Posted on 04/21/2005 10:29:27 AM PDT by SmithL
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - A city commission candidate was criticized for breast-feeding her daughter during a public meeting, so 16 other mothers turned up and nursed their children at another gathering as a show of support.
Gabrielle Redfern apologized for offending anyone, but says she won't stop breast-feeding her child when necessary. She had been criticized by some for breast-feeding her 1-year-old daughter, Elsie, during Mayor David Dermer's recent State of the City address.
"Elsie's been coming to public meetings since she was 2 weeks old," said Redfern, who is in her first bid for public office. "I shouldn't have to choose between being a publicly involved citizen and being a good mother."
On Wednesday, 16 women held a "nurse-in" in support of Redfern, breast-feeding their babies at a Miami Beach Commission meeting.
"How is she supposed to raise her child and have a career if she isn't allowed to breast-feed her child when she attends meetings?" said Ellen Sandoval, who came to show her support. "I quit working because I didn't know or have the courage to do what she is doing."
State law says a woman can breast-feed her child anywhere she is otherwise legally allowed to be. But even in a city where topless sunbathing is common, others say there should be limits.
"I think it's a beautiful and natural thing, but there's a time and a place for it," said Joe Fontana, who regularly attends community meetings. "It's distracting. Why inside? Why not step outside to do it?"
OK - I think 30 year olds should probably be weaned.
Actually I am proposing she leave the child at home with his father and a couple of bottles filled with her breast milk. Since when is it acceptable to be in a professional meeting with a baby? I hate the one day a year it is acceptable.....
Well, at least from Mom...
That has to be the best post I have read. I have nursed 3 kids and have never had the public problem. All it takes is a bit of anticipating the needs of the baby and being prepared for them. This isn't rocket science. Most babies get on a pretty predictable schedule relatively early.
Or for when the mother is in a place where it's probably inappropriate to breastfeed..it doesn't offend my at the least, my wife did until our son was nearly 1, last year. But a council meeting does seem to be just throwing her boobs in everyones face, no pun intended. (not that I'm against such a thing!!)
Nope not all, a lot self ween. Our son did at 2.
Well, tell that to Politicket, he contradicts his own tagline. But, then again, I kinda do, too.
Have you ever tasted formula...barf big time...we gave it to my son one time and he threw the bottle onto the floor in absolute disgust...He wanted only "nummies"
I certainly have, and it instructs women to be modest, not to be flopping their breasts out in public to breastfeed.
"Breastfeeding is about the most natural thing out there! Get over your hangups."
Urinating is natural too. Get over your own hangups.
My wife did so with our son..discretely in public, I mean. It sounds like this council woman is letting it all hang out though..again no pun intended. That could be a distraction when your doing civic business..not that I'm against such distractions or anything..
You're either the bravest woman I've heard of or the cheapest...I don't think I could have trusted nursing after the teeth came in. If only I could teach the Mrs. how to economize like that!
I don't have any problem whatsoever with a woman going to the ladies room to breastfeed, or very carefully covering herself with a blanket or shawl while she feeds her baby. Flopping it out for all the world to see is not acceptable in any public venue.
Fair warning, its not worth arguing with this guy. Seriously, he's the reason I got my tagline.
LOL Okay, my apologies to the technilogically enhanced.
No, now, see thats politically incorrect, too. They preferred to be called, Mammararily Challenged.
You would be surprised how few women breastfeed. When I had my last child, for example, out of the 15 babies born that day, only three were breastfeeding. I will also tell you that my baby would nurse well, but then sleep for several hours. The nurses tried to panic me about that because she wasn't up every 2 hours eating. The baby was sleeping and I could not wake her! They kept telling me that if she didn't eat soon, they were going to give her a bottle. I ended up telling them she nursed when she didn't, just to get them to leave us alone.
When was the last time you saw a woman 'flop it out' to beastfeed? Aren't you projecting a little?
I mean really, I've seen many women nursing babies in 'public', most of whom I only knew they were nursing because I was with them. If you casually walk by you see nothing but a baby in the arms of a mom. All nursing women I know wear breastfeeding shirts that are very discreet.
Honestly, I think a lot of neuroses have come about since we began trying to separate ourselves from the natural world. We are mammals after all, it is unnatural to feed from bottles, never see a breast except in sex and think that meat comes in packages of plastic wrap. "Civilization" has made us into weanies.
A lot of neurosis for some, but for others it could be sirhosis.
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