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Community Corner

Breastfeeding in Public?

Feeding your child draws a surprising response sometimes. What sort of experiences have you had breastfeeding in public?

Why does this subject cause such a stir?

I mentioned it to my 19-year-old daughter and she responded, “Eeewww! That is so not right!! Cover it up!”

So many people agree with her.

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A 2007 Centers for Disease Control study found that 35 percent of people thought that women should only breastfeed in private places and only 44 percent were comfortable near a breastfeeding mother in public. I’m glad I didn’t know this when I was nursing my first in public!

Though it’s widely held that breast milk is the healthiest source of nourishment for a baby, many new mothers are afraid to nurse their babies in public view because they are afraid of how others will react.

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I‘ve heard of numerous incidences where women have been told by some authority to cover up while nursing a child in a public place. A friend of a friend was actually told she couldn’t nurse in the bathroom of a bank!

What many moms, including me, may not have known is that there is absolutely no law against breastfeeding in public. In fact there are laws in nearly every state nationwide to protect breastfeeding mothers, and there is no requirement to cover the breast.

I’d love to read about your experiences with the subject.

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