Moms hold breast-feeding protest in Fla.

AP ^ | 4/21/5

[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?"

[politicket]

For some strange reason I thought that pumps existed and for public situations the breast milk could be given via a bottle. At least that is what they tell me the lactation room is for......

Pumps are used for gathering milk for the times when the mother is not around.

Geez people, don't you know any of this? And I'm a guy!

[keats5]

I agree with you. I adopted all my kids, so I never had the breast feeding issue. But when we were planning a church remodeling, the church council men gave me blank stares when I suggested we at least make enough room in the ladies room for a chair. I couldn't help but notice the ladies were asking permission to use the pastor's office (which was the only private place), or sitting on the toilets, to breastfeed. This has to be a pretty tough lifestyle, considering how often babies need to be fed.

Most ladies manage to feed discretely in public by draping a cloth over the exposed breast. It's not a big deal.

[azhenfud]

It's better than watching politicians sucking at the gubmint teat at public hearings. At least one's being nourished from it.

[politicket]

My neighbor breastfed her son until he was three and a half years old. Isn't that extreme?

Nope. The average in the world is five years. It's just that our "civilized" society gets uptight about it.

Breast milk has an amazing composition! It helps the synapses of the child's brain develop better and earlier, has awesome antibacterial properties, and provides just the right amount of minerals and vitamins that the child needs. God sure new what He was doing!

[WolfRunnerWoman]

Sheesh! Does anybody really think the kid would starve if it didn't get fed during the meeting?

I'm sick of all this "it's only natural" BS.

It's only natural to urinate, but you I wouldn't drop drawers and take a pi$$ at a public meeting.

[trussell]

Most breast feeding mothers prefer not to use a bottle at all...bottle nipples force feed your baby and encourages the child to not suck as hard to be fed...this causes the jaw to get weak and could cause problems with future breast feedings.

[tfecw]

Well She is eating for 3.

Besides she's not anorexic she just participated in a Fat Relocation program.

[Revelation 911]

My son was breastfed until he was 3 1/2. He decided on his own to quit.

Im sorry - I just have to laugh at that given your freeper name

My wife stopped the minute my son started cutting teeth

.........I stopped shortly afterwards as well

[HairOfTheDog]

I thought that pumps existed and for public situations the breast milk could be given via a bottle. At least that is what they tell me the lactation room is for......

Really, what you are proposing is that she run off someplace private, pump her breasts into a bottle, and then feed the baby with the bottle. Does that make logical sense? Isn't that a perversion of the whole process? Would a guy take three steps to do something he could do in one?

[frgoff]

Grow up and stop staring at her breasts.

That's what happens to men when they grow up. That's why they're considered a sexual organ. And don't tell me that women consider their breasts to simply be baby feeding tools and nothing else.

[keats5]

"Sheesh! Does anybody really think the kid would starve if it didn't get fed during the meeting?"

No, the kid wouldn't starve to death.

The kid would cry.

[politicket]

It's better than watching politicians sucking at the gubmint teat at public hearings. At least one's being nourished from it.

ROFLOL!!! Amen!!

[MahaMarty]

If women can breastfeed in public, or at restaurants while you're eating as she happens to be in the table next to you, men can pee in public.

[HairOfTheDog]

Sheesh! Does anybody really think the kid would starve if it didn't get fed during the meeting?

No, but he would cry, which would be worse.

I'm with you that it's distracting and unprofessional in a meeting... but it really should be a more natural sight, really not equivalent to peeing in public.

[beeler]

You suggest that as if it's possible.

[politicket]

It's only natural to urinate, but you I wouldn't drop drawers and take a pi$$ at a public meeting.

Some of you are truly amazing creatures! When you have to equate feeding a baby with relieving yourself in public then your salad is definitely a few croutons short...

[frgoff]

but newborns need to be fed every three hours or they will die.

I call bull****. Newborns can live for several days without food.

[anotherdubya]

Dang....even my back hurts just looking at that picture!

[drjimmy]

If she wants to have a job... I'm all for it. But nursing baby, changing diapers and talking baby talk during meetings is selfish distraction.

She wasn't "on the job," she was attending a meeting, sitting in the audience as a member of the public and as a candidate for the city commission. Since the article says nothing about her "changing diapers and talking baby talk," I don't know how you can claim these "selfish distractions" took place.

[politicket]

If women can breastfeed in public, or at restaurants while you're eating as she happens to be in the table next to you, men can pee in public.

Twisted and distorted...