>> out of respect, I  gaze away and I noticed my son looked over and gazed
>>away also out of respect

I would like to think that Karen's son gazed away out of respect, but it's
more likely that he was copying her behaviour while inventing his own
explanations for why he should not look at a mother breastfeeding. This can
translate into "this is something I mustn't look at, it's not nice or it's
rude" rather than "I respect this mother". Frankly, in this situation with
a small child, I'd smile at the mother and say do you mind my baby learning
how to breastfeed by watching you feed your baby? you're doing such a great
job! and then say to the kid darling, look at how the mummy is feeding her
baby. Isn't it lovely!

 In my view the world needs LOTS  more Brazen Breastfeeding and those who
have problems with it need to get psychiatric help. Why should we be
"discreet" so as to avoid "giving offence" It gives me great offence that
anyone is neurotic enough to object to seeing a mother feed her baby,
whether by breast or spoon or cup or even bottle: doesn't matter. The kid
needs feeding; it should be fed in an age-appropriate manner. I am MUCH
offended (on aesthetic and hygienic grounds) by the myriads of slack-jawed
gum-chewing humans who expose their oral cavities and contents on TV ads
and in public: do I therefore have a right to be offensive and go around
telling them to keep their mouths shut when chewing, as my parents
insisted? They'd soon tell me whose problem it was. Let the nutcakes take
responsibility, I say. And let's us celebrate, show off, feed as
indiscreetly as we feel like: the new mother needs to be discreet until
she's comfortable with what she's doing, some cultures need to be discreet
for religious reasons, but in breast-mad North AMerica, let's show them
what breasts are for, and insist on our basic human rights. Yea for the
INFACT posters! Maureen