Here is what I wrote:
Slim,
How right you are! Why is it that it is so difficult to come to a consensus on this topic?
Perhaps it is because we are so brain washed by the advertising thrown at us everyday. My questions to you would be these:
1) Was there more or less of the breastfeeding mother exposed than on any Hooters Girl, Car Show Beauty, Miller Beer Girl, or any woman you would see at the local beach, pool, park, lake, or on any TV Commercial for toothpaste, furniture, or the latest weight loss miracle?
2) If you made eye contact with one of these other scantily clad women, would you wonder if they would become uncomfortable if you said "Hey, how are you?"
3) Why does the act of feeding an infant cause you to feel so uncomfortable?
Chances are you made eye contact with the breastfeeding mother - in her attempt to engage you - and minimize the possibility that you would notice she was breastfeeding. After all, most passers by do not notice - they simply see a woman holding her baby closely - and they smile back as they pass.
I also agree with your reference to courtesy. "It means asking yourself how the other person might feel, then acting accordingly. " The question, I think, comes down to whose feelings are more important in the situation - the mother's? - The by-passer's? - Or the hungry infant who has no concept of time?
So, if you are ever faced with this uncomfortable situation again, (and I hope you will be as breastfeeding rates in the United States continue to rise), You should simply smile back at the mother and continue along your way. As you become more experienced placing an infant's need to eat and eat now above your own need for comfort, or maybe as you just become more comfortable in these situations, perhaps you will also say: "How are you" as you smile as pass by.
As long as the general public continues to apply the concepts of courtesy differently depending on the occupation of the scantily clad, or (Oh My Gosh) maybe even slightly exposed woman, legislation will be necessary.
Laura Wright
Laura Wright, BA, IBCLC
State Coordinator
MSDH-WIC Breastfeeding Program
Jackson, MS
1-800-545-6747
phone:601-576-7096 fax:601-576-7070
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