I will breastfeed in public...

So the other night after dinner we had a very interesting conversation in the Riddle house about breastfeeding and breastfeeding in public. So I wanted to research a little and give EVERYONE and insite on breastfeeding.

Here is what I think...
I think every woman has the right to breastfeed in public. I think it is a natural and healthy way for a baby to eat. I mean would you rather a baby cry at the top of its lungs or be breastfed? I know that when I have kids I am going to breastfeed in public. I think that you can be polite about it and cover yourself up. I know that some women just sit down pull their boob out and feed (I don't really see anything wrong with that...Again a natural thing...) but at the same time I think that in a public place is the wrong time to pull your boob out... So women if you are out there and reading this Please be respectful of the people around you. They may feel very uncomfortable. And men if you are reading this Please be respectful that women feel uncomfortable doing this but it is a healthy choice that we have made for our child. As mothers we want to give our child the best that we can give them. And breastfeeding a child is the best.
For me breastfeeding your child is more than just feeding them. It is 20-30 minutes of quality time with your child...bonding time. And why do so many people make a big deal about it when God created this natural thing?

Here is what the world may say...
The idea of breastfeeding in public makes a lot of people uneasy...(some of my roommates). People ask why can't they just stay home or why can't they go to the bathroom or why can't they give the child a bottle?
Okay one do you not want your wife to not have a life? And two name one woman's bathroom that has a place to sit comfortably and feed your child? and three pumping or making a bottle take more time then breastfeeding and its not healthy. Here is an article that I read about breastfeeding from www.lalecheleague.org:

Breastfeeding in public matters because hungry babies aren't very patient and it's hard to be a parent without leaving home. Once the early weeks have passed and a mother has resumed activities outside her home, finding a truly private place to breastfeed her baby can be difficult, if not impossible. Beyond practical considerations, many women make a philosophical choice about breastfeeding in public because they feel it is the most effective and natural way to meet their babies' needs. Breastfeeding doesn't stop being best for babies and mothers just because other people are present, and mothers want to continue to give their babies (and themselves) the best...
...Offering breast milk in a bottle is often suggested when the debate on breastfeeding in public hits television or radio talk shows. But that option offers problems for the mother and baby that may be overlooked by the general public. First, it takes extra time and care to pump, store, and transport milk - time that may be precious, particularly in the early weeks and months. Babies receive fewer of the benefits of breastfeeding when they receive human milk that is not fresh from the source. They also run the risk of developing nipple confusion - having trouble switching back and forth between breast and bottle. Mothers run a higher risk of developing a plugged duct or breast infection because of the delay between feedings at the breast, particularly in the early months. A mother who skips feedings will probably be very uncomfortable from full breasts. If she is unable to pump her breasts, her supply will probably decrease slightly. So she'll still be experiencing the consequences the next day, when her baby nurses more frequently to replenish her supply. She also loses the convenience of being able to soothe her baby quickly and easily while she is out. She may even run out of milk in bottles before she finishes her errands.
All of the challenges of offering human milk in a bottle while in a public place can be overcome. But the bottom line is that many women find it easier, healthier, more economical, more ecologically sound, and more relaxing to fit breastfeeding in with all their daily activities than it is to fit occasional bottle-feeding in with their breastfeeding...
Another often suggested strategy for breastfeeding your baby when you are out is to take him to the restroom or toilet facility to feed him. However, no one would suggest that an adult eat his or her lunch in a public toilet.

Did you know that many woman are being told everyday that they can not breastfeed their child in public places? Woman are being told that they should go to a more "public place."Here is another article I read about women's rights to breastfeed in public:

The good news about breastfeeding in public is that in the United States, women are gaining more breastfeeding rights. In 1998, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (a Democrat from New York) introduced legislation (The Right to Breastfeed Act, H.R. 1848) to protect a woman's right to breastfeed on federal property where she and her child have a right to be. The bill was signed into law on Sept. 28, 1999 when President Clinton signed the Treasury Postal Appropriations bill, which included Rep. Maloney's Right to Breastfeed Act.

So those are some of my thoughts on breastfeeding. The next time someone says anything about women not being able to breastfeed in public...or why can't they go to the bathroom...or use a bottle...or anything...I am gonna say why don't you go eat your dinner in the bathroom?