the human race) are the only people who look down on this kind of function.  All of God's other creatures feed their young naturally and I don't think you would see another dear scowling down at another deer for feeding her baby in public.  Shame on you people who thing that way it really is sad.  BUT unfortunely we have to put up with this kind of behavior all the time ... and this is why mothers should have a special place to go in Malls and these types of places where they will feel safe.  I am a breastfeeding mother and I have seen people doing it on many occasions and to tell you the truth it doesn't have to be as the lady on the show was explaining it ... Whip it out and so forth ... you don't even see anything most of the time.  the baby is covering the most revealing part of the breast.  PEOPLE NEED TO RELAX.   

Why is America so unhealty???   

Why is the Family Unit Deteriorating in the States so rapidly??? 

Why are so many children negected??? 

I feel you need to look at these questions very closly as I feel there may be some links to this whole issue.  IF its such a big deal as to how a mother feeds her child ... it just doesn't make any sense to me why this is such a big deal. 

And Another point .... Society would rather see a bottle with formula shoved in a babies mouth with artificial and subsititutions that just don't cut it then see a women feeding her child the natural antibodies and nutrition ... GOOD GOD PEOPLE ... smarten up PLEASE for the sake of the future.   

Thank You for lisenting ... I would love to hear from you if you have some points to make ... Maybe I am wrong but this world needs a little more love and less fuss. 

From a concerned mother 

I would just like to say that is annoying to have people imposing their discomfort onto someone that is comfortable with themselves, their body and what they do with it. "Look away" seems to be the best thing to do if you can't handle it. In our society, people are so far removed from their natural state of being and end up buying into some slick, plastic and unreal version of what it is to be a human being. We are not robots nor are we slaves to these contrived concepts of life. In this day and age, I would be ashamed to have such a narrow and ultimatley out of touch view of something that is ultimately natural. Get with it! If you are uncomfortable with a woman feeding her baby, then you have missed one of the milestones that make you a mature person - hence you are not mature in that regard. The woman who has her priorities straight - her child and not your immature reaction to her breastfeeding - is the woman who makes the world a better place to live.  

 Woman should be able to breastfeed wherever they want.  I breastfed in public, but I covered up.  But for those people who think its gross, how were they fed.  By the bottle by a mother to busy to take care of there children.  It is how it happens. 

 Condoms should be passed out in High school only.  If a middle school child is having sex, then they need to be looking at there parents.  Not the fact that they are curious.  They shouldn't be curious in middle school.  They are still kids. 

 I wouldn't discipline another child in public.  That is not my job.  My job is to make sure my child is not making an ass out of them selves as well as my self.  My Daughter is very well behaved because she knows better. I don't put up with my child throwing fits in public or any where.  I saw a woman leave her child in her cart and walk around the corner so the child couldn't see her but she could see her child.  She let her child sit there and through a fit.  The child was done so fast and I applaud that woman.  Most people give there children to much attention when they through fits.  That teaches the kids I get more attention when I through a fit so I'm going to do this.  Children get away with to much nowadays because parents don't want to discipline them.  That leads to teens that also get away with everything.  You're the parent, ACT LIKE IT!!!!!!! 

 Please keep in mind that I am 24 with a 6 year old daughter and another on the way, and I'm married to the father of both and have been for almost 6 years.  My child is the most well behaved child I have seen.  I have even helped my friends with breaking them and there children of bad habits and everybody is for the better.   

How many of you regularly see a woman in public wearing clothes that show a bit too much skin? 

How many of you regularly see a woman in public breastfeeding with her breast fully exposed?  Not many I'm sure.    The women I see in public nursing either use a cover of some sort, or use their clothing and the baby to cover up for discreetness. 

I have nursed 2 of my 3 children.  In fact I have even nursed them in the Sanctuary of my church.  Granted, I sat in the back and used covers, or my clothing to be discreeting.  I never had anyone say a thing against it.  I have had comments from people about the fact that I wasn't trying to "hide". 

Dr. Phil mentioned that many states have laws that make it legal for women to breastfeed in public.  California goes even further.  Employeers have to provide a private space--other than a bathroom stall--for moms to express milk. 

For Shelly on the show--maybe she should go sit on a toilet in a public restroom for 30-50 minutes while her dinner gets cold, or the conversations go on without her.  I bet after a few minutes she is uncomfortable.  A car can be even worse.  Would you rather sit in the resteraunt or go sit in the car when the temperature outside is 100 degress or even 40 degrees. 

I think this whole debate is nothing but a waste of time.  IF people have a problem w/the limited exposure of womens breast while breastfeeding---maybe they should focus more on those that wear skimmpy skimmpy bikinis and other clothing (or lack of) in public.  Breastfeeding is natural.  Remember, back hundreds of years ago--clothing didn't really cover much. 

So, grow up and get real. 

Dr. Phil, I think you should have done more justice to the issue of breastfeeding in public and had available expamples of clothing and covers to assist in the discreetness for breastfeeding in public. 

You are a remarkably well-spoken young person.  I applaud your contribution to this forum and your insight into people being uncomfortable with themselves.  I also noticed that Shelly could not give a reason as to why she found breastfeeding in public offensive. 

Continue to  develope your own opinions and please continue expressing them 

that it's mostly WOMEN who have a problem with breastfeeding in public?  You don't see many men making such a big deal about it!  And I find it hard to believe that it's because men WANT to see a woman breastfeeding.  My husband said it best, "There is just something about milk coming out of them that completely turns the sexuality of them off..."  Sure, there are the perverts out there who find it sexual.  But, then again, there are perverts out there attracted to KIDS.  Should I be forced to keep my children at home because there is some sicko out there who might look at them in a sexual way?  NO.  Those people should be locked away... not my children.  Same goes for those who find it disgusting to NIP, if you don't like it, DON'T LOOK.  I don't sit and stare at strangers when I'm out in public, anyway, so I don't plan on staring at a mother nursing either.