By MAMAMIA TEAM
It’s astounding that in 2013 mothers are being discriminated against for breastfeeding their babies in public. The fact that women are made to feel embarrassed and ashamed for doing one of the most natural things in the world is beyond absurd.
It was only in January that Sunrise co-anchor, David Koch suggested that breastfeeding mothers should be “classy about it,” by either turning around their chairs or covering their exposed breasts with something like a muslin or nursing cloth.
Hollie McNish, a British poet and spoken word artist, has posted a video about her experiences of breastfeeding in public called “Embarrassed,” on YouTube on July 4, just six days later the video was viewed over 445,000 times.
If you can’t watch it now, bookmark this post and come back to watch it later, McNish’s spoken word poem is one of the most powerful cases we’ve ever seen for breastfeeding in public – not that we needed convincing.
One of the rap-like verses in the poem (picture it being spoken by Lily Allen/Eminem hybrid):
“They said: there might be a man or nervous child seeing this small piece of flesh that they weren’t quite expecting.
So I whispered and tiptoed with nervous discretion.
But after six months of her life sat sitting on lids,
Sipping on milk, nostrils sniffing on piss,
Trying not to bang her head on toilet roll dispensers,
I wonder if these public loo feeds offend her,
‘Cause I’m getting tired of discretion and being polite.
My baby’s first sips are drown-drenched in shite…”
Have you ever felt judged for breastfeeding in public? Or how do you react when you see mothers breastfeeding?
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Top Comments
I was in the AUSTRAlAN GALLERY of NSW 2 weeks ago and while breast feeding in the Sydney Moderns Exhibition, I was approached by a gallery worker and told about the parents room. After declining, the worker insisted I use it as I couldn't 'do that here', 'would be more comfortable in the parents room' then told it was 'for the others'. After refusing she (yes, she...) returned with a security guard who continued to try to get me to feed in the parents room.
Obviously I made a formal complaint. I was shocked to receive a letter from the gallery posing as an apology- apologising for any embarrassment caused, claiming that the staff just wanted to make sure I knew about the parents room, referring to the harassment as an 'interruption'. And finally, saying that the staff were new and needed more training that incorporated strategies for approaching and engaging breast feeding women?!? I would like to point out that I felt outrage and disbelief, but not embarrassment as I know it is my right to feed where I think best for my child and me. I was shocked by the gallery's claim that the staff were just trying to be helpful- by getting security. And why should training single out breast feeding women in this way? I know that I just want to be respected as any other visitor... It should also be noted that the author of the letter informed me that women were welcome to feed anywhere in the gallery. Nevertheless, it was very disappointing that the author of this letter was more interested in saving face than making a genuine apology.
Women shouldn't be shamed for breast-feeding in public. When I see breast-feeding in public I look away, sure, but only because I feel they deserve to not have people staring, much like I'd look away if I saw people kissing. It's intimate, but not inappropriate for public settings. What's so inappropriate about feeding a baby?