I tried but failed to stay away from the breastfeeding in public debate. First to some partial disclosure: I am not a completely disinterested observer, although I will spare you all my reasons.
Needless to say that I was breastfed for a year – often in public I am now told – and didn’t turn out too badly.
I tried but failed to stay away from the breastfeeding in public debate. First to some partial disclosure: I am not a completely disinterested observer, although I will spare you all my reasons.
Needless to say that I was breastfed for a year – often in public I am now told – and didn’t turn out too badly.
For the record, exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months is the best start in life a child can have, according to health practitioners.
Most of the negative, spurious and naughty comments on the subject are driven by two things: ignorance and a parochial culture.
It’s only an ignorant person who’d say that seeing a suckling baby in a public place is disgusting. Disgusting, relative to what?
How often do we refer to fashion-deprived people whose threads should never leave their bedrooms as disgusting? How often is the questionable activity at New Street’s night-spots labelled disgusting?
When did nourishing a baby whose only crime is crying from hunger become ‘disgusting’? Here’s a sample of the various dictionary entries of the noun, its synonyms and adjectival derivatives: a strong revulsion or profound indignation; highly offensive; arousing aversion; distasteful language; a loathsome disease; revolting; nasty; stinking; vulgar; vile; distasteful; repellent; obnoxious; objectionable; nauseating; odious; hateful; repugnant; loathsome; abominable; nauseous, grotty; detestable and yucky.
Now, feel free to compare breastfeeding to any of the above and see how mean-spirited you sound- even to yourself.
Women breastfeed in public because they have children and simultaneously have to in public spaces. They are teachers, market vendors, bank tellers, magistrates and judges, clerks, professors, or hall wardens at Rhodes.
For the uninitiated, a baby requires feeding at least once every two hours. That’s a minimum of four times during the typical 8 to 5 job.
You really expect mama to hop onto a taxi or drive home every two hours to breastfeed just to spare you the spectacle?The cheek!
More philosophically, today’s technologymediated culture has unfortunately stripped the breast of most of its innocence.
It has become so overly sexualised that the generally shallow Dr 90210, 50 Cent’s videos or every second romantic comedy where she undresses for her Prince Charming make sure they feature.
Subsequently, there are many who struggle to picture the breast as baby food. There are indeed some women who’ve joined the debate on the wrong side are who equally enthralled by the aesthetic appeal of a perky pair.
Hear this all: no matter how much you adore them, breasts primarily exist to nurture young ones. Even wild animals have them.
It’s not a crime if one chooses not to suckle a child. But if one does (and often even if one doesn’t), the breasts tend to lose the fi ght against gravity and er…
The point is we have a choice to look at breasts as models for Wonderbra by Victoria’s Secret, or as Fruit & Veg City or Pick n Pay. That choice infl uences our response.
Moreover, if people really care beyond the incessant need to be seen and heard, they should at least campaign for dedicated space within every public area where women can breastfeed with some privacy.
If we insist on disabled parking spots, wheelchair access and rest-rooms for the minority handicapped, surely we can insist for the numerous mothers.
If you’re so disgusted by a breast in the mouth of a child at Standard Bank, sign a petition. Or keep your dirty thoughts to yourself.
Sim Kyazze is a lecturer at Rhodes University‘s School of Journalism and Media Studies
