Running head: BREASTFEEDING: SHOULD WE BE ASHAMED

Breastfeeding: Should We Be Ashamed?

Heather Marie Buscemi
Kaplan University

November 24, 2014

CM220 - College Composition

BREASTFEEDING: SHOULD WE BE ASHAMED

Breastfeeding: Should We Be Ashamed?

Breastfeeding is a choice to provide genetically engineered nutrients for an infant.
It is the cheapest and most healthy type of food for a baby to take in. In the US today,
breastfeeding is still viewed as a taboo. Since it is not a norm people have looked at it in a
negative aspect, because of this women are embarrassed to feed in public, breastfeeding is
viewed as inappropriate, and people are hostile about breastfeeding women.
In history, breastfeeding was the only way to feed a child. Over time formula was created
as a supplement and breastfeeding had a rapid decline. In the 21st century is has raised, but it is
no longer viewed as a normal act. At time people are uncomfortable about a women
breastfeeding and isolate her. In the 2010 HealthStyles Survey, an annual national survey of
adults in the US, 32% believed that it is embarrassing for a mother to breastfeed in front of
others (CDC 2010b). (Nguyen & Hawkins, 2013). Although this may be a small percentage,
this helps lead to the decline of women breastfeeding. When a women is asked to leave, move or
cover up because she is breastfeeding she feels the isolation. She becomes embarrassed and even
at time enraged. Some women even develop feeling of shame because of the isolation she is
being put through in front of friends and family. To be viewed as if doing something
inappropriate, while a women is just trying to provide the best possible nutrients for their child is
a huge deterrent.
Giving the best possible nutrients for a child should feel rewarding. To provide them with
something that was genetically made for them and to develop such an intimate relationship
should feel wonderful, yet women as feeling ashamed. Some people in the public eye view
public breastfeeding as lewd and inappropriate. Individuals that view breastfeeding this way
want women to remove themselves or just stop feeding all together. In some cases breastfeeding

BREASTFEEDING: SHOULD WE BE ASHAMED

is not only viewed as inappropriate but individuals view it as a sexual act. Sexual perceptions of
breastfeeding have been repeatedly identified in qualitative breastfeeding research as constraints
on a mothers choice to breastfeed (Hurst CG; School of Social Work, 2013). Viewing
breastfeeding as sexual act, from others views has cause women to decline from public
breastfeeding. Restricting their feeding to at home and in private places, and supplementing
bottle for public occurrences. Although there is a lack of evidence for the feeling of
breastfeeding being viewed as a sexual act and the feelings of embarrassment, it is a very real
feeling and a scrutinizing view on such a natural thing (Hurst CG; School of Social Work, 2013).

BREASTFEEDING: SHOULD WE BE ASHAMED

BREASTFEEDING: SHOULD WE BE ASHAMED

References

Cohen, S. S. (2012). Is Breast Best? Taking on the Breastfeeding Experts and the New High
Stakes of Motherhood. Journal of Health Politics, Policy & Law, 155-160.
Geraghty, S. R., Sucharew, H., & Rasmussen, K. M. (2013). Trends in breastfeeding: it is not
only at the breast anymore. Maternal & Children Nutrition, 9(2), 180-187. Retrieved
from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=4363341acc42-42f1-a75a083f8f021c60%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d
#db=mdc&AN=22625407
Grossman, J. L. (2012, March 20). The Controversey over Public Breastfeeding. Breast May Be
Best, but Objectors Say Not in My Backyard (or Airplane), p. 1. Retrieved November 07,
2014, from http://verdict.justia.com/2012/03/20/the-controversy-over-publicbreastfeeding
Hurst CG; School of Social Work. (2013, Jan). An Initial Validation of a Measure of Sexual.
Social Work In Public Health, 28, 21-31. Retrieved Novemeber 20, 2014, from
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f56468e4-c85e446b-bc71-0547d4639448%40sessionmgr4005&vid=2&hid=4111
Nguyen, T. T., & Hawkins, S. S. (2013, Jul). Current state of US breastfeeding laws. Maternal &
Children Nutrition, 9(3), 350-358. Retrieved from
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=4363341a-cc4242f1-a75a-

BREASTFEEDING: SHOULD WE BE ASHAMED

083f8f021c60%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d
#db=a9h&AN=88058397
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014, June 11). Breastfeeding State Laws.
Retrieved from National Conference of State Legislature:
http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx
West Virginia University. (2014, October 27). Breastfeeding In Public Fact Sheet. Retrieved
from WVU Advance:
http://advance.wvu.edu/faculty_equity_initiatives/lactation_networks/breastfeeding-inpublic-fact-sheet