It has become clear that sexualization of the breast, and its relentless portrayal as an exclusively sexual part in the media, creates issues when women try to defy the stereotype and use their breasts for something other than wet t-shirt contests and beer ads.

     We end up with comments about nursing and nursing in public being "disgusting" or "perverted". We end up with people who assign sexual attributes to an activity that is not sexual. We end up with moms who feel shamed for the mere thought of breastfeeding in front of other people. In some cases, we even end up with moms who won't nurse even in front of their own husband, or worse, we end up degrading the act of feeding our infant from a normal biological process to an act of consumerism, abandoning breastfeeding altogether.

      I know there are those who prefer to make efforts to change the perceptions of those who are opposed to NIP (nursing in public), in order to make it less difficult and stressful for moms to do so. I will leave that up to those with more patience than myself. Realistically, there are just those who will not change their minds no matter what. I'm not concerned with them other than communicating to nursing moms how to deal with their disapproval.

 What I want to do here is to empower moms to NIP without fear or embarrassment in spite of the potential for disapproval. We can't wait for the opposition to come around. 

     In rejecting the inappropriate sense of shame induced by a culture that eroticizes breasts, we will bring nursing back to the normal everyday, everywhere parenting activity it is, allow more babies the gift of being breastfed, and give upcoming generations the opportunity to adopt a new healthier view of breastfeeding.                                                

              The immediate sources of anti NIP pressure and disapproval, while sharing a common root cause, are as varied as the situations moms find themselves in with their babies.

     Some mothers find disapproval within their own homes or families, as family members unfamiliar with breastfeeding may find it difficult to make the distinction between maternal intimacy and sexual intimacy and discourage new moms from being seen nursing.

     Others are well supported at home but dread the looks or comments of friends, acquaintances and strangers when they are out and about with their baby.

     Another source of anti-NIP pressure are feelings of shame and embarrassment generated when a mother internalizes negative cultural messages about breastfeeding, breasts, sexuality or women in general. Our culture gives women the message (both overtly and subtly) that her breasts are sexual and that breastfeeding is therefore sexual in nature and should be private, and so some mothers may feel very hesitant to nurse when not at home. One result of shame and embarrassment can be moms who feel as though they are too shy or modest to nurse in public.

            When a new mother brings her baby home one of the first things she realizes is that babies nurse a lot. A whole lot. Once they are settled in as a nursing couple, it would be logistically unreasonable as well as psychologically undesirable to try to nurse only at home. Social support, whether it be from family members or friends or nursing support groups, is very important for mothers of infants. Isolation from that support can result in a less positive mental state for the mother, making it more difficult to deal with the everyday stress of caring for an infant. Getting out and connecting with her circle of support is very important especially when a woman may be dealing with "baby blues" or even post-partum depression. Both can be made more acute by isolation and lack of support.                      

     Pressure not to nurse outside the home isn't just about who might see what, it has implications for the health of both mother and child. It also creates artificial limits on what should and can be a simple, convenient process that affords a new mom the freedom she needs to maintain important social ties.

     Some moms who are reluctant to nurse in public may try to make it back home before baby needs to nurse. Breastfeeding experts as well as major health organizations recommend feeding infants on cue, in order to support healthy milk supply and assure the baby gets the nutrition they need. Trying to schedule nursing around errands or social events disrupts a moms ability to nurse on cue. Scheduled nursing is associated with loss of milk supply and eventual failure of the nursing relationship. In addition to putting milk supply at risk, scheduling nursing sessions to avoid public breastfeeding  also strictly limits a mothers opportunity to socialize or even complete simple errands.

       Other moms turn to formula to feed their baby while out. While this may seem like a simple and easy solution, it too has drawbacks most people are unaware of that can disrupt the breastfeeding relationship. It can reduce the mother's milk supply and lead to intestinal troubles and allergy problems for the baby. It can lead to nipple preference which can cause the baby to latch poorly or refuse the breast. In addition, a woman may experience painful engorgement if she gives a bottle instead of nursing -  her breasts will have filled in expectation of nursing, and this, when she skips a feeding, may cause her to become painfully overfull and may result in a clogged duct or worse, mastitis.

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