OK for Professor to Breastfeed in Class?

Breast feeding – the choice encouraged from the time you become pregnant.  While health professionals encourage breast feeding for the first 12 months of life, society makes it a little harder than it needs to be.  Recently, breastfeeding in public has been the topic of debate in all forums.  From soldiers in uniform breastfeeding in public, to professors in a class room, everywhere is considered inappropriate. 

Recently, I was eating at an Italian restaurant, and on the door they had a sticker indicating their support of breast feeding.  I thought the sticker was unnecessary, who wouldn’t support or allow a mother to feed their infant in their facility?  As I come across more mothers who share stories of being asked not to breastfeed, I realize the sticker was actually hugely necessary and show of major support to all moms!

As the story of an American University professor breastfeeding during class becomes news, there seems to be some mix up as to whether the University is deciding that breastfeeding is the issue or that bringing a sick infant to the school was the issue or if the students simply felt they didn’t have their Professors full attention. 

It seems the true problem is the students’ discomfort with witnessing breastfeeding –though the story suggests the Professor was never exposed, and remained covered while feeding her infant.

Because our society has sexualized breasts, instead of considering them as a form of nurturing, feeding, and passing immunity to infants, the majority of these college students could not comfortably witness their professor breast feed.  Women are asked to feed their infants in privacy as if they are performing a lewd act. I know of moms who have breastfed during a dental appointment, while grocery shopping, in just any environment because as a mom when your infant is hungry, you aren’t going to make them wait simply for the convenience of those around you. 

It is an active effort to continue to breast feed.  Harder to make that commitment when woman are currently expected to be the best as mom and do the best as a working individual.  Had she bottle fed her infant, the story would not be on the news.  Unfortunately, more people find it appalling to feed an infant in the natural form, then to see a plastic bottle in their mouth. 

This professor, while she is a professor, is first a mom, and she was making the best choice for her baby, in that moment. 

We cannot continue to encourage mothers to breast feed in the hospital, then discourage them once they step out with their newborn. 

To read the full article go to:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/american-university-professor-breast-feeds-sick-baby-in-class-sparking-debate/2012/09/11/54a06856-fc12-11e1-8adc-499661afe377_story.html

  

~Cradle and All, LLC *Cribside Care for Baby, Peace of Mind for Mommy*
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