Dr Phil is having a debate on public nursing

OMG, ITA!! She really made me so mad too! GRRRRRR, it's people's attitudes like that that have this country so screwed up!

OMG, ITA!! She really made me so mad too! GRRRRRR, it's people's attitudes like that that have this country so screwed up!

I missed the show maybe its a good thing lol

But what do they want from ppl. who nurse and when did it ever become a status
of attractiveness? Its feeding your child GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!! GET A LIFE

I saw the show too. The anti bf woman was a freak. I wanted to smack her for continually saying "unattractive". She had no other reason why she didn't like NIP. Would she say fat people are "unattractive" and not want to see them eating either?

I had no problem NIP, but I covered myself because I am a shy person. I have no problem seeing other moms NIP either. I have to say though, one time, a woman I know was NIP in a pizza place. She was sitting at a table, not covered. She waved me over and when we started talking the baby popped off and her huge nipple was just hanging out there for the whole place to see. That made me very uncomfortable. Just me and I bf 3 for almost a year each! I guess I am a prude.

I didn't get to see the show, but that unattractive comment really gets me. What people seem to forget is we were given breasts to feed our children. That's why we have them folks. Ever since I nursed Jade I haven't seen them in any other way. There were times that I had to NIP and I always covered up. When I flew home to Florida when Jade was 8 months I think I had that blanket on me the whole trip. She marathon nursed for that. I plan on nursing this baby and have all ready gone to Motherhood to get my nursing bras. I will NIP if my child is hungry. I don't expect to make the person at the next table eating their burger to go to the bathroom to eat.

Just to throw in my 2 cents. I did not see the show, but I can imagine all the drama. Why is america so obsessed with this? Everywhere you turn there is a debate about this. IMHO I don't think it's necessary to sit out in public on a bench with your breast exposed when all you need to do is put some type of blanket over. I personally would rather put a blanket over than to have to endure the sares at my breasts. When I was BFing, at my home I bf when and where I was, no matter who was there, b/c this is MY home. BUT out in public I didn't find it necessary to do such a thing

JMO, but a mom's breast isn't "exposed" while she's nursing. And most kids (mine included) can't stand to have a blanket over them or they get too hot.

It's a hot debate becasue it comes down to the basic rights of moms to nurse their baby without getting ticketed for it. It's NATURAL, but our friggin' society only sees a woman's breast as a sexual object. So there are moms who are trying to get society to see that there's another use for a woman's breasts besides for a man's pleasure.

Just my opinion----whenever I was in public and I had to nurse Tripp I went and sat in the privacy of my own car--NOT so that the public wouldn't see me but bc I wanted to be comfortable and my boob hanging out for everyone to see is not comfortable to me. I think for the most part no one really wants to see a boob when they are shopping, out to eat, etc.... I mean, you are right in our society nudity is seen as risque---that's just how it is there's really no changing that. I for one just never felt comfortable sitting on a mall bench whipping myself out for everyone to see!!!

I missed the show.

But, I don't have a problem with people NIP. I never NIP partly because I am shy and also because Ashley was such a nosey baby, she would pull off and look everytime she heard a sound. She was an acrobatic nurser, so there was no discreet way to nurse her.

I NIP all the time and have yet to have my "Boob hang out" just don't see how it happens if you are paying attention to the baby adn what you are doing. Unless you have hugh breasts (whichI dont' and thats probably why it has never happend to me) and they jus tdon't stay under your shirt. Nursing in private because you are uncomfortable is one thing, but being TOLD YOU HAVE TO nurse elsewher is a whole nother ball game.

I plan on bf and will NIP if I have too. I have already purchased easy to open nursing shirts and nursing bras, along with a "sling" carrier. I am just a very shy person so I probably will be "covered".

I do not have a problem with NIP but the one problem I did have was when we were at a resturant here, where everyone sits at the same table, a lady was nursing at the table while strangers around her were eating. I was a little uncomfortable with that because the baby kept unlatching......

That's just my

As for nursing being unattractive. I think that is the most rediculous cop out I have ever heard. Obviously she is a woman that has nothing better to do with her time then to sit and over analyze things. Maybe she has a jelousy issue when it comes to bf.

To everyone out there......

Well then can you please tell me what it is?

glad i missed the show too . i have never had a problem with NIP and never will. i don't go out of my way to NIP, but if shopping took a little longer than expected and i need to nurse.. i will. it is natural and the reason breasts exist.

and i don't understand all the hype about being exposed either. i don't use a blanket because baby just pulls it off or fusses but i have never had my "girls" exposed to the world either. if you wear a nursing shirt/bra or a baggy shirt, the baby covers your belly with their body and their mouth and your shirt covers your breast. so what is the big deal?????

lets not forget.. not everyone can afford to buy formula and pay babysitters to go out so they MUST take baby on errands and to the odd meal at mcdonalds and if they need to nurse, lets not be judgemental. they are people with feelings. just my .

Well then can you please tell me what it is?

There you go Tamara.

Well then can you please tell me what it is?

There you go Tamara.

Then perhaps you are confused on what I was talking about. That definition is no where near what "exposed" to me would me.

I went to lunch this afternoon with some other kindergarten moms at the school. The lady across from me (whom none of us knew) nursed her child without a blanket (right there at the table) and you couldn't even TELL! Not one part of her breast was showing at all and she was a large breasted woman, too. Also, she was so relaxed and didn't make a big deal out of it. But, she had to feed her little boy. There are ways to do it to be discreet. I understand some babies are more active than others and in that situation it would be hard for me to nurse, too. When I started out NIP I would go into a dressing room at the mall b/c I'm sort of modest and bashful. But I always nursed at the restaurant table. I wouldn't take my child into the bathroom to eat.

I loved reading everyone's replies because now that I'm PG with my second, I'm sooooooooo going to do things differently when it comes to BF. I am a discreet person when it comes to my breasts. It's hard for me to even be bare chested in front of my mom! So when I breastfed Wil, I would always use a blanket and either sit in my car or (lol) not leave the house! I did that for almost 8 months! I seriously thought I would get arrested or something if I wipped it out at a restaurant, so I'm surprised to read so many of you did it at the table!! But don't get me wrong, I think it's GREAT!!! I just wish I had the support of ya'll when I was actually BF the first time! Because I'm not positive, but I think I read somewhere that it IS illegal to NIP in my state (Colorado). Maybe not illegal, but highly frowned upon. I'll have to look into it more and get back to you...but I swear I haven't seen it done anywhere around town!

Kristi, yeah my FIL is from the Nederlands and he also told me that it was okay I BF in front of him. I think it's great he was comfortable with it, but I sure wasn't. I couldn't even do it in front of my own father, so definitely not my FIL.

Funny story....It NEVER failed. Everytime I BF Maddie or Ethan when my FIL was around I would go to another room and he would FOLLOW ME!!! My mother caught on after we laughed about it a few times and if she was around she would distract him. Crazy man. He'd come into the room and start talking to the baby. Ya know...I mentioned that I was modest and nursing in front of MY dad (or even my brothers) didn't bother me, but FIL....NO THANKS!! My dad would make comments like "Oh I remember so well when your mother nursed you...you were so dark complected and it was like night and day with you up against that white boob." I suppose me nursing Maddie reminded him of that b/c she was so dark and I was so pale when she was born. It's nature, ya know? I ran into so many men who thought it was so wonderful to see a mother nursing her baby and didn't think anything sexual of it. I suppose they were raised the right way.

Okay I just googled and found an article saying that it's NOT illegal to NIP in ANY state and that their are laws to protect any women who is harassed or told to stop. Phewwwwww.

But I swear I read an article maybe a year or so ago. It was probably in Newsweek and it wasn't just about BF. It had a map of the US and it had little icons on each state which represented which states it's still legal/illegal to do certain things or maybe it was just showing where certain acts are still practiced. For example, polygymy was on the map under Utah. It was very interesting!! NIP was on the map and it was on Colorado and I swear it had a little cross through it. Grrrrrrr. I hate when I can't remember something, but swear I saw it! I looked it up in the Newsweek archives, but couldn't find it. Sorry to .

OMG I know someone who was thinking about going on that show! I'll have to have a look on the website to see if she did. Her name is Kristy... can't for the life of me remember her last name...

I think NIP is fine. I wanted to bf Abby but just couldn't get her to latch right... next time around I'm going to get all the help I can. Then when I tried to pump I couldn't get more than about 15 mls at a time. So she was formula fed. But she has always been happy and healthy.

Personally I don't know how I'll cope if I have to NIP. I am really really self-conscious because of personal circumstances. I won't ever bf in front of my father or FIL or MIL or SIL. I'm ok with my mother and sister and my fiancé of course... anyone else... I plan to pump and take bottles if I have to go out but I know it's not always possible and then there's the let down...

This topic gets me so mad i dont even know why poeple get so offended at seeing a bit of breast. seriously its not like your working in a strip joint your feeding your child.
I think how carrie sums it up is perfect. if you want to be self concious and cover up, go to the car, or all the way home just so you wont get a few looks, so do it but i know i will not care at all if a little of my breast is exposed while feeding my child in a resteraunt or shopping centre and i will make no effort what so ever to put blankets over my baby while im feeding. ]
its my right as a mother to breastfeed and i have the right to do it anywhere if nobody likes it then that's just too bad


JMO

This post has been edited by DansMom on Oct 12 2005, 05:45 AM

Oh my, I went and had a look on the Dr Phil site this morning and had a look on the message boards and you should see how many pages that debate goes for! I couldn't be bothered finding the exact amount but it was still going after 100 pages!

Someone was saying about bfing releasing oxytocin and how it causes s*xual arousal. I don't know if that is true or not (I didn't bf Abby for longer than three days) but I would love to know if anyone here is a bfing mommy?
I think they used the wrong words... I think someone else tried to explain it better... and they said that it's like a good feeling like when someone rubs your back...
Anyway, I don't want to start an argument about anything here - I am just curious because I plan to bf the next baby.
Someone said that she read an article about a lady who experienced arousal when she was bfing her child and she phoned the La Leche League to ask if that was normal and they accidentally gave her the wrong number to call and she got CPS or something and they took her child off her because they thought she was having sexual thoughts or something about her child, and didn't give her/him back for a whole year! That's really sad.

what the, ilovemybaby i think these people never breast fed thier children and dont have correct facts. most of what they said was a load of rubbish. The oxytocin is what your let down is or rather the hormone that makes it happen.
there is no way that could possibly arrouse anyone. its a very strong sting in your breast while baby is latched on. it is what makes the milk flow into the baby mouth. to help oxytocin get there some mothers can think about a baby and it happens.

Actually i've heard of people getting aroused when breastfeeding but I've only heard it is VERY RARE. It's kind of like people who have multiple o's (trying to keep this clean in open forum) w/o any stimulation, etc. I'd go more into it but I need to think how I'm going to post it.

It's more of a feel-good feeling like you getting a back rub.

You can get a backrub from a massage therapist, and not get arounsed - yet you come home and your DH gives you a backrub, you can be aroused.

I had issues with this exact thing when I was breastfeeding... it felt good. Not sexual good - just.... good. I thought it was a bad feeling, I didn't want to think that I was being turned on or something.... which I wasn't - it was that same feel-good feeling from, for example, getting a back-rub.... I just didn't know what was going on, I didn't have any information and was too shy to ask anyone about it, so it helped me <quit> bf-ing.

And yeah - it releases Oxytocin. Which helps the uterus get back to pre-pregnancy size quicker. Explains why for the first little while, when breastfeeding, you can feel contractions. At least, that's what my doctor had explained to me...

Disclaimer - contains graphic medical terms for natural human... um... happenings....feel free to edit if too offensive!!









Oxytocin is a hormone that can be released for many reasons, INCLUDING lactation, however it is also released during uterine contractions, AS WELL AS sexual orgasm.

So.... it's not surprising that it feels <good> although not necessarily sexual... considering it's the same hormone released during both....kwim?