Introduction
Breastfeeding is considered an essential part of an infant’s daily life since it provides all the necessary nutrients required. In instances where breastfeeding is possible by the primary caregiver, it becomes advisable to exclusively feed the baby breast milk for approximately six months after birth (Wambach & Spencer, 2019). With such requirements, mothers planning to travel with their infants require to continually feed their babies on demand. However, some countries and regions prohibit public breastfeeding of infants mainly due to public decency reasons. Such bans show the various social and cultural differences concerning their perceptions of breastfeeding in public spaces.
Opponents of public breastfeeding of infants cite various reasons, such as the discomfort caused to men and the availability of alternatives such as bottle feeding. However, breastfeeding is considered a human right in a majority of countries.
The acknowledged positive health impacts on infants and babies in their development have been widely recognized (Wambach & Spencer, 2019). Prohibiting breastfeeding can potentially create isolation in society when women become shunned in their communities. Moreover, the reasons for such measures rely on socio-cultural issues such as public decency and privacy, which cannot be substantiated scientifically. Consequently, breastfeeding in public spaces should be upheld and supported to enhance the health of both mothers and infants, in addition to the maintenance of the most sustainable mode of feeding.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is essential to protect an infant from diseases at an early stage of development when being introduced into the world. The increased intake of breastmilk provides the antibodies that improve the body’s immunity to potential infections. Such conditions include diarrhea, and gastrointestinal and respiratory infections (Haneline, 2019). A lower incidence of such infections provides an opportunity for the infant to grow and accumulate antibodies (Woollard, 2019).
The first few days of a mother’s milk provide crucial protection through the production of colostrum. Babies who take this type of milk are highly protected from future developmental problems due to the high level of nutrients from the mother’s body. Therefore, the health benefits of breastfeeding form a critical aspect of infant development and protection as they pass the delicate stage of intense growth.
In addition, another benefit of breastfeeding includes the formation of an emotional bond between the mother and her child. Infant spends most of their time with their mother as the primary caregiver hence are likely to develop a relationship within the first few months (Owens et al., 2018). The process soothes the baby whenever they cry, ensuring that they can acknowledge the mother’s ability to tend to their needs. The skin-on-skin contact has been documented to improve the interaction between an infant and the primary caregiver (Chang et al., 2019). Additionally, it gives the mother and baby a sense of emotional satisfaction and security during the process. Ultimately, such bonding creates a relationship of love between the two hence cementing their interactions moving forward.
Arguments Against Breastfeeding in Public Spaces
Several women who breastfeed in public are discriminated against since breasts are considered private organs. Their over-exploitation in marketing and advertising campaigns has led to the linkage of these body parts with sexual activity (Francis, 2019). The perceptions created around them in modern society have thus outnumbered their evolutionary functions for feeding, which form a crucial part of human life. As a result, most individuals associate breasts with sexuality and hence should not be publicly displayed (Woollard, 2019). Some men may thus become aroused when they witness breastfeeding in public. This poses a danger to women in cases where uncontrollable urges may lead to instances of harassment or rape. Therefore, such perceptions lead to the terming of breastfeeding as a ‘sexual’ act that may be inappropriate in public spaces.
Breastfeeding may also be viewed as an activity that is required to be undertaken in private. Women are, in this case, required to feed their babies in secluded spaces to maintain the intimacy related to the process. Such situations compare to other activities such as urination that should not be undertaken publicly (Owens et al., 2018). A woman who decides to breastfeed in public, thus, goes against socially accepted standards in that community by exposing her private parts to others. The consideration of breasts as private thus creates the problem of demystifying the notion that feeding should not be done in the full view of others.
Need for Breastfeeding in Public Spaces
In most cases, breastfeeding becomes a significant part of a new mother’s daily routine and forms part of the relationship building with the infant. Most mothers spend a considerable time feeding their infants at such a stage as they require nutrition every few hours. As a result, primary caregivers view this as a session for both physical and emotional intimacy (Owens et al., 2018). Therefore, highlighting this process to a new mother affects their daily routine. Consequently, denying a mother such moments that build up their relationship with their child denies a crucial right. Avoiding feeding in public due to scrutiny by others severely curtails a mother’s ability to create a long-lasting bond with their babies.
Apart from that, the moral surveillance directed toward breastfeeding in public creates negative sentiments. Incidences of discrimination may hinder future feeding programs by the mother. By creating a culture of shame and embarrassment, more women would prefer not to breastfeed in public based on previous experiences (Hauck et al., 2020). This can significantly affect a baby’s health, especially for women who require constant travel since the durations between each feed reduce significantly. Furthermore, such negative perceptions create mental blocks that can continually affect the mother’s well-being in the long run. Consequently, future newborns from such a parent have little chance of experiencing breastfeeding as they would be subjected to alternatives such as formula feeding.
Discrimination against public breastfeeding may also cause a rift with mothers who formula feed their infants. Mothers usually follow the specified recommendations by pediatricians that require exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months if they are healthy (Hauck et al., 2020). However, others may choose to formula feed their babies from the onset due to personal or health reasons. Therefore, such differences can lead to increased pressure on mothers to resort to other discrete measures such as bottle feeding. Such changing perceptions pose a significant danger to future parents who may develop a fear and opt for other alternatives for their infants. While this may not be wrong, the popularity of breastfeeding may decline over time, especially in developed countries with easy access to milk formula.
Debunking the Notions on Public Breastfeeding
In their early stages of life, babies require constant feeding to enable them to grow and develop. Such frequent needs force their mothers to provide nourishment which may vary in length. Consequently, such moments have no conventional times in public, forcing the mother to breastfeed on a need basis. Avoiding feeding the baby at such a point may lead to engorgement of breasts due to the continued production of milk. This poses discomfort while also increasing the risk for Mastitis due to the clogging of the milk ducts (Wambach & Spencer, 2019). As such, withholding breastmilk to the infant in public at such moments has significant health risks. Breastfeeding thus should occur at any stage where the baby feels hungry, regardless of the location, to enable relief for both the mother and their child.
Furthermore, the forceful need for discretion while breastfeeding creates a perception that mothers require justification to feed their infants. Creating conditions such that feeding can only occur if the woman is discrete during the process puts constraints on a natural occurrence. Such assumed standards increase the potential for guilt and embarrassment in women who cannot be private due to various reasons (Woollard, 2019). For instance, women with fussy children or exceptionally large areolas may find it difficult to breastfeed privately in public spaces. As a result, women facing such problems feel neglected and discriminated against in society based on factors beyond their control (Ramaswamy, 2018).
As a result, they may be forced to forfeit their daily routines to conform to acceptable standards in that particular region. Such situations cause a problem for lactating mothers who need to breastfeed without fear in the open, especially in instances where privacy cannot be guaranteed.
The ability to store milk in lactating mothers may also be problematic due to the nature of the process involved. Expressing milk using breast pumps requires a significant amount of time to ensure that adequate amounts are available for the infant whenever they need it in public. In these cases, mothers who can produce enough milk may be reluctant to commit to formula milk once a routine has been established. This may be due to health concerns or financial reasons since baby formula may be expensive to frequently use if not adequately budgeted for from the onset (Sheehan et al., 2019). More so, formula feeding requires a consistent approach concerning the hygiene of the bottles used, which may be challenging to achieve in open spaces. Additionally, switching from breastmilk to bottles may disrupt the infant’s daily routine.
While bottle feeding may offer mothers an alternative route, it does not offer the same soothing effect. It may also affect the infant’s ability to fully feed due to the differences in texture and material of the bottle compared to a breast.
Prohibiting breastfeeding in public would thus force women to desist from going out in public for the period when the infant requires constant feeding. This causes them to restrict their movements outside for extended periods, thus isolating themselves from society. The post-partum phase forms a critical step for a mother since they experience several physical and emotional changes (Sheehan et al., 2019).
At this point, such mothers require all the support they need to enable them to overcome the daily challenges of raising a baby. Denying them the right to breastfeed without fear creates an environment devoid of tolerance, especially concerning the natural processes of feeding infants. In the long-term, such prohibitions offer no viable results and are meant only to benefit a particular section of the population who may feel offended by them. Therefore, such unnecessary restrictions by culture, religion or the law pose dangers to the overall mental well-being of a mother.
Public health requirements advocate for constant breastfeeding for at least six months to ensure that a baby receives all the nutritional needs present in such milk. These decisions are based on extensive research that outlines its benefits for improved health on a lifelong basis. Therefore, any prohibition is not based on factual health considerations but rather on the socio-cultural contexts and preferences in that particular region.
Social structure, including aspects of class, education, and ethnicity, plays a huge role in determining such decisions (Haneline, 2019). In the long run, the behavior and actions of those close to a woman may determine her breastfeeding patterns. The lack of support on such vital decisions touching on a baby’s feeding results in long-term changes in perceptions and beliefs. Women may thus consider alternatives such as formula feeding in subsequent births despite the proven benefits of breastfeeding to conform to acceptable community standards.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding in public spaces should be upheld and supported to enhance the health of both the mother and the infants, in addition to the maintenance of the most sustainable mode of feeding. This is because its benefits far exceed the risks and concerns raised by other parties due to the acknowledged positive health impact. Breastmilk provides the antibodies that improve the body’s immunity to potential infections while also creating an emotional bond between the mother and the infant. Therefore, prohibiting breastfeeding in public due to scrutiny by others severely curtails a mother’s ability to create a long-lasting bond with their babies. Additionally, it also creates a culture of shame and embarrassment, causing more women to prefer not to feed in public based on previous experiences.
Proponents of the prohibition of public breastfeeding raise concerns regarding the perception of breasts associated with sexuality, concluding that they should not be publicly displayed. Additionally, it may also be viewed as an activity that requires to be undertaken in private. However, feeding moments have no conventional times when in public forcing the mother to breastfeed on demand. Avoiding this process at such a point may lead to engorgement of breasts due to the continued production of milk, risking the development of Mastitis.
Furthermore, the assumed standards of discretion increase the potential for guilt and embarrassment in the women who cannot conform due to various personal and health reasons. The prohibition may also force women to restrict their movements for extended periods, thus isolating themselves from society. Consequently, such prohibition is not based on factual health considerations but rather on socio-cultural contexts, thus, women should be allowed to breastfeed in public to suit the demands of motherhood.
References
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Francis, M. (2019). A breastfeeding woman was told to leave a Texas pool. This public shaming of mothers has to stop. NBC News. Web.
Haneline, A. (2019). This is why moms breastfeed on flights and in public… not that we should have to explain. USA Today. Web.
Hauck, Y. L., Kuliukas, L., Gallagher, L., Brady, V., Dykes, C., & Rubertsson, C. (2020). Helpful and challenging aspects of breastfeeding in public for women living in Australia, Ireland and Sweden: A cross-sectional study. International Breastfeeding Journal, 15(38), 1-14. Web.
Owens, N., Carter, S. K., Nordham, C. J., & Ford, J. A. (2018). Neutralizing the maternal breast: Accounts of public breastfeeding by African America mothers. Journal of Family Issues, 39(2), 430-450. Web.
Ramaswamy, C. (2018). Why Britain’s attitude to breastfeeding is still a disgrace. The Guardian. Web.
Sheehan, A., Gribble, K., & Schmied, V. (2019). It’s okay to breastfeed in public but…. International Breastfeeding Journal, 14(24), 1-11. Web.
Wambach, K., & Spencer, B. (2019). Breastfeeding and human lactation. (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Woollard, F. (2019). Requirements to justify breastfeeding in public: A philosophical analysis.International Breastfeeding Journal, 14(26), 1-8. Web.