Persuasive Essay: The Breastfeeding Debate

Despite the benefits of breastfeeding, many women are shamed or have been shamed for breastfeeding in public. They are told to cover up, do it in the restroom, and to leave the area. Because of this criticism, many women do not feel safe or supported, so they do not breastfeed. They might attempt to breastfeed, but will stop because they feel ashamed (Dillard 73). It is silly to ask a woman to leave for simply nursing her infant. After all, I would be much more comfortable eating while a mother nurses rather than listen to a screaming baby. “It is disturbing, there’s no difference walking around with my penis dangling to a woman walking with their breasts exposed and also dangling,” one critic replies on Debate.org. Let me clarify this man’s
statement. The definition of breasts is “either of the two soft, protruding organs on the upper part of a woman’s body that secrete milk after childbirth. The synonyms for breasts are mammary gland, bosom(s), bust, and chest. The informal synonyms are boobs, knockers, hooters, boobies, bazookas, and melons,” (EnglishOxfordLivingDictionaries.com). Nowhere in the definition does it say that breasts are sexual organs nor do any of the formal synonyms. The informal synonyms are what society today believes breasts are for, pleasure. Now that I have clarified that, the definition of penis is “the male organ of copulation, or sexual intercourse, and in mammals, of urinary exertion,” (Dictionary.com). Therefore, there is no real comparison between the two. Breasts are not for reproduction. They were not intended to be sexualized; society has manipulated the term. “It is indecent exposure. A woman walking around with an exposed chest is not something parents want their children to be exposed to,” another critic says (Debate.org). Let me first state that women are not “walking around with an exposed chest,” they are usually sitting down, confined in one area. There are many people that agree with this statement, however, few will complain about the amount of posters plastered on a mall’s walls with women in their undergarments, talking to you Victoria Secret. Similarly, few will speak up when the media shoves half-naked women in your face. Celebrities are praised, and called bold and daring when they wear risky clothing, such as Rihanna. The “risky” clothing that I am referring to is actually sheer fabric that barely covers anything. There have been many social experiments done to prove this theory. One video in particular showed two women, a nursing mother and a woman who was wearing provocative clothing. They both sat on a mall bench, each for about an hour. Many people went up to the nursing mother and said very negative comments, but the only comments to the provocative woman were pick-up lines. At the end of the video, the two were sat side by side, outside on a bench. Still, the negative comments were to the nursing mother. The director of the video then asked what the difference between the two women were. He questioned why people were so against public breastfeeding, but okay with the sexualized woman. One man said the provocative woman was “hot,” so it was okay to do, but since the nursing mother was “disgusting,” it was not okay (Salads). Besides, shouldn’t we be teaching our children that looking at and sexualizing people is wrong? Educate the youth of America on the importance of breastfeeding rather than teaching them to degrade women.
Breastfeeding is much healthier and less expensive than formula. Breast milk contains natural antibodies that helps reduce the risk of many things such as: ear infections, respiratory tract infections, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity, asthma, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, and lymphoma (Pediatrics e828-e830). It is also more easily digested, so breastfed babies are less constipated. Also, studies have shown that breastfed babies have higher levels of cognitive function, meaning they may be more intelligent (Horwood and Fergusson 1). As for the mother, it’s all about incentives. No, breastfeeding is not free, but it is less costly. “A 40-ounce tub of generic powdered baby formula runs around $20 to $25 at places like Target and Walmart [,] depending on what kind you get,” (Dulka). Breastfeeding is also a much quicker routine than having to make the formula. So, it saves money and time; the only downside would be sore nipples and critics. “I don't have any desire to see a woman proudly exposing her engorged breasts just because she happens to think they look good, and sexually pleasuring herself in public using the excuse that the baby has to be fed. Why not pump and fill a few bottles of breast milk before going out in public?” says Dinnwiddy, another critic on Debate.org. The beginning statement is clearly arrogance, but the last part does have some truth. However, babies are not predictable and things happen, such as spilled bottles. Also, “breast milk has to be kept refrigerated after leaving the body [,] and it’d be really inconvenient to have to lug around a cooler as well as a baby and a diaper bag,” (Dulka). On top of that, mothers are very busy, so they do not always have time to pump bottles in order to fulfill society’s needs of covering up their breasts (Tian).
There are many comments on Debate.org saying, “There is a time and place for everything.” Correct, but not exactly for this matter.
I do not fully understand the time part of this statement being if my baby is hungry, I am going to feed him/her. Babies are not predictable nor can they communicate and tell mothers when they are hungry; they just start crying. As for the place, what would be an appropriate place to breastfeed while out in public? Many critics say the restroom, but those have been proven to be very unsanitary. Besides, would you want to eat in a public bathroom? Yes, there are nursing rooms available, but personally, I have never seen one nor heard of such until now. I did find an app to locate nursing stations, so I am assuming that these nursing rooms are spread out and rare. This would be an inconvenience to nursing mothers. Besides this, many mothers do not agree with nursing
stations.
“We are allowed to be in public. We do not have to go anywhere besides where we choose to be in that moment to breastfeed our child. I don’t like the sour smell of segregation being emitted from the doors of these rooms. These rooms could end up biting us in the ass. Breastfeeding in public for all the world to see is the only way to normalize breastfeeding. I don’t like the idea of these rooms becoming another place that society tells breastfeeding mothers they must go to feed their children,” states Theuring, the woman behind The Badass Breastfeeder blog. Basically, what Theuring means is that nursing stations are not progress for women who breastfeed; nursing stations are simply another restroom, just cleaner.
On the other hand, there are many people who have no problem with breastfeeding in public, as long as the baby is covered up. This sounds like an excellent way to eat, hot and sweaty, dark, and with a blanket over one’s head. Yet again, women have to conform to society’s standards of sexualizing milk sacs. This is very selfish of others to ask, so it is not surprising that mothers are not fans of covering their children. This does, however, help comfort the mothers that are shy and ashamed of breastfeeding. Mothers are not supposed to feel brave for breastfeeding in public, they should feel normal. Mothers are not supposed to feel ashamed when they forget their cover and have to breastfeed their child on the spot. They should not feel scared, and they should not worry about what other people will think. Mothers are supposed to comfort their child and nurse them while they cry for hunger, not worry about the critics.
In conclusion, breastfeeding in public is okay.
Breasts were never intended to be sexualized, so comparing breastfeeding in public to a walking around without pants on, is an invalid argument. Restrooms are unsanitary and unappetizing, no one should ever have to eat in a restroom, breastfeeding or not. To say that breastfeeding is indecent exposure then walk into Spencer's is very hypocritical twisted due to the fact that Spencer's is a very sexual store. Rather than shielding your kids’ eyes from nursing mothers, you should teach your kids manners. Nursing stations are just another way to hide nursing mothers; they do not actually help with the cause. If breastfeeding is only hurting your ego, that is fine. Breastfeeding does not harm anyone, except maybe the mother. All in all, it is the mother’s choice. Have respect for the mother and leave her
be.