I feel sorry for Barbara Walters, whose remark about feeling uncomfortable at the sight of a woman breastfeeding on an airplane next to her set off the lastest wave of "lactivism." I guess I'm a lactivist, too. I think that mothers should not just be permitted but encouraged to breastfeed their infants and toddlers whenever and wherever the mothers deem it appropriate. It's not like a 6 month old can chew gum if the change in cabin pressure starts to bother him.
Ms. Walters only claims that she felt uncomfortable--there are some reports in the article linked above of people taking offense. If the sight of a mother breastfeeding a child in public offends your sensibilities, then I don't think there is much sense in your sensibilities. I'm glad to see that nursing moms are having "nurse-ins" near ABC and are lobbying other companies for more tolerant behavior. My favorite is Nurse-at-Starbucks (although I hope those lattes are decaf), and we've been contributors to La Leche League since we became parents.
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3 comments:
Lactivism! This sounds worthy of government support in the form of a tax subsidy.
It makes Babaah WaWa uncomfortable? Good. I say we surround her with nuring babies.
I for one am not offended, and certainly encourage breastfeeding, but I think I'd probably be a bit uncomfortable too if a woman sitting next to me started breastfeeding her baby. Feeling uncomfortable seems natural; it doesn't necessarily mean that one disapproves of breastfeeding.
Start a petition permitting women greater latitude in breastfeeding and I'll be the first to sign it, but I'll still probably be a bit uncomfortable with the process.
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