I don't think it is gross at all.
My sister breast fed my niece at my graduation (she had a towel to cover herself). I saw a woman breast fed her kid on the metro.
Healthy people don't, IMHO :~) The artificial nature of modern life has made us a little uptight and confused.
I was seated in the waiting area of a busy restaurant last night, when a young mom sat down threw a blanket up over her shoulder and prepared to nurse her baby girl. I just smiled and looked away. Why do so many make such a big deal about the method God created for women to feed their young? I think it is sinful to object and make an issue of it.