Many American mothers face a hardship that is, alone a breastfeeding mother’s issue. Breastfeeding in public areas is often regarded with a judging stare or an improper comment to “cover up”. Mothers are often shunned from areas of business for breastfeeding openly, and refusing to be downgraded to a bathroom. There are places that are inviting and accommodating to mothers, places that provide a designated “family” area or specific room for nursing or pumping, coincidentally these rooms are still hidden away from the public eye. There is also no doubt that there are certain benefits of breastfeeding, a reduced risk of SIDS, a decreased rate of several different chronic diseases, and it’s far more economical then formula tends to be. Therefore, it’s important that breastfeeding becomes more socially acceptable for mothers all around America. Breastfeeding is an integral and necessary part of the beginning of a baby’s life and needs to be brought more into public attention, pediatricians and doctor’s alike need to begin promoting breastfeeding for new mothers instead of endorsing formula companies. Regrettably, mothers all around America are being relegated to bathrooms or tiny rooms away from the public eye to safely be able to simply breastfeed their infants. While some public areas are very supportive of mothers, there are other equally oppositional areas. In a recent personal experience, at the SouthCenter Mall in Tukwila, Washington, families are received quite graciously in a sectioned off area by the restrooms. This area was equipped with areas for changing infants, small play toys for toddlers and specific dressing-room sized areas with small cushy couches and concealing drapery for the nursing mother. The room is decorated in bright tones with friendly animals, all meant to make the families utilizing this area feel comfortable. So, while a mother might have felt uncomfortable feeding her infant while shopping in and around the mall, there was the option of a specific area for her to go to, to feel at ease. SouthCenter Mall is taking steps in the right direction to assist in the normalization of breastfeeding again. This isn’t always the case, unfortunately. In recent news, a mother was shopping at a Victoria’s Secret in Austin, Texas when her four month old son began to get fussy. She then asked an employee of the store if she was allowed to utilize the fitting rooms to feed her son, a seemingly ordinary request. The employee refused her, saying that if she needed to breastfeed, she should use an outside alley that was away from public view. (Holohan n.pg.) This was a showing of the unfortunate side of breastfeeding and how societal views on breastfeeding can put nursing mothers into embarrassing and unnecessary positions. From the moment a woman finds out she’s pregnant, she’s bombarded with ads for millions of different infant companies trying to campaign for their products. Mothers receive formula samples in the mail, along with pro-formula brochures and very subtle anti-breastfeeding advertisements. It seems almost as though from the get-go formula companies are trying to reign over breastfeeding by claiming to be “bigger
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There are nurses dedicated to the education of nursing mothers, groups of mothers with nursing children, or even just places that provide a safe quiet respite from the public. Nursing needs to be encouraged often as breastmilk is created on a “supply and demand” sort of bodily function. So providing mothers with the acceptance will increase their chances of breastfeeding past the first three months. According to the CDC, in Washington State alone 91.8 percent of mothers have breastfed at least once in their life, but only 20.3 percent of those women have continued to breastfeed exclusively until the infant has reached six months. (“CDC Breastfeeding Report” 4.) It’s imperative we increase these numbers, and to do this we need to uplift breastfeeding in the public eye. To sum up, breastfeeding is very beneficial to women and children, and the promotion of breastfeeding over formula should be encouraged. Societal views may hold stricture against the breastfeeding mother, but there are ways to encourage a growth in mothers being able to nurse at will. As a community of humans which have survived for centuries due to breastfeeding mothers, we need to be more accepting that this is natural and easily the best way to make sure an infant is getting the nutrition they
There are nurses dedicated to the education of nursing mothers, groups of mothers with nursing children, or even just places that provide a safe quiet respite from the public. Nursing needs to be encouraged often as breastmilk is created on a “supply and demand” sort of bodily function. So providing mothers with the acceptance will increase their chances of breastfeeding past the first three months. According to the CDC, in Washington State alone 91.8 percent of mothers have breastfed at least once in their life, but only 20.3 percent of those women have continued to breastfeed exclusively until the infant has reached six months. (“CDC Breastfeeding Report” 4.) It’s imperative we increase these numbers, and to do this we need to uplift breastfeeding in the public eye. To sum up, breastfeeding is very beneficial to women and children, and the promotion of breastfeeding over formula should be encouraged. Societal views may hold stricture against the breastfeeding mother, but there are ways to encourage a growth in mothers being able to nurse at will. As a community of humans which have survived for centuries due to breastfeeding mothers, we need to be more accepting that this is natural and easily the best way to make sure an infant is getting the nutrition they