I seem to remember a court ruling that 4 seconds was ok, but over that was "leering".

I support topless nursing. :D

@9th: Maybe you should've corrected my grammar, or something, and that would change my fundamentally simple position, which you haven't offered a rebuttal to, at all, except to do more of the same thing you accuse me of: tossing out over-exaggerated counterpoints. <insert smilie>

Not really, I'm saying you didn't have a position to begin with. There is no rebuttal to "you are just an unsophisticated moron" because then we decend into something more closely resembling "am not. are too" than anything rational adults would call a debate. Post #30 was me advising you to actually read what people post. If I say "there are situations where otherwise acceptable behavior becomes intrusive on others" then do not accuse me of saying it is an unacceptable and unatural act. What the heck is anyone supposed to say to a line like "The very idea that there is an "inappropriate location" for breatsfeeding is repulsive to me". Really. Not only is your language hilariously bombastic, but I can either assume you are talking out of your ass or you have no concept of situational etiquette. Let me restate for clarification "I have no problem with public breastfeeding, and I'm sure most people do not, under all but a few circumstances". If you talk loudly on your cell phone on the street, in your car or at the mall then no one is going to care very much. Try it at an expensive restaurant and you will be asked to stop or leave.

Now then, is it really so much to ask a mother to feed her child either before or after the short amount of time it would make those around her uncomfortable??

So do you want her to feed the child on the toilet or outside with the smokers? Babies eat constantly and on their own schedules. They don't have the stomach capacity for three meals a day. It can be done discretely and generally is as long as nobody makes a big deal out of it. You'd be suprised at how often you didn't notice.

There was a short period of time when the cultural norm of breast-feeding on demand was suppressed, mostly to market baby formula to the middle-class. People now understand that babies get a lot more than nutrition from their mothers and societies norms are shifting back where they belong. Do we really want to make good mothers another group of social outcasts?

All you men!

I had two babies. I breast-fed them on demand. I somehow managed to NOT nurse them while I was out at restaurants or grocery shopping or at Kmart or any other damn place. The babies slept on most excursions. If I was at a restaurant and my infant needed feeding, I think I would go out to
my car--not because it would be "wrong" to breastfeed in public but for my own comfort. I wouldn't want people staring at me.

"Hilariously Bombastic" would be a good name for a rock band.

Lucky you.

YMMV. I didn't feel especially lucky--when my infants were subjected to a lot of stimulus (the shopping mall, a restaurant) they dealt with it by sleeping. It was all too much for them so they ignored it.

@9th: There is no inappropriate setting for a healthy, natural act. Any percieved inappropriate-ness is strcitly in the eye of the beholder, as there is no locational context that changes the nature of the act - except to the observer, if they choose to take that point-of-view. My "hilariously bombastic" position is that: the rights of a mother and her hungry infant outweigh your sqeamishness at seeing a boobie.

Your rebuttal is to compare breastfeeding to #1 farting and #2 a loud cell phone conversation. Something tells me you're missing the point?

I think Brianna has it right... Maybe cause she has them and did it.

Mine didn't sleep. In fact, once they woke from their nap, got a diaper change and clean clothes on, were fed, got placed in their car seat, got removed from the car seat and had the vomit wiped off them, got a new change of clothes and another new diaper, got placed back in the car seat and were driven to the planned destination - they always wanted to be fed right away. Breastmilk is digested quickly.

Even if the baby could be persuaded to wait until a more convenient time, the breasts often couldn't. At feeding time the hormones go to work and "let down" often occurs whether it's convenient or not. So mom could either nurse the baby, or look like a wet T-shirt contestant. Which is more "uncomfortable"?


edit: LMAO. This is jinx.

Breast Meat
 

That's what I said yesterday, Flint, and I concur 100%. I do understand Bri if she chooses to go to her car, but I don't understand 9th at all. Does he think breastfeeding is "gross," or "disgusting"? Just WHAT about breastfeeding bothers him?

Breasts are just one physical attribute of sexuality, and they are fetishized out of all proportion to the other attributes (hair, legs, eyes, ears, nose, buttocks, feet, personality, intellect, etc.). Breastfeeding is declining in this country because of insecurities women have about keeping up with Cosmo/Maxim stereotypes. Kids need it and good moms will do it when it's time to do it and when and where they want to do it.

I'm glad you're in support of breastfeeding. But the above statement is nonsense. According to the CDC it's been increasing in recent years. And of all the women I know who didn't breastfeed or stopped early, not one of them did it because they were insecure about no longer being an attractive Cosmo stereotype. They stopped because it was painful, difficult, and/or embarrassing in public or even when others were visiting in their homes. The last thing they gave a damn about was whether they were hawt.

Whatever the reason, it is healthier and should be encouraged - not scandalized.