# Breastfeeding in public- Are you OK with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333 "2010-06-15T19:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/1 "2010-06-15T19:07:40Z")
I’m still breastfeeding Irishbaby at 11 months- she refuses to take a bottle or cup if I am with her and won’t feed if her head is covered. Now, I’m as discreet as possible- layered clothing, cardigans, not making a song and dance about it- but I feed her when she wants it. So far I’ve never had anyone say anything, and I can’t say I’ve noticed any dirty looks. So, are you squicked out, offended, aroused or not at all bothered by public breastfeeding? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/2 "2010-06-15T19:08:52Z")
I like boobs. I like babies, too. What’s the problem here? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/3 "2010-06-15T19:09:05Z")
Not at all bothered, and I’m not even bothered if you don’t smother your baby in layers of cardigans or blankets, either. Babies gots to eat! ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/4 "2010-06-15T19:10:19Z")
Whether I’m squicked out depends precisely on how attractive the mother is. I’m never offended by it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/5 "2010-06-15T19:12:13Z")
Of course I am OK with it - I don’t really understand people who aren’t. That being said, I want to share a story. Once about two years ago I saw a woman at dance class at the SCA totally unbutton her shirt, all the way down, exposing both breasts to all and sundry (she was not wearing anything underneath), and feed the baby from one, while merrily exposing the other. :eek: Everyone was made uncomfortable and awkward. And you can’t help but look twice, even if you are trying to be polite. So, uh…don’t do that and you should be fine. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/6 "2010-06-15T19:13:13Z")
No problem. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/7 "2010-06-15T19:26:32Z")
There’s a group on Facebook:_If breastfeeding offends you, put a blanket over YOUR head._ This says in a nutshell pretty much how I feel about the matter. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/8 "2010-06-15T19:26:39Z")
100% comfortable with it. I see lots of stickers on storefront windows that say something like “breastfeeding, anywhere, anytime”. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/9 "2010-06-15T19:26:50Z")
It does make me go “yowzah” for a second but I have no problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/10 "2010-06-15T19:27:12Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Whether I’m squicked out depends precisely on how attractive the mother is. I’m never offended by it, though. Couldn’t have said it better myself. This might also be of interest; scroll down to see a more detailed state-by-state summary of related laws: [http://www.ncsl.org/issuesresearch/health/breastfeedinglaws/tabid/14389/default.aspx](http://www.ncsl.org/issuesresearch/health/breastfeedinglaws/tabid/14389/default.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/11 "2010-06-15T19:27:16Z")
Not at all bothered. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/12 "2010-06-15T19:28:12Z")
No problem. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/13 "2010-06-15T19:31:32Z")
Fine by me. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/14 "2010-06-15T19:32:21Z")
No problems with it; did it myself for … _counts_ … 7 months, 6 months, 2 years, and 4 years, respectively. :eek: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/15 "2010-06-15T19:33:15Z")
Sometimes I might feel a little uncomfortable, depending on the situation. But I’m totally OK with it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/16 "2010-06-15T19:34:05Z")
Not only is breastfeeding good for babies, but a hungry baby is a loud baby. And getting offended by something like this is ridiculously prudish. Go for it. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/17 "2010-06-15T19:35:22Z")
When I did it, I did it under cover. I don’t know if I would, today. But anybody else doing it? Go for it. As **WhyNot** said, “Baby gots to eat!” I am, in fact, in favor of it being done more, just for the normalization. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/18 "2010-06-15T19:36:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I like boobs. I like babies, too. What’s the problem here? And see, I really don’t like either. 😃 OK, I’ll post the unpopular opinion. I’m not **offended** by it, but I’d rather not hang around for it, either, if you can tell what’s going on. Yeah yeah, wonders of nature and motherhood and whatever. I’d rather not accidentally see my friend’s boob if there’s some urgent baby-shifting to be done, that kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/19 "2010-06-15T19:46:47Z")
I’m not OK with it because it’s a wonder of nature, I’m OK with it because I don’t buy into the supposedly offensive nature of breasts. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333/20 "2010-06-15T19:47:56Z")
I breastfed my 16-month-old in two different public places today. No covering, other than trying to keep my shirt as much over my boob as possible. Not bothered. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breastfeeding-in-public-are-you-ok-with-it/543333.md?page=2)