The subject of breastfeeding in public has been hotly debated for a while now.
But shaming breastfeeding mothers seems like an odd decision.
These parents are only trying to feed their children, and breasts are secondary sex characteristics (in the same category as facial hair and the Adam’s apple on men), so they are not inherently sexual or lewd.
But some people still go out of their way to shame and criticize breastfeeding parents.
An old Facebook post that touches on this debate has recently begun circulating again.
Posted anonymously as a submission to a Facebook page known as Dartford Gossip, a tale is told by a woman who believes public breastfeeding is inappropriate.
On this gossip page for the little English town, the woman complains about a lady who was breastfeeding her child in Dartford Park.
The anonymous writer states that she was, at the time, with her child and her husband, who she describes as easily distracted.
She thought it was extremely inappropriate for her family to see, even though her child likely didn’t attach any sexual meaning to a mom feeding her baby, and even though it’s no one’s fault but her husbands if he can’t keep his eyes to himself.
The anonymous submitter then went on to say that she went off to tell the nursing mother that she believed it was inappropriate and that she should go somewhere more private to feed her hungry infant.
Then, apparently, this breastfeeding parent angrily swore at her and then did something shocking – she used one of her breasts to squirt the anonymous complainer in the face!
Strangely, the writer of the submission seems to think she was in the right.
She says that the nursing mom should be ashamed of herself, and that her actions were entirely uncalled for.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have the support of any readers of the page, who left their scathing comments against the anonymous woman.
Some commenters stated that the nursing parent’s actions were entirely justifiable, and that they themselves would have been much angrier and reacted much more intensely if they had been in the breastfeeding mother’s position.
Some called the anonymous writer’s husband a pervert for sexualizing a natural feeding process.
More still insisted that the anonymous woman received what she deserved in the end.
Many shared the sentiment that the nursing mother was entirely innocent, only trying to feed her child only to be disturbed by some random person who doesn’t know how to avert her eyes or deal with her fickle husband.
Another member of the group joked that the nursing mother did do something bad – she wasted her breast milk on someone so unworthy!
Parents who breastfeed definitely know how valuable and precious that milk is – it’s practically liquid gold!
The fact is that what this anonymous writer did was uncomfortable and unnecessary.
This kind of animosity towards responsible parents is ridiculous, especially as all 50 states in the US and all of England have laws that declare public breastfeeding to be legal.
So if you’re a parent who nurses in public, keep on keeping on!