Take Cover! We re seeing way too many breasts.

National Review Online | May 14, 2002 | Betsy Hart

[LavaDog]

We've all heard that "breast is best" when it comes to feeding infants. But does the entire village have to share in the process?

Recently I was doing what I usually do with four young kids: Trying to keep from drinking until at least 4:00 in the afternoon. Part of that routine included getting the five-year-old to gymnastics class — with the three-year-old and the ten-month old in tow. Usually it's quite the mob scene. Moms and kids everywhere in a huge portion of the gymnastics floor loosely called the "entryway."

That day I had to do a double take.

Sitting right in the middle of all the kiddy and other traffic was an attractive thirty-something mom — with her shirt just about up to her neck and with no discernable undergarments, meaning, yes, she was bare-breasted, feeding her not-so-young child, probably about 14-months old. Let's be clear. She was leaning back on both hands, essentially thrusting out her chest, while the little guy held her completely exposed breast and sucked away, while she casually held a conversation with another mom. (I've probably already been a little too graphic for some my male readers. Chill out.)

I decided I had to say something. Now I've read there's a chemical in the brain that controls inhibition and that it sort of dissolves as one gets older. If that's the case then I expect to be truly dangerous by the time I'm 40. In any event, with my baby on my hip, holding another by the hand and the five-year-old following, I said "Is it too much to ask for you to cover up just a bit? If my eight-year-old son were here right now (never mind my hubby) I would be very uncomfortable." She looked at me as if I had not spoken English. I said, "I guess it would be too much to ask. " Major sigh.

This breastfeeding mom may have been one of the most blatant I've observed, but the fact remains that I've seen more breasts in my adult life thanks to mothers feeding babies than I ever did in a high-school locker room.

But breastfeeding in public does not have to mean publicly exposing one's breast. I've breastfed my four children, and on occasion when they were newborns and eating every hour or two I've even done so in certain public places where I knew I could be so discreet that no one would/could know. Very soon, of course, babies are — or should be — going hours between feedings. So, why can't a mother either arrange her outings around the feeding schedule of her little one, or at least take the simplest measures to be discreet when she doesn't?

But I've found that to even suggest that breastfeeding moms practice such thoughtfulness or self-restraint is considered scandalous in activist circles. (Never mind that I schedule around my four children all the time. For instance I might avoid adult-oriented restaurants or too many errands because it wouldn't be fair to the either kids or the other folks around them.)

Common courtesy, R.I.P.

I know this because having written a lengthier syndicated column on this very subject recently, I was bombarded by "hate mail" in response. But the biggest complaint by far was that I seemed to be a representative of some ancient civilization that viewed breasts as — gasp — sexual.

Well yeah, duh.

In some cultures, it may be that an enormous brass plate placed in a woman's stretched out lower lip is considered sexual, but in the West, it's breasts. (Whew.)

I asked several readers who wrote foaming, gasping e-mails to me, if they really don't view breasts as sexual then would they mind if I paraded half-naked in front of their husbands and sons? Okay, maybe the better idea would be somebody slightly better endowed parading in front of their husbands and sons, though I'm not sure that in the end it makes much difference and that just sort of reinforces the point.

Anyway, it does seem as if women who are adamant about public breastfeeding have another agenda in mind besides nourishing their infants. I mean why all the fuss over something that if done discreetly isn't even noticeable?

Because a woman's breasts are no longer just a part of her body, they are the ultimate political hot zone.

Breastfeeding advocates are actively pushing legislation in about 30 states that would enforce "breastfeeding anywhere anytime" laws. Many states, like California — no surprise — already have such legislation. And throughout the country, lawsuits over the public breast-feeding issue are rife. Guess who almost always wins?

In one case, the AP reported, a Hooters waitress had the gall to suggest she was "humiliated" to be told not to pump her breast milk by her superiors. (They didn't report it quite that way.) Don't get me started, except to point out that the idea that a Hooters waitress could be humiliated by anything is the definition of absurd.

But, it turns out she was on the cutting edge. Breastfeeding rights aren't good enough anymore. Today the golden ring is the right to PUMP anytime anywhere, though for now the emphasis is on the workplace with proposed federal legislation that, if its advocates have their way, will promise just that. Activists "claim" that women prefer to do this activity in private, but as they well know the reality is that that's hardly always possible. And nourishing for baby or not, you haven't seen unattractive until you have seen a woman "pumping." Been there, done that. In fact widespread viewing of this activity might be the one thing that really could desexualize breasts in our culture. (Hmmm. Could that be what the activists really want?)

In any event, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that many a "pumping mom" is just trying to make up for her guilt over letting someone else take care of her baby for most of the day.

Still, the ongoing, informal survey I've conducted over the years suggests that while there may be a growing tendency toward "I am woman watch me breastfeed," there are a whole lot of hairdressers, cab drivers, "housewives," professional women, husbands (enlightened or otherwise) — you-name-it — who remain quite emphatic that it's not something for the neighborhood or the office to share.

But, just try explaining that in a culture where it has somehow become "Women's breasts uber alles."

[E Rocc]

More often, I think they’re just militant feminists spoiling for an argument with anybody who dare question their “rights.”

(short hair, snarls, and man-pants are key indicators for this animal.)

So what you're saying is that militant femininsts like getting into man-pants?

-Eric

[N. Theknow]

When a society adopts the manners, music and morals of what was once confined to the "National Geographic"; what should we expect.

[Cicero]

I'm not sure I agree. All this breast fetishism is a relatively modern phenomenon. The biological purpose of a woman's breasts is, after all, to feed her babies.

In the Middle Ages there were numberless paintings of the Blessed Virgin Mary breastfeeding the infant Jesus.

After the Reformation, Protestants objected, and to prevent scandal, many of these Catholic paintings were removed or destroyed in the Counter-Reformation. It's too bad, really, because this destructive iconoclasm was nothing but modern prudery. God made sexuality, although like everything else that He made good it can be perverted, and God instituted marriage and commanded us to increase and multiply.

So, discreet breastfeeding of an infant seems fine to me.

[Aggie Mama]

This is silly. I've nursed both of my children in public. I am an incredibly modest woman, but I see no reason to deprive my baby of food simply because some people might be squeamish. Pam Anderson in a tube top has much more acceptance in our society than me feeding my baby at the mall.

The woman exposing herself in public is obviously an exhibitionist. That is what she should be taking issue with, not the breastfeeding.

[Happygal]

You want photos? Hmmmm, okay.

How about these girls. When they breast feed you, their serving up a portion of chicken wings :-)

[Aggie Mama]

Are you saying that breastfeeding your child is backward?

[WhiteGuy]

YOU! are a great American.

Thanks!

[Quix]

I suppose you're more right than not.

And while I think breasts are wonderful creations, unless they are on my wife, they don't really tickle my fancy. And since she's now someone else's wife, breasts leave me rather fancy-less. . . except as beautiful parts of God's creation. . . nice lines and all that. . . hey--I'm artistic, OK?

Anyway--think of all the Ubangy's in Africa--or whatever tribes wherever where breasts are daily no big thing sexually. . . regardless of their size. A lot of the hoopla is so much conditioning and custom. . . . and if we can become conditioned to give a certain response, we can become unconditioned.

I think probably some decorum and kindness with regard to varied levels and types of sensitivities about breasts in public should be a consideration/politeness issue for anyone pretending to be civil or civilized.

But given so called women's lib and all the other selfish-ism's afoot rather rampantly these days, I wouldn't count on some women being overly thoughtful or complient with any notion of politeness. I mean, can you imagine Bella Abzug ever setting foot in the galactic cluster of politeness?

Dolly Parton, she's polite all over and in plenty of the right places and ways.

Obviously there's a polite way to flaunt it and a crass way to flaunt it.

But the cake was taken by about a 6 year old still nursing one of my friends. . . who in the grocery store or where-ever thought nothing--shockingly with mother's sanction--of saying:

"Mommy, I'm hungry, give me a breast, I wanna suck! RATHER LOUDLY."

That crossed my line rather wholesale--neither mother nor son seemed to think the concept of decorum existed for them at all.

[R. Scott]

If bare breasts were to become a common sight, we wouldn't think about it so much.
Do away with the indecent exposure laws, allow women – as well as men – to jog or swim topless. Equal rights and all that.
Eventually little kids, teenage boys and concerned moms would not give it a second thought.

[dead]

Can you post that story again?

[rockfish59]

'keepsemfromfloppin'

(German for bra)

[Happygal]

YOU! are a great American

Well I'll take that as a compliment, but I'm really Irish :-)

[Constitution Day]

Bless you, dear.

Does Ireland have Hooters? (the restaurants, I mean).
Inquiring minds want to know!

[Darlin']

"That day I had to do a double take. "

A somewhat pointed remark. Grrrroan. Did I she say that ? LOL.

[Happygal]

Does Ireland have Hooters? (the restaurants, I mean). Inquiring minds want to know!

Ehh, nope. But I became acquainted with the place when an American boyfriend jokingly sent me a shirt from the place. He said he only goes in there to watch the sports. Yeah right! *LOL*

[AppyPappy]

I have a friend who saw a woman breastfeeding at the mall. He walked by her, grabbed his crotch and said "OH YEAH!!". He said the look on her face was priceless.

Hey, it's only natural.