Talk:Breastfeeding in public

Worldwide viewpoint?
I don't want to upset anyone by slapping a tag on this well-researched article, but is there any way we could get some discussion of public breastfeeding in other parts of the world? I personally don't know anything about it, but it seems like it should be covered. Politizer talk / contribs 14:48, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

This is a topic that hits close to home for me, so it's one I like to check back on often. I came from an exclusively breastfed family, and didn't know anything different. However, we are military and have travelled around so we've seen the views from different areas of the US. Our most recent adventure was being stationed at Fairchild AFB, Washington where the Mom2Mom Breastfeeding awareness campaign took place, which in turn spiked the worldwide controversy of military mothers breastfeeding in public. To see the mothers and wives I had known for years to be torn apart in the media for "disgracing the uniform" I was appalled. This being said, after reading through this article I think it would be beneficial to include a section that discusses what the arguments/criticisms of breastfeeding in public, as well as the reasons to support breastfeeding in public. Examples I have heard are that people find it sexual, repulsive, explicit/inappropriate for public places and an inconvenience. The other side often has said things such as breastfeeding is equal to eating. One wouldn't expect a mother using a bottle to feed their child to go in the bathroom, so why should a breastfeeding mother? Also, how seeing a woman in a skimpy top with her breasts half exposed is okay on tv, in public and in any sorts of media, however they are disgusted and offended by a mother nourishing her child. One of many really interesting articles on this topic is Katharine Mckinney's work. She discusses the controversy and the issues regarding this issue. CherryBerry1727 (talk) 20:29, 8 June 2013 (UTC)


 * agreed. I am looking for information from a global perspective. There is this source -Breastfeeding in public around the world. But it is a commercial website, so it is not scientific. Wapondaponda (talk) 18:27, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * In So. California I feel that there is a mixed reaction to public breastfeeding. I personally have always felt comfortable nursing anywhere, but I know many mothers who cover themselves up and their child with nursing tents.  While, a friend of mine was nursing her son while getting a pedicure and the manager asked her to leave.  Several women did a 'nurse-in' in front of the store.  I am not sure people are aware that it is public law that women can nurse in public. I think if people were educated on the importance of breastfeeding they may see it in a different light! (Hapamama (talk) 05:21, 6 September 2010 (UTC))
 * Congratulations to those who have added the consensus viewpoints in the major nations of the world. The [WP] list of viewpoints is informative and instructive! Many nations have taken it to their legislative bodies and there is legal support, as for example in the United States of America. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 11:58, 31 December 2011 (UTC)

Canada
I have undone the deletion by "208.127.47.6", which had no explanation attached to it. How is this portion different from the examples listed under the United States section? This is a Canadian example of a huge chain reclarifying their stance on mothers' public breastfeeding within their stores. I find a Walmart story to be relevant not only within Canada, but also across the continent.Canadian Girl Scout (talk) 03:08, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

iraq iraq breatfeeding in public would be embaressing for the mother and for the other people. which the mother could hear rude saying from other people because she is breatfeeding in publis "go breatfeed at your home". this would be against the community believs and religon also they could force the women to breatfeed in public in future. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.107.95.154 (talk) 15:00, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Saudi Arabia?
The two "citations" given don't say anything about breastfeeding in Saudia Arabia and other sites are clear that while Islamic law mandates breastfeeding for two years, Saudia Arabian women don't breastfeed in public. Unless someone actually has some good citations for that, this should come out! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.219.174.195 (talk) 19:41, 13 June 2010 (UTC)
 * You are probably right — Do women drive cars or show their faces in Saudi Arabia? Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 15:34, 17 February 2012 (UTC)
 * Oh, wait! Someone added two references. Is this satisfactory? Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 15:36, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

My my. This section is a little vitriolic. And a stub. It should probably be elaborated on or removed. --76.126.184.117 (talk) 08:24, 22 August 2013 (UTC)

By the impression I got from reading other sites way back when, in contrast to all the restrictive rules and burkas, in Saudi Arabia breastfeeding in public is fully supported by the law and religion (no matter whether women actually want to practice public breastfeeding). --Makkachin (talk) 11:37, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

Lead photograph
While the photograph in the lead section is lovely, it takes a certain amount of faith that the baby is indeed breastfeeding, since the breast looks like it could be part of the mother's arm or shoulder. Do we have a better photo (I'm not suggesting we need a completely bare breast)? Facts707 (talk) 07:13, 15 June 2010 (UTC)


 * What "certain amount of faith" are you talking about? That's a breast. You can see her arm underneath it. It would be anatomically incorrect to be a shoulder. You can also see her nipple partially inside the baby's mouth. Children don't often latch onto shoulders either. That child is breastfeeding. The photo is from the USDA government's site of a breastfeeding child and it is widely used on most (if not all) of the global Wikipedias. It takes a certain amount of faith that the baby isn't breastfeeding. --132 20:58, 17 June 2010 (UTC)


 * I agree that a better photo could be found. However, this current photo does have an element of mothering reality. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 05:20, 31 December 2011 (UTC)

Certainly the child is feeding. What it is not doing is breastfeeding in public, which is supposed to be the topic of this article. Powers T 17:51, 22 May 2012 (UTC)

Adding information about the current 'controversy' in America
I've added a section with a reference from 29 December 2011 with Megyn Kelly commenting. It falls right after Barbara Walters commenting in 2005. I'm sure others have commented also. Care to join in and add other notables and their viewpoints? . . . Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 05:23, 31 December 2011 (UTC)
 * btw, the paragraph I added is nearly a direct quote. Her quote is a direct quote. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 05:25, 31 December 2011 (UTC)
 * RE: Authenticity and reliability of the quotes, this reference includes the on-air video. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 12:04, 31 December 2011 (UTC) . . . (not of the airplane blanket-flap, but of Megyn on FoxNews Channel.)

A photo/article on military Mom2Mom. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 00:45, 16 June 2012 (UTC)

I think it should be noted in the Breastfeeding in Uniform section that participating in: "speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies, or public demonstrations, except as authorized by competent authority" is cited as a major violation of UCMJ and AR670-1. These articles related to the wear of uniform in public. While the military has nothing wrong with breastfeeding in uniform it clearly prohibits demonstrating in uniform.--76.126.184.117 (talk) 08:32, 22 August 2013 (UTC)

Prosecutions
The article mentions various legal protections for publicly breastfeeding mothers in the UK, but it is not clear if there have been any prosecutions under these laws of people who have sought to illegally prevent breastfeeding. Have there been any? The same question goes for other jurisdictions where the article mentions legal protection but says nothing about anyone being prosecuted. Credulity (talk) 17:44, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Breastfeeding in public
To be fair, shouldn't both sides be addressed? under the charter of rights and freedoms... — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jeffreyvv123 (talk • contribs) 02:16, 15 March 2014 (UTC)

Perhaps. IF it could be established that there IS another side. A few decades ago, female breasts were not considered 'erotic', 'improper' or 'prurient'. They attracted little more attention than eyelashes, hair, lips etc; unless artificially enhanced or exceptionally large. Topless bathing for women is still common on fashionable beaches such as Nice. The importance health-wise of breastfeeding has no 'other side'; it is fully established medically. Whence follows that breast-feeding mothers would be considerably restricted if not allowed to feed their babies when needed. I find the notion that cases might occur of deliberate 'immodest feeding' somewhat ridiculous. So the issue devolves, not to modesty versus immodesty, but the cost to the coming race of bottle-feeding, and the willingness of the taxpayer to pick up the very large tabs from resulting diabetes, obesity, etc. The price of prudery, the cost of prejudice.125.237.122.52 (talk) 22:53, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Broken link is to iTunes download
Reference 53 is a link to an iTunes download. I don't feel competent to fix it, or flag it properly. Also, reference 57 appears to be a broken link. Everything Else Is Taken (talk) 16:02, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
 * I updated the podcast link to this . (ref 53, now 57). And ref 57 (now 59) is alive again. Stevetauber (talk) 09:34, 26 March 2015 (UTC)

Image
While the image that now is in the lede isn't ideal it is better than the old one. That image did nothing to show breastfeeding in public, but rather only a woman breastfeeding. -- CFCF  🍌 (email) 20:36, 7 February 2015 (UTC)
 * This image is under creative commons. I think it's ideal but I'm not sure if that license is allowed: . Stevetauber (talk) 09:37, 26 March 2015 (UTC)


 * The mother in the current image is somewhat cute, so it should stay. Good image.Spacecowboy420 (talk) 14:17, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

France
It is in no way "widely accepted". It is actually the Western country with the least tolerance toward it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:8421:1440:B200:85EC:E9B6:7421:9B1E (talk) 14:04, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

Africa is not a country
Why are 'Africa' and 'South America' listed as countries? I would say the article would be much improved by not glossing over entire continents and their diversity in this way. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 105.186.99.4 (talk) 20:58, 14 January 2016 (UTC)

Eating in Public
Adult people can eat in public, but infants/babies have to eat either in private or in the dark. This is quite funny. --Roland (talk) 00:50, 6 February 2016 (UTC)
 * There is no law prohibiting anyone from drinking breast milk from a bottle in public. It would not be legal for an adult to suck on a woman's exposed breast in public. --83.142.4.39 (talk) 20:19, 19 April 2016 (UTC)

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Modern focus
Most here focuses on present policies and behaviors. We need some more discussion of history, like how this behavior was viewed 100 years ago, 1000 years ago etc. ScratchMarshall (talk) 04:36, 23 June 2018 (UTC)

Sudan is not in Asia
"Sudanese woman breastfeeding in public" is the only object in the entire section of "Asia". NINJAHSTERco (talk) 16:30, 6 May 2023 (UTC)