Public Breatsfeeding…

[Montauk_Project]

I work with a mother of a baby. She came to some meetings with the baby and would breastfeed. No one said anything other than general comments about the baby, if she had problems breastfeeding (sore nipples, etc). It is so important for the health of the baby that it shouldn´t be made any more difficult than it is already.
Would be interesting to see if it was always this way in Argentina or a more recent development--will ask husband tomorrow about this.
On another note, was in another meeting to design a publicity campaign. Someone remarked "maybe we should include a mother breastfeeding, people react well to that." So much healthier than in the US!

 

[allcraz]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]As a new mother who is currently solely breastfeeding, I can go back and say I was personally shocked, and not necessarily in the positive way, by the amount of public breastfeeding I saw when I got here years ago. But I was young(er) and (more) naive. Having a child makes you look at so many things differently. This being one of them. I do agree that there are tons of discretion levels when it comes to breastfeeding, and although I make it to where next to no flesh is exposed if breastfeeding in public, I also understand that it makes some people uncomfortable no matter how much or little they can see, and I try to respect that. I'm not going to pull it out at the dinner table, but I'm not going to pull out a toga to cover myself up, either. [/background]

 

[DontMindMe]

In my first apartment in BA, the son of the portera came knocking on our door because his pregnant sister had finally given birth. They were our neighbors. We, English and American girls, ran to look, and she was naked from the waist up, breastfeeding the baby. We'd been in the city for maybe six months at that point so we ooh'd and ahh'd and tried our best to pretend we weren't shocked.

It made me take a cold, hard look at the puritan heritage still gripping the U.S. that would make me view such a natural act as something that should be covered up in the presence of neighbors. I don't come from a conservative or religious background, but even so, breasts are sexualized there to the point that many, unfortunately, hold the same opinion as Ceviche (who I sincerely hope is pulling our collective forum leg). They are blurred out on television no matter the context, and let's not forget the Janet Jackson "Nipplegate" at the Super Bowl a few years back. So much scandal over one nipple. Pathetic. I can't say for sure what I'd do if I had a baby, but I imagine I'd like the option to do it wherever I damn well pleased, whether I chose to do it in public or not.

 

[Montauk_Project]

Ironically, you will never see an Argentine woman topless at a beach in Argentina.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

It is a reminder to all of us to look around and appreciate the beauty & artistic magnificent creation of the Good Lord and His mysterious ways of conducting the eternal symphony of Life Renewal. I strongly disagree with Ceviche.

I'm fine with public breastfeeding, but we should not promote fictitious deities. Only the Flying Spaghetti Monster truly deserves our worship.

 

[Rich One]

Breasts were made for breastfeeding, that is their sole and most important purpose.

Couldn't disagree more the Prime purpose of breasts is To attract Inseminators...!! Then as a Consequence breasts are instinctively used by the resulting offspring ...Si

 

[PhilipDT]

Breasts were made for breastfeeding, that is their sole and most important purpose.

]

Then why do men have nipples?

 

[nikad]

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Then why do men have nipples?

men have nipples but not breasts, I guess it is about naturegiving some symmetry?

lol now I won't go into the man boobs issue

 

[EricLovesBA]

I remember long ago reading a phrase that stuck with me, something to the effect that the US is a culture "simultaneously repressed and obsessed with sexuality". It seems the breast gets caught up smack in the middle of this contradiction/confusion. When we come here to Argentina, we're surprised to see the openness about breastfeeding, and we might be conditioned to misinterpret it as sexual openness, but it seems very culturally ingrained here that breastfeeding is a healthy non-sexual act. For example Argentine men will overtly respond to almost anything slightly provocative, but I really don't notice them leering at breastfeeding, but rather seeing it as a maternal exp<b></b>ression of connection and nurturing if they respond to it all.

As Latin cultures go, I view Argentina as relatively conservative. For example the body space is close, but maybe not as close as other latin cultures? And the rituals of courting and flirting, dating, etc, seem fairly formal to me. Is this a fair characterization in other people's experience? Btw I would not include the younger generation (teens, early 20's) in this observation.

 

[cbonanni]

Breastfeeding in public is fine , as long as it is discreet . The problem I see is getting the kids off the tit when they grow up. Too many mama boys out there.