[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by MrsCVBerg

No one wants to challenge any of the mothers in here who have actually experienced breast feeding a baby in public?

You mean other than those who told the mothers to use a pump, feed elsewhere or use formula? Pretty sure they've already been challenged multiple times.

Originally Posted by MrsCVBerg

I'm not trying to be rude. It really aggravates me when people who know absolutely nothing about how difficult breastfeeding or anything about being a mother are bold enough to tell a mother that they should be out of sight when they do it.

So does this mean to say that arguments from non-mothers who haven't breastfed are less valued? This thread is going to have many non-mothers because of the TH forum, a bunch of people aren't parents so expect such arguments.

Originally Posted by MrsCVBerg

Did you know that, in most places (in America, at least) it's illegal for any company, store, etc. to tell a mother that she cannot breastfeed there? I can think of at least 2 big lawsuits relating to this.

I was unaware of that but are you making a point out of this or just giving a little "did you know" blurb?

Originally Posted by PunkRoxS9

Anyway, I don't get why its offensive or innapropriate for a women to breastfeed in public when a) you dont see anything b) worse things happen and c) you wouldn't want a screaming baby crying for food while you eat, giving you a headache and disrupting your meal. What is innapropriate about something so natural??

Since you gave 3 arguments (a, b and c), I'm going to address them in order of ease to agree/disagree with.

Your second argument is moot. Yes worse things do happen but so what? The point isn't to look at other horrible events, it's to address this one topic: breast-feeding. Thus, creating a tangent as an argument is moot.

Your first argument I'm going to agree with but also there's the sound the infant makes. When eating at a restaurant, the sound may be undesirable despite not seeing much of the woman's breast. But the main reason is the stigmatization of women's breasts being sexual objects and the fact that the breast is outside of the clothing purposefully while others are eating is what may also be undesirable. You may not see it but you know it's there. It also may be awkward to talk to the woman while she's eating and breast-feeding, so it's pretty much as though you're being ignored, which can be rude depending on the situation.

Your third argument you have a point on but it seems to be a lose-lose-lose situation. The baby crying can get irritating and ruin my dining experience (lose). The mother breast-feeding, for reasons in the above paragraph, can ruin my dining experience (lose). If the mother takes the baby into the bathroom to breastfeed, then as other mothers have said, it's difficult and very time-consuming but it's also something that ruins the dining experience for everyone both as a group and for the mother (lose). So what should the mother do? Pumping into a bottle works but if the bottle gets empty, then we're back at this dilemma. It seems to be taking the cake and eating it because there's no good alternative. If the baby is given formula but the mother is against that, then is not going to work. Something has to give otherwise this lose-lose-lose situation puts the mother on her ass with no route to take.