Justin,
   
  Interestingly, just this past week, I was teaching a class of medical students about breastfeeding.  First I showed a picture of an adorable litter of yellow lab puppies nursing on their mom and immediate reaction was smiles and positive sighs.  Then, my next slide was a mom nursing a baby.  Silence.  We then discussed the discomfort of these young medical professionals with normal mammalian behavior.  You could put all the pictures you want of nursing puppies and kittens and even little baby monkeys for public viewing, but show a human nurturing at the breast and sexual connotation takes the fore.  Interesting when you think about the fact that you would never view a mama cat that way at all.
   
  It is a fact, especially in the midwest, that people are unfamiliar with seeing a human female feeding an infant and are uncomfortable with it, an ironic because midwest still has a large share of livestock farming and familiarity with mammals feeding their babies is widespread.  Fortunately, this is less true than it was in the past.  Only education can create a lasting change.  You can be a part of that.  Healthcare providers have a voice that patients listen to.  When you get the chance ("off-duty"), and you see a woman nursing in public, give a positive response (smile and thumbs up will surprise many and give you a fun response).  When at work encourage moms to nurse their babies during procedures.  Significant research exists to support both sucking (preferably breastfeeding) and physical contact (holding) during painful procedures as a form of analgesia to infants, babies and toddlers.  Many moms may not think to ask to nurse during a procedure, so I suggest you
 encourage this.  
   
  When you encounter nursing moms when at work, it is very valuable and easy to make simple statements like "you are doing such a great thing for your child."  You will be surprised at how much this means to families and can counteract some of the negative responses you quoted in research and help convert the other family members to being more supportive--it is especially important to turn to the family members and say "you should be so proud of her."  When you hear negative attitudes, simple statements of the value of mother's milk and that you hope all of your own children are breastfed will go far to educate anyone you are with.
   
  To answer your questions.  Yes, states that place limitations or fail to protect breastfeeding, violate a child's right to eat.  I feel that this is a form of bias that government has the responsibility to address.  This is because no such limitation exists on bottlefeeding - which can be done freely anyplace, anytime without threat. It is backwards--public support for an unhealthy choice.   It would be like fast food as the normal food choice, and a risk of being publickly ridiculed for being caught eating a fresh fruit or veggie or smoking being welcome everywhere but the risk that you would be hostilely censured if you weren't holding a cigarrette.  If one baby can eat in the area, all babies should be able to.
   
  Second, I cannot think of a single public application where a baby should not freely be fed if the area is conducive to a baby being present in the first place.  My personal favorite unusual place I've nursed was while I was getting signatures of the Super Bowl winners on a championship t-shirt (not the one I was wearing) while wearing a nursing baby in a sling.  I also frequently wore my baby in a sling and fed him when giving presentations.  I feel it was a good role model that motherhood can be compatible with professional participation.
   
  Thank you for writing, and all the best in your future career.
   
  Karen Seroussi, IBCLC, MS-2
  Des Moines, IA

 
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