This may comes as a shocker. A revelation. A parting of the veil. But breasts weren't actually put there for sex.
Yes. I said it. I used both the "b" word and the "s" word in one sentence. And I said something that, if it came to light in mainstream media, could destroy the lingerie industry, the magazine industry...well, the very fabric of our society could devastated!
Yes. Breasts are NOT for sex. But shh, don't tell anyone else!
If you pay any mind to what's trending on the interweb, you may notice the occasional surge of breastfeeding in the media. Last week, there was a lot of controversy over an Instagram post by Gisele Bundchen. She posted a shot of herself, nursing her one year-old daughter surrounded by her team of stylists who were doing her hair, nails and make up. All while she sat in complete serenity in her beautiful white robe. Mothers every where were outraged! How dare she be so brazen! How dare she try to act like that is "normal!" How dare she be so beautiful! Wait...I guess no one took credit for that last little bit of outrage. I thought, "Man, that would be phenomenal!" Not because she had her glam-squad getting her all glitzy. No, in my world, that would be a colossal waste of time. Chipped nails and frizzy hair pulled in a pony tail and an extra thirty minutes washing my face that night. No thanks. What I found myself jealous of was how natural, beautiful, at ease she was...doing the most natural thing in the world AND working.
Now, I don't want to take my baby to work. I mean, sure that would be neat...for about the first five minutes. But I am incredibly fortunate to have been able to pump and continue nursing after I returned from maternity leave. Most of the people I work with have been not only accepting, but supporting of my decision to nurse my child. Not every mother has such a luxury. Many women aren't able to take maternity leave to even try to get nursing established before they head back into the work force. So I suppose I have been doubly blessed.
Even beyond my great luck with pumping, I have survived many nursing sessions in public without issue. No one has asked me to leave the establishment. No one has screamed in horror. Nope. No problems. And none should be expected...because nursing babies is what boobs are for.
Here I go again. Throwing around those radical, liberal notions! But seriously. What do you think God put them there for? Since it tends to be the right wing, conservative Bible-thumpers who get up in arms about a woman exposing her breasts in public let's think about this...do you think when God made Adam and Eve, He also made a nursing bra and nursing cover, making sure to give Eve detailed instructions for their use?
Uhh. No. The Bible says that Adam and Eve were naked and they were unashamed. They didn't feel any shame for their bodies until after they had tasted the forbidden fruit. Now, I'm not saying we all need to be walking around naked. I totally support some decent threads. Though I'm also not bashing the different social norms for what passes as "decent." The aborigines have a much more natural point-of-view than Western society. In fact, those women cannot believe how flabbergasted our men are at the sight of breasts. Their men are quite accustomed to seeing naked breasts on a daily basis. Frequently those breasts are doing what they were designed to do, i.e. feeding babies, but sometimes they're just there. And their men don't even pay it a bit of mind!
I know if a woman were to walk around Walmart without a shirt on, it wouldn't take two minutes for the police to be called, management to be scrambled...I'm sure you can imagine. And of course, there would likely be the same response if a woman were to be walking through Walmart feeding her baby. The outrage! The horror!
What if my poor children were to see that woman's naked breast?!? What if my husband were to see that woman's naked breast?!? What if I were to see that woman's naked breast?!?
Really people? If your child sees a woman feeding her baby, then tell that child that woman is using those things for what the good Lord put them there for. Tell your child she is feeding her baby! What would you say if your child asked about a mom bottle feeding an infant? Would you blow up and tell the woman she needs to have some decency? Of course not! I'm not saying nursing moms need to rub their lifestyle choices in everyone else's face. But a little mutual respect and curtesy from both sides of the fence would go a long ways! Maybe even a decent helping of common sense?
If a woman is required to cover up to breastfeed her child then women should be requied to cover up when they bottle feed as well. That's only fair after all. I'm sure you're thinking that is about the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard but think about it. Which is the natural way to feed a baby? The breast, which is designed to feed a child and caters its daily supply to what the child needs, adjusting vitamins and nutrients as needed? Or a plastic bottle with a rubber nipple filled with formula manufactured from cow's milk?
So next time you encounter a nursing momma, how about you take a moment. Instead of a snide comment, what about a supportive smile? Instead of being offended, maybe even offer a kind word? Being a mom is hard. Having a baby is hard. Breastfeeding is not easy! I never feel smug or condescending towards a mom feeding her baby from a bottle. Why should another mom feel anything but comraderie and support for me? We are all just trying to do what is best for our baby!
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