Running Head: Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding in Public
Yazmin Avalos
The University of Texas at El Paso

Running Head: Breastfeeding

Abstract
People who found breastfeeding offensive had little to no knowledge of what mothers have to go
through to feed their child without being told to hide or leave a place. There was also a big
percentage of people who thought that breastfeeding a child in public was perfectly natural,
while only 11 percent thought it was either wrong or just didnt care. Also what many people
dont know is that breastfeeding has a lot of benefits for a mother and a child. It can prevent
many diseases for mother and child, and it is a great experience for bonding. In todays society,
mothers know that the law can protect them from people who have harass them and know what
to do. Breastfeeding in public is something that people have been around for many years and
many people dont mind it. Breastfeeding in general is something that all mothers would love to
experience because not only does it feed their child, it makes them have a bonding time and
become closer.

Breastfeeding in Public

Running Head: Breastfeeding

When mothers describe the joy of bonding with their babies by breastfeeding is it
something that all mother would want to experience. Making the decision to breastfeed is a
personal matter. Its also one thats likely to draw strong opinions from friends and family. The
moral fervor surrounding breastfeeding continues undebated, with a steady stream of advocacy
and education campaign, hospital initiatives, social pressure and workplace and insurance
regulation designed to push breast feeding numbers still higher. (Jung, 2015). The latest CDC
report shows that in 2011, 49 percent of mother were still breastfeeding when their child was six
months old, and 27 percent were still doing so when their kids was 1 year old. Back in 2000,
rates were 35 percent and 16 percent respectively (Castillo, 2014). New figures suggest that
5,700 fewer women initiated breastfeeding with their child in 2013-2014 than the year before. It
is the first record fall since the Department of health began collection and releasing the statistics
in 2004. The figures also show that in 2013-14, 327,048 women were not breastfeeding their
baby at all by the time of their six- or eight-week checkups- just under half of all maternities
(Castillo,2014).
The effect of the moral fervor surrounding breast feeding goes beyond mere shaming. It
also reflects, and reinforces, the divisions of race and class that have long characterized
American social life. Although 91 percent of women in the top income quintile breast feed, 71
percent of those below the poverty line initiate breast feeding. Whereas 81 percent of white
women breast feed, 62 percent of black women do. Breastfeeding is a lifestyle choice the
majority now make, but it is more common among white middle and upper middle class parents
(Jung, 2015). Middle class women primarily experience breastfeeding advocacy in the form of
education campaigns and limits on their access to formula in hospitals. Poor women are
vulnerable to more explicit coercion. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,

Running Head: Breastfeeding

Infants and Children, known as WIC, which serves more than 50 percent of infants born in the
united States every year, offers different benefits to breast feeding and non-breast feeding
mothers and babies. During pregnancy, women trying to decide whether to breast feed deserve
to be informed about both its benefits and barriers and be given an opportunity and assistance to
find ways around any obstacles, the guideline state (Brody,2016). For these reasons debate
continue over the right answer to women being able to breast in public, and deserves serious
consideration through the review of these four question:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Why do people find it offensive when mothers breastfeed in public?

What is the percentage of women who have been harassed while breastfeeding in public?
What are the pros and cons of breastfeeding? Benefits for mother and child
Are there any laws that protect women while breastfeeding in public?

These questions will narrow the purpose of this literature review by proving the background of
conflict by figuring out why some people find it offensive, the percentage of women who have
been harassed while breastfeeding, pro and cons and law protecting women while breastfeeding
in public.
Why do people find it offensive when mothers breastfeed in public?
Society still doesnt recognize the functional use of breasts, it only recognizes the sexual
aspect (Peters, 2015). For some it signals a commitment to attachment parenting, for others it is
an environmental issue, and for still others it is a protest against the predatory marketing
practices of the big formula companies. Some parents on the Christin right see breastfeeding as a
sign of the right of heterosexual marriage, with different roles for men and women, and some
feminist believe it is an emblem of female empowerment and the life-sustaining force of female
bodies (Jung, 2015) Asking a mother to go elsewhere to nurse her child sends a message to the
woman and everyone else that nursing a child needs to be hidden from view rather than just

Running Head: Breastfeeding

being a normal part of everyday life. Statistics for America have improved but are still below
recommendations. 77 percent of U.S. - born infants begin life breastfeeding but only 16 percent
are still exclusively breastfed at 6 months (Maclean, 2014).
More than one in 10 people who responded to the Department of Health, Social Services
and Public Safety questionnaire said they believe that women should only breastfeed their babies
at home or in private, with 13 percent of respondents branding it embarrassing (Smyth, 2015). 34
percent of people fee that nursing a baby in public is inappropriate. Those against this practice
make the following arguments. Public nursing is indecent. For many people and business who
oppose nursing public, the primary reason for their concern is decency. They feel that a womans
breast is a private part of her anatomy and that exposing it in public, even to feed a child, is
morally wrong (Wilson, 2015).
Figure 1. Students from the University of North Texas created a project called
When Nurture Calls

Source: UNT Students (2014) Creating Ads to Support Public

Breastfeedinghttp://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/05/15/unt-students-create-ads-to-support-public-breastfeeding/

Running Head: Breastfeeding

The University of North Texas Students have launched a controversial ad campaign to

support a mothers right to breastfeed in public. The project is titled When Nurture Calls and
aims to bring awareness to the lactose loophole that some say exists in Texas. While state law
allows mothers to breastfeed in public, it also gives private business owners the right to refuse
service to anyone. The two laws are odds for mothers who want to breastfeed in public and have
complained that some businesses will kick them out when they try to feed their children. (CBS,
2014).

What is the percentage of women who have been harassed while breastfeeding in
public?
The fact that 57% of people think that breastfeeding in public is obscene and it is proof
that childish and discrimination against mothers is unfortunately alive. When a mother is
degraded for breastfeeding, asked to leave, cover up, go to the bathroom, told to stop, often look
for support. Julie Wheelen was confronted by a Rhode Island shopping mall security, a
restaurant assistant manager in Las Vegas criticized Emilee Holt, and a lifeguard at a public pool
in Washington State ordered Laurie Waldherr away from the water. What do they have in
common? Their offense was breastfeeding in public. Even though health authorities have said for
decades that breast is best for a baby, American attitudes about nursing are still heatedly divided.
In some cases, women who dont or cant breastfeed are made to feel like theyre bad mothers.
Those who do breast feed, and nurse in public can be the targets of complaints and outrage
(Cafazo, 2009).
When nursing moms feel shame or embarrassment, theyll be less likely to breast-feed in
public. Thats the kind of feeling that sent Cynthia Thompson fleeing to a restaurant restroom

Running Head: Breastfeeding

stall the first time she had to nurse in public. More than 70% of American women dont follow
new recommendations that they exclusively breast feed their babies for the six months. Lactation
experts say marketing pressure by infant formula companies, lack of social support and
workplaces that dont encourage the behavior make it difficult for American mothers to meet the
recommendations by the World Health Organization (Eisner, 2014)
Figure 2. Conducted a survey and asked 100 people what they thought about
Breastfeeding in Public

The chart above was created from a non-representative sample of one hundred
random people asked then same question. When doing this survey (Figure 2), 51 percent
of people thought that breastfeeding in public is perfectly natural and did not affect them.
While 11 percent either thought it was wrong or didnt care or mind it. While some
people do find breastfeeding offensive, these findings suggest strong public support for
mother who breastfeed in public.

Running Head: Breastfeeding

What are the pros and cons of breastfeeding? Benefits for mother and child
Breastfeeding helps provide protection for infants by giving those nutrients and antibodies.
Not only is the milk easy for infants to digest, its been shown to protect against disease
(Castillo, 2014) The incidences of pneumonia, colds and viruses are reduced among breastfed
babies, gastrointestinal infections like diarrhea which can be devastating, especially in
developing countries are also less common (Lawrence, 2015). Breast-fed babies have lower
rates of necrotizing enterocolitis respiratory infections, asthma, obesity, childhood leukemia and
a type of skin rash know as atopic dermatitis. It also decreases risk of sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS) (Castillo, 2014).
Breastfeeding can reduce the baby the risk of developing chronic conditions, such as type
1 and 2 diabetes, celiac disease and Crohns disease. According to Lawrence, infant-nutrition
expert professor of pediatrics and OB-GYN at the University Of Rochester School Of Medicine,
women who breastfeed have a lower risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis. When a women is
pregnant and lactating, her body absorbs calcium much more efficiently. While some bones,
particularly those in the spine and hips, may be a bit less dense at weaning, six months later, they
are denser than before pregnancy. Breastfeeding lowers the babys risk of sudden infant death
syndrome by about half. Breast milk contains 20 calories per ounce. The oxytocin released when
the baby nurses helps the uterus contract, reducing post-delivery blood loss, plus breastfeeding
will help the uterus return to its normal size more quickly. Breastfeeding can decrease the babys
risk of some childhood cancers, and it lowers the mothers risk of premenopausal breast cancer
and ovarian cancer (Lucia, 2015).

Running Head: Breastfeeding

While breastfeeding in public has become much more acceptable, many women still find
the experience awkward and embarrassing. It doesnt help that finding a secluded room in which
to nurse a baby is not always possible. Breastfeeding mothers need to be aware of what they eat.
Everything a mother eats, it is passed on to the baby. Nursing mothers are advised to avoid
alcohol. Even one alcohol drink a day passed through the milk supply is enough to retard a
babys development. One study showed that at most, a breastfeeding woman can only safely
drink two glasses of wine a week. Smoking should also be avoided because it can hamper milk
supply. Another potential problem is where the baby develops an allergy to a food the mother
eats, it can be difficult to pinpoint which food is the culprit (Jung, 2014)
Out of 98 mothers who said that breastfeeding is important, 90 breastfed their child.
However, all those who said that breastfeeding is not important breastfed their child. Those eight
mother who could not breastfeed their baby despite being aware of its benefits reported that they
were either drug addicts, HIV positive or their baby was adopted. A study by Ashworth (2007)
reported that the HIV virus can be passed from an HIV-infected mother to her baby, known as
mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). This study also suggest that one in every 20 babies will
become infected if breast-fed for six months while three in every 20 will become infected if
breast-feeding continues for two years (2015). Breastfeeding is a decision a mother should take
on her own.

Are there any laws that protect while breastfeeding in public?

When a breastfeeding mom is discriminated against, there are nurse-ins or petitions to end
the injustice they face. Texas enacted comprehensive laws in 1995 the clarified that women have
a right to breastfeed in public. Moreover, it also set up standards for employers to advertise

Running Head: Breastfeeding

10

themselves as mother-friendly if they develop breastfeeding support policies, and set up a

demonstration project to determine the feasibility of breastfeeding support policies for all state
employees. Texas has a statue governing human milk banks. There is also a law governing
breastfeeding services to mothers discharged early from the hospital (USLegal INC, 2015). The
legislature finds that breast-feeding a baby is an important and basic act of nurture that must be
encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and family values. In compliance with
the breast-feeding promotion program established under the Federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. section 1771 et seq.), the Legislature recognizes breast-feeding as the best method of
infant nutrition (Tex. Health & Safety Code 161.001 et seq.) President Obama signed the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 30, 2010. Among many provisions, Section 4207 of the
law amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 ( 29 U.S. Code 207) to require an
employer to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her
nursing child for one year after the childs birth each time such employee has need to express
milk. The employer is not required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time
for any work time spent for such purpose. The employer must also provide a place, other than a
bathroom, for the employee to express breast milk. If these requirements impose undue hardship,
an employer that employs fewer than 50 employees is not subject to these requirements. The
federal requirements shall not preempt a state law that provides greater protections to employees.
49 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow
women to breastfeed in any public or private location.

Conclusion/Synthesis

Running Head: Breastfeeding

11

In conclusion, this literary review has analyzed amounts of data and has answered questions
concerning the situation of mother who breast feed in public. Many women still find
breastfeeding in public awkward and embarrassing, it doesnt help that finding a secluded room
in which to nurse a baby is not always possible. Mothers have the right to breast their child any
place any time and the law can protect them from anyone who thinks it is wrong. Breast milk is
the most appropriate food for infants for at least the first six months of life. Brest fed infants
experience less illness and have enhanced cognitive and neurological development compared to
formula- fed infants. Breastfeeding mothers enjoy reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer,
increased bone density, more rapid involution of the uterus, easier weight loss and reduce
perceived stress and negative mood then mothers who dont breastfeed. Armed with this
information and education, society can make an informed decision about how people see women
when they breastfeed in public.

Reference
Avalos,Y (2016, March,18) What do you think about breastfeeding in public Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com

Running Head: Breastfeeding

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Carole, A (2014, November, 13) 20 Breastfeeding Benefits for Mom and Baby
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Debbie Cafazzon (2010, Feb 2) Food or lewd? Breast-feeding reveals divide
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16773617/ns/health-childrens_health/t/food-or-lewd-breast-feedingreveals-divide/#.Vu3oCjbmohd
Essays (2010, June, 5) Conclusion on breastfeeding and its beneficial effect.
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Href, Mailto & Robin E (2015, June 7) U.s Moms Dont Breast-Feed Long Enough
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117395
Jung, C (2015, October 6) Overselling Breastfeeding New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/opinion/sunday/overselling-breast-feeding.html?_r=0
Mahoney, J (2016) US Legal, INC Texas
http://breastfeedinglaws.uslegal.com/state-laws/texas-breast-feeding-laws/
Michele, Z (2013, October, 3) Moms Harassed for Breastfeeding in Public Can Finally Report
the Creeps & Get Results
http://thestir.cafemom.com/being_a_mom/144402/moms_harassed_for_breastfeeding_in
Michelle, C (2013, August, 1) CDC: Breastfeeding rates rise to 77 percent of U.S
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MacLean (2013, September 4) Why Not Just Breastfeed in Private?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wordynerdy/2013/09/why-not-just-breastfeed-in-private/