The Struggles of Breastfeeding in Public

As the milk formula supply in the country dwindles, many people are turning to breastmilk to feed their babies. Breastfeeding has become popular over the last decade. However, a 2019 survey revealed that one in four people think that nursing in public is inappropriate.

A baby does not choose a particular place or time for eating posinga significant problem among breastfeeding moms, especially if she is plus-sized.

The receiving end of dirty looks and nasty comments

In 2016, Jessica Maher, a Connecticut woman, shared footage of a man harassing her for breastfeeding in a café area at a local Target store.

The man asked her why couldn't she breastfeed somewhere else, and she was "f****ing disgusting." When she asked the man to leave her alone, the man got angrier. Hartford Courant reports that he responded by walking closer to her, saying that she is f****ing disgusting" and a "whore" in front of everyone.

The Target employees confronted the man while a customer stood by her to offer words of comfort.

Moms who breastfeed in public are often on the receiving end of dirty looks, eye rolls, or rude comments from strangers. But for plus-size moms, the problem is more daunting as they are at risk of showing their breasts while feeding their young ones, but they also expose their body fat.

Some people would frequently ask moms to "cover-up" when breastfeeding.

No safe place to breastfeed

Feeding the baby into a comfortable position can be a challenge for plus-sized moms with larger breasts. According to Kenda H., a mother of four, she needs to lift her shirt when she breastfeeds, and her belly hangs out. Since her boobs are also large, she needs to expose her boobs for the baby to latch fully. This causes anxiety on her part, and she also gets nervous. Breastfeeding without showing a lot of skin is also a challenge for her.

Some moms can breastfeed in public without incident. But most often, moms fear a confrontation or harassment that they have to nurse at home, in cars, in public restrooms, or hide beneath the nursing covers to feed their kids, Today's Parents say.

The target of harassment online

Suz Gillies-Smith, a body acceptance advocate and a mom of two, shares that she gets a fair share of judgemental glares when nursing. She is also a target of online harassment when she posts photos of her breastfeeding her kids. She said she would frequently get nasty comments and DMs telling her that she is disgusting.

However, the comments tell her that she needs to keep advocating for normalizing breastfeeding because the general public still does not respect the needs of a breastfeeding infant and the mom.

Normalizing breastfeeding

As per Huffpost, Gillies-Smith shares that we can support breastfeeding moms through:

• Support companies that advocate breastfeeding.
• When someone is breastfeeding, consider telling her that she is doing a good job.
• Support advocacies that make public places more nursing-friendly by providing comfortable chairs and lactation rooms in public areas.