Breastfeeding Etiquette

After reading a really great blog topic post by http://www.mamaknowsbreast.com/ I decided to check out the link she posted for The Today Show and breastfeeding etiquette. Susan Kane , the editor and chief to Baby Talk Magazine, was interviewed by Ann Curry on the great topic of breastfeeding statistics and the declined percentage of breastfeeding mothers at 6 months. Besides the help women need to succeed at breastfeeding, the problem at the work place and breastfeeding, etiquette was the focus and the attitude public has towards the act.
This week ivillage.com took a survey on the topic, which is a Internet site particularly targeted towards women, and the results were

57% responded breastfeeding should only be done in discreet places and all covered
30% responded anywhere-anytime
10% never in public

57% was the result from the national dietetic association's national survey for people who disapprove to public breastfeeding

It is wonderful to see this is becoming such a hot topic and that people are helping to make changes. Susan embraced that it is a very difficult challenge for many women to go out into public and breastfeed due to their own feelings and the way the public treats nursing mothers. Also discussed were the rights to feeds anywhere, anytime defending nursing mothers "what woman do you know wants to show her, sane woman, wants to show herself in public?" in defense to public attitude towards a woman exposing herself while breastfeeding.
Women are able to breastfeed discreetly and continue their breastfeeding relationship in public whether doing so with a cover up (which was emphasised a couple of times in the interview) or anyway a woman can do so. I am very happy this was on the Today Show because it is something so many women are faced with everyday. The choice when faced with this issues is just like Susan said on the show, either stay locked up in your home because of your feelings or go out and do what you have to-breastfeed in public. Check out this interview http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/ and click on breastfeeding etiquette.

thanks to Andi at mamknowsbreast.com