No breastfeeding in Parliament

[fatcatfan]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3198253&thesection=news&thesubsection=world

What can I say. This is just absurd. The funniest part: "...so I whacked her on the breast..." I mean, in context, I understand what she's saying, but what an odd way to put it.

[carrot red]

No comment.

[Paradox]

there was one before that some guy in the french parliament was playing games on his cell phone instead of making decisions. LOL.

[Cronic]

I like breasts as much if not more so than most, but I too find public breast feeding to be offensive... I mean for gods sake find a better reason to flash the pups around :shrug:

[fatcatfan]

Would it offend you to find some chick just walking around town topless, DC? I mean... if it's okay for them to be bare just for the sake of being bare, why not for something very natural and even necessary? Personally I don't wanna see it in either case, but... :shrug:

[Cronic]

I draw the line at sucretion of bodily fluids :shrug:

[carrot red]

I'm totally against that and it makes me think of those poor Third World women they show on tv.
To just "wack" a child on a breast defeats the whole purpose
of breastfeeding being supposed to enhance bonding between mother and child. It is as private as lovemaking, but some don't mind doing that in public.:shrug:

[Ganonator]

I think that this is a valid rule. No one would expect a parliment member have little kids running around the room.

[fatcatfan]

Well it wasn't exactly a rule there. The rule was that during voting, no one other than members of parliament could be present. It wasn't really breastfeeding that was prohibited, just the child's presence.

[TheGeepster]

I've heard it said that a real classy lady can breastfeed in public without anyone even suspecting that it's happening. It's a natural act of motherly love, but it ought to be done as inconspicuous as possible when it has to be done.

From what I gather, this is a fairly mainstream view on the matter, but I could be wrong. Interesting article by the way.

[Mander]

An ad here at the moment shows a man sitting on a toilet eating his lunch and then flash to a picture of a baby breastfeeding. A voiceover says "You wouldn't eat your lunch in here so why should she."

And sometimes it is a bonding thing but most of the time breastfeeding is no more or less bonding than bottlefeeding. And I know this as I bottlefed the first and breastfed the second and my bonding was the same with both.

I find nothing offensive with a woman feeding her baby whether it is with a bottle or a breast. The problem is in other peoples minds.

[Beldaran]

I don't care if women breast feed in public. I personally wouldn't want to be married to a woman who did it because I don't want my wife hanging her boobs out whenever she feels like it, but it's really none of my business what other mothers do.

[plith]

"While embarrassed political leaders tried to tiptoe along a horribly sensitive fence, the Women's Electoral Lobby and the Australian Breastfeeding Association waded in with fists swinging."

Why, exactly, does it need its own association? People who devote their entire lives to the cause of breastfeeding, which has been a natural thing for as long as we've known humans to exist?

[Maverik X]

I'm with Beldaran. I don't care if anyone does it. It's their personal choice, if they're comfortable or not breast feeding in public and I won't harass them based on their decision.

[Drunken Tiger]

I dont see a problem with that... But if she is a new mother... She should should work out a proper schedule because being a mother is a fulltime job..

I know its unfair, but someone has to do it...

[Mander]

Originally posted by plith
"While embarrassed political leaders tried to tiptoe along a horribly sensitive fence, the Women's Electoral Lobby and the Australian Breastfeeding Association waded in with fists swinging."

Why, exactly, does it need its own association? People who devote their entire lives to the cause of breastfeeding, which has been a natural thing for as long as we've known humans to exist?

It needs its own association because for years mothers were encouraged not to breastfeed. Also they advocate on women behalve who are discriminated against because they are breastfeeding. Unluckily a lot of people don't see breastfeeding as a natural thing.

[Thunderbird]

Whoever thinks that breastfeeding isn't natural needs some sense knocked into their heads.

I have actually seen a woman breastfeeding before, but she had a blanket which covered up skin (and the baby).

One interesting note: I believe there was a law of some sort passed up here in Washington that says that a woman breastfeeding is not guilty of indecent exposure. Something along those lines anyway, this happened awhile ago and my memory is foggy.

[TheGeepster]

Bottles may be more convenient and modest, but studies have shown that breastfeeding has additional benefits of building the baby's immune system. There's probably other benefits as well (freshness for one). Still, I was surprised to hear there was a lobbying group for this. :eyebrow: