As if there wasn’t already enough controversy concerning all things “natural” or “crunchy” we’ve managed to throw something as precious and innocent as breast-feeding into the mix.
I’ve been asked on a few occasions to join in the “march” or “effort” to make open, uncovered breastfeeding in public a more acceptable thing.
I’ve never joined in, but not without a lot of thought.
It’s a hard decision because I agree that breastfeeding is natural, 100% non-sexual, and should be embraced in our culture as the best way to feed a baby.
What I don’t agree with is using something as sweet as feeding my baby as a visual weapon.
It just seems counter-productive to engage in this “in your face, wether you like it or not” type of thing if the goal is tolerance, education, and change.
I 100% agree that if our culture accepts a woman flaunting her breasts in a low-cut top in the mall, that it should also accept a woman nursing in that same mall. The double-standard is truly ridiculous. I also agree that our disapproval of uncovered nursing is a new issue…it hasn’t always been this way in America.
But I don’t think we are going about educating the masses and encouraging change in our culture the right way here.
Many make the argument that if our culture weren’t so obsessed with them, there wouldn’t be the need for covering them up. And I agree. But you can make this same case for other cultures.
Because the sexualiztion of breasts is specific to certain parts of the world. And I believe that it’s important to be sensitive to the culture that you are in, regardless of your personal convictions about something.
It’s the reason I covered my knees while visiting Uganda. Is there anything wrong with my knees? Are they shameful? Unless you find birthmarks revolting, then, no.
Not in America.
But in Uganda knees are considered a very private area, while it’s completely acceptable for women to go all day sans shirt in order to easily nurse their children. But out of respect for the culture I was in, in that moment, for this reason, I kept my knees covered. Even if I think it’s ridiculous to view knees as something shameful or sexual, the culture disagrees.
Whether this is right or wrong isn’t up to me. What is up to me is my behavior within that culture.
It’s the same for America.
I cover up because I don’t personally want someone else to see my breasts.
I also don’t want to be a source of distraction. I don’t want to make my male friends feel uncomfortable. It’s not their fault that a bare breast in church is distracting. It’s a product of our culture. It doesn’t make these men perverts or close minded. It makes them Americans. They have grown up in a bi-polar culture that has both perverted breasts while demanding that they stay covered. Had they grown up in Uganda they would probably be pretty distracted in church surrounded by all those clean-shaven knees…
I don’t think we are going to change the culture in America by showing more bare breasts in public. Our culture has become overridden with a sex obsession and addiction because of much larger issues. Issues like pornography, sexual slavery, and the open acceptance of meaningless, anonymous sex. The sexualization of children combined with easy, free access to pornography and a general lack of strong leadership in the home is making the problem worse with each generation. Unless our culture changes our view of sex altogether we will continue to confuse what is ok and what is not.
Our churches and homes don’t talk enough about it and our society talks too much about it.
Is there anything wrong with breasts? Wrong with breastfeeding? Not at all. But I want to stay sensitive to the culture that I live in.
For me, covering is super easy. If I’m wearing the right shirt I can keep myself and baby covered really easily. But generally I just use a cover. I have these amazing muslin blankets that I use for everything. That way I’m not carrying around a ton of extra stuff everywhere I go. I use them as a swaddle at home, to keep baby warm in the carseat, to cover the infant carrier if he/she is sleeping, it works great on the floor as a play mat, and as a sun-shade (tucked into the window on car trips.) For nursing, I just tie two ends in a knot, loop it around my neck and it’s wide enough to cover me; and the breathable material keeps baby from getting hot.
They also make the most ahh-mazing burp cloths ever. E.V.E.R. I mean, the kind that soak up every little dribble rather than serving as a slide for that funk to travel straight from baby’s mouth, onto the surface of the cloth, and continue on to your {yoga/sweat/flannel} pants. Amiright?
Perfect.
I’m sure I’ll get some heat for this, but I’ve been asked why I’m not the typical “natural nursing mom” and I wanted to explain.
live well. be well.
