Topic : 10/07 The Latest Debates

23 years ago and 18, I never heard of places like now-a-days that offered help.  I breast fed for 3 months.  I was unable to pump affectively and really did not know how.  The hand pump was very difficult and my breast milk did barely trickled out then.  My point being, I didn't know of help back then, it was not "advertised".  Now there is Le leche groups all over and I think it's fantastic.  I missed giving up breast feeding on my last baby. 

Kids reactions will mirror the reaction of the adults around them, if you don't make a big deal out of it, the kid won't either. Case in point: 

My son and I were in a restaurant when he was 6 yrs old. He had a  preplexed look on his face and then quietly asked "what's that lady doing?" I glanced over my shoulder and the woman behind me was BF I turned back to him and said "remember when Aunt Susie's cat had kittens and they were sucking on Tigs tummy? That lady is feeding her baby just like Tigs was" His response "Oh....Okay...Can we go to putt-putt now?"  

It just isn't a big deal to kids unless you turn it into one. Your sons will be fine if you handle the subject matter of factly. 

 Why do you only commend this young woman on her choice to wait till marriage? There were so many other strong points to her statement: SHE doesn't believe in premarital sex.  

 I'm not going to assume that her choice would've been the same or different if she hadn't taken the class, in any event, she made the choice. Young people are not always going to make the right decisions, however,  we should take any viable avenue that will arm them with the right information to make the right choices for themselves.  

Many programs at secondary schools rarely hand out condoms, other then to demonstrate their use. High school programs should have condoms available to students, but, they should be sold for a reduced price. 

I understand. Don't worry to much about it. I have know people who cant breast feed one child but can another. If have more children try not to be put off by this experience.  

The lady who was so against breastfeeding seems to have some serious issues.  She can't identify why breastfeeding is so offensive, but still she can't handle it.  I think she needs to seek help with this issue and identifying what the problem is.  Breastfeeding is normal and healthy.  Her comment about not expecting the other women to rub her breast up against the toilet was very inappropriate.  Nobody suggested that she rub her meal up against the toilet either, but we still don't see people like her eating on the toilet either.  She really needs to grow up and get over it.  Breastfeeding is not about being attractive.  It's about nutrition.  Why does she care if it's attractive or not? 

As far as breast feeding goes, I am the biggest supportor out there.  I nursed my own 2 children.  I do feel that there are women out there though, who do get too carried away.  You can be discreet for the sake of other patrons.  I can see where someone could be uncomfortable with a fully exposed breast.  It's very easy to nurse a baby and be discreet at the same time.  Let's let common sense prevail, please. 

very well said!!   

People suppose they  have the right not to be offended by a baby crying or made uncomfortable by seeing a baby nursing, but that is their desire, not the actual case. That kind of sense of entitlement is founded on a false premise. 

There is no such thing as "The Right Not To Be Offended".  

For example, if I am eating out and the man at the table next to me does something I find offensive, say, chews loudly with his mouth wide open, which actually does make me sick and can ruin a meal for me, I can go over to his table and request for him to sit somewhere else, or I can ask the wait staff to have him finish his meal in the car, or possibly cover up with a tablecloth, right? We all know I'd be laughed out of the place if I responded that way, even though he was being impolite in my opinion. It isn't reasonable to believe that my opinion of his actions should obligate him to change his behavior, even though I wish he would. And it isn't reasonable to believe that holding the opinion that breastfeeding is impolite means a mom should be obligated to avoid doing it in front of you or to do it in a way you find acceptable.  

Seems like there are quite a few people out there that would like to think they are entitled to have others meet their personal comfort needs, they seem to feel that rather than taking responsibility for their own discomfort if they see something they don't like, that the "offender" should then assume responsibilty for making them more comfortable. Adults are capable of meeting their own comfort needs. All it takes on their part to avoid being uncomfortable is to look away. But rather than doing so, they choose not to meet their own needs and then blame someone else for their discomfort.  

If you have eyes, and ears, the reality is that you will sometimes see and hear things that you would rather not. A desire to be comfortable with the way the babies around you are eating is a preference that no one else is obligated to accomodate. It's not a matter of politeness or courtesy - feeding a baby is neither impolite nor "inconsiderate" nor discourteous in itself - it's unrealistic and self-absorbed to expect someone else to meet your own petty comfort needs. The general public is not responsible for understanding and  accomodating everyone else's personal preferences. 

Whether I like seeing a baby breastfeeding or not, it's my responsibility to take care of my own comfort. It's not up to perfect strangers going about their business to see that I remain in my own personal comfort zone.