At what age does public breastfeeding become unacceptable? (maternity, meal, sucking)
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It seems the issue really just ties into "how long is too long". IMO over 12 months is really pushing it and over 6 months really isn't necessary. To continue beyond those times is essentially about the mothers desire to do so as there is almost no discernable benefit for the child. The WHO information that was posted, is primarily focused on non-western countries where the death rate of children under 5 remains very high do to lack of available proper nutrition when breastfeeding is stopped. Therefore it provides those children a real benefit, but it is one not realised here.
The whole public spin is it's own topic and we can discuss the puratanical trends of America, but the fact remains that breastfeeding in public is not necessary and remains a choice that the mother makes. It's not like babies are going to starve to death in the mall as mom can easily excuse herself to nurse in a private place (yes, even the car) or bring a bottle. The issue is magnified when you couple people supporting breastfeeding older children and then extrapolating that doing so is also acceptable in a public place.
I looked up some statistics I found interesting. In 2005 there were 4,138,349 live births in the U.S. I didn't adjust for the infant mortality rate, but that actually makes the following look better than it really is. In 2005 these were the rates for breastfeeding in the U.S.
Hospital - 70.9% or 2,934,089
6 Months - 36.2% or 1,498,082
12 Months - 17.2% or 711,796
> 12 Months - 5.7% or 235,885
> 18 Months - 1.7% or 70,351
The population of the United States is 307,006,550. Breaking that down further that means that the following represents the % of the U.S. population breastfeeding at any given age point:
What interests me the most about the statistics is that the argument for public breastfeeding is that there are only a few people against it. My feeling is that there are more people against it than there are people who are actually breastfeeding. Given that taken together breastfeeding mothers account for 1.78% of the population, why do their rights supercede the remaining 98.22% of the population? As the age of the child being fed increases, we have a continually shrinking pool of people whose rights are being given precedence over the rest of the population. By the time you >12 months only .10% of the population is still breastfeeding, yet there right to do so supercedes my right to not want to see it in public.
If anything this is a clear cut case of a concerned and vocal minority expressing their right to do what they want and I don't think that's ever right. I can fully agree with allowing it to a point to encourage breastfeeding, but there is a point it becomes questionable and should not be allowed.
It seems the issue really just ties into "how long is too long". IMO over 12 months is really pushing it and over 6 months really isn't necessary...snip...I can fully agree with allowing it to a point to encourage breastfeeding, but there is a point it becomes questionable and should not be allowed.
What makes you think that nursing isn't essential after six months? Pureed foods, cereals, and cow's milk will NOT provide adequate nutrition for an infant. In the absence of breast milk, a baby should be receiving the majority of his calories from formula and should be drinking it throughout the day, not just morning and evening. Women should feel completely comfortable nursing at least up to a year. I don't see any reason to force a mother to start her child on formula at six months if nursing is going well. And, it's a whole heck of a lot cheaper than formula!
I'm bothered when you say the first few months. A few is three to me, MUCH too soon for an infant to be receiving the majority of his calories from foods other than breast milk or formula.
What did catch my eye was her statement "But they're still always your baby".
NO, NO, and more NO. Children are NOT babies at 4,5,6,28,33, 56 and so on. I cannot stand when parents call their young children & teenagers their babies.
I watched this segment on the news several wks back where this total punk of a 18yr old beat the living daylights out of & killed one of his buddies. Mom sat there in court as his sentence was being read screaming "My baby!! You can't send my baby to jail!". Lady, maybe if you stopped treating him like one yrs ago, he might have not been such a punk.
I get "I can't believe they are already in "1st grade". It seems like yesterday they were still a baby."
But to say consider them as a baby at the age of 5....that's unheathly. And that mom is nursing for her comfort, not the child.
I agree! The Mom is getting some sort of kick out of it or something. I guess it makes her feel needed or something? But that sort of neediness from kids is sick...I agree, there is something quite maladjusted about breastfeeding that long!
If you click on the link for the 20/20 segment and watch it, you can see the expression on the interviewers face when she is interviewing the Mom. She just can't hardly believe what she's seeing and hearing from the Mom. She has a look on her face, like..."what the hell"??!?!?? And frankly, I find myself saying that too! It's very odd!
I'm still having problems with that. At the risk of repeating myself, infants should be receiving the majority of their calories in the form of breast milk or formula until at least a year of age. At that point and given a healthy infant, a mother can begin the weaning process from breast or bottle, but no earlier. Even if a 10-month-old can use a cup effectively, he should be drinking breast milk or formula. Water is also a good choice, but only as a supplement, not as a replacement.
Between the ages of three months and the onset of regular eating at ~12 months, an infant does need to nurse more often than morning and evening. Breast milk or formula are the primary sources of calories during the entirety of the first year. An infant cannot receive enough calories and nutrients from cereal and pureed foods and will not thrive on twice a day nursing prior to that time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by formercalifornian
I'm bothered when you say the first few months. A few is three to me, MUCH too soon for an infant to be receiving the majority of his calories from foods other than breast milk or formula.
The point is, BREASTFEEDING is no longer necessary. They can drink out of a cup by about 6 or 7 months. After that, the issue of not accepting a bottle, or not wanting strange nipples in the baby's mouth is moot. There IS NO reason for continued breastfeeding.
Expressing is an option, as is keeping it first thing in the am and last thing at night, but the breastfeeding itself is no longer necessary.
Expressing is an option, as is keeping it first thing in the am and last thing at night, but the breastfeeding itself is no longer necessary.
Where are you getting your information? Infants need the calories and nutrients from breast milk or formula throughout the day, until at least a year, not just morning and evening. An infant under a year would starve if limited to two nursings a day plus cereal and pureed foods. And, I think it's completely unreasonable to tell a woman that she must use formula from six to twelve months just because some people are offended by breastfeeding.
Last edited by formercalifornian; 06-30-2010 at 03:38 PM..
What interests me the most about the statistics is that the argument for public breastfeeding is that there are only a few people against it. My feeling is that there are more people against it than there are people who are actually breastfeeding. Given that taken together breastfeeding mothers account for 1.78% of the population, why do their rights supercede the remaining 98.22% of the population? As the age of the child being fed increases, we have a continually shrinking pool of people whose rights are being given precedence over the rest of the population. By the time you >12 months only .10% of the population is still breastfeeding, yet there right to do so supercedes my right to not want to see it in public.
If anything this is a clear cut case of a concerned and vocal minority expressing their right to do what they want and I don't think that's ever right. I can fully agree with allowing it to a point to encourage breastfeeding, but there is a point it becomes questionable and should not be allowed.
It just goes to show ya that the squeaky wheel gets the oil....and apparently the rest of us have to just "deal".
You are right when you say the baby isn't gonna die of hunger while Mom finds a tucked away spot in the mall to breastfeed (or preferably out in the car). It's not an emergency situation to feed the baby right then and there. Public breastfeeding is a CHOICE...that is protected by legislation...which is absolutely ridiculous!
It just goes to show ya that the squeaky wheel gets the oil....and apparently the rest of us have to just "deal".
You are right when you say the baby isn't gonna die of hunger while Mom finds a tucked away spot in the mall to breastfeed (or preferably out in the car). It's not an emergency situation to feed the baby right then and there. Public breastfeeding is a CHOICE...that is protected by legislation...which is absolutely ridiculous!
It's over 90 degrees and sunny today in my city. The inside of a car is a dangerous place for anybody to spend time in this kind of weather, much less a nursing mother and infant.
This conversation makes me very glad my children were born in a friendly place for breast-feeders. Nobody ever said a word to me when I was nursing my children, and I nursed in lots of different places, including benches at the park. I never even got a nasty look.
With older children, certainly, they can probably wait until they get home to nurse, especially if they have a snack or drink juice or milk from a sippy cup.
OTOH, I really do not have a big problem with mom's who nurse in public. I never used a breast pump and I think they are uncomfortable. My oldest nursed until he was 13 months and he talked early, so he would ask for milk. I could say *when we get home* for him and he was fine. My youngest nursed until she was 2.5, but she was only nursing for naps and at night by the time she was 2 or so, so again, we did not have a big problem with waiting to go home to nurse.
I don't think, though, that I would judge someone whose child was insistent.
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