-1
Ew, it’s a Breast
Modern times require many women to publicly display many facets of their lives, personally and
professionally. Professionally inclined women now live fast paced lives that include a new workforce companion:
children. These children are beginning to make their way into a new spaces not previously accept, including the
workplace, the lunchroom and other public arenas making many other people uncomfortable. Why are people
uncomfortable? This is due to many mother’s choices to publicly breastfeed, without taking others into
consideration.
Breastfeeding is a natural choice of child rearing and I am not undermining the practice, however I cannot
accept the view that breastfeeding publicly is necessary, especially with the new alternatives that are provided to
mothers today. These options that exist include breast pumping and feeding the child formula. Current policies
placed by state level government and federal government provide the mother rights to be able to provide her child
sustenance without penalty or persecution in her work environment. Many professional organizations and companies
applaud the practice of having children present and are willing to bend backwards to give the mother any
opportunity possible to allow a positive child rearing experience. One state actually mandates a break every four
hours for mothers who are breastfeeding, so they can breast pump.
A breast pump is a device that is used to aid in natural feeding methods for children and a great way to
allow a woman maintain her independence. If you have ever had an infant, you know they eat every few hours. The
pump is able to be carried along with the woman to work or any other activity she needs to complete. Only thing she
needs is time, which is granted by mandates from state governments. Another great advantage to this method is
health insurance companies usually cover the cost to purchase one. Breast pumping also allows the opportunity to
share the bonding experience of feeding the child with others who will share strong personal bonds to the child.
Another option I am strongly for is allowing working mothers longer breaks so they can privately feed their
child. When I say privately, I mean allowing use of an office or an uninterruptible spot for her to feed her child. The
only cost realistically to the company would be clearing out this space; but if it keeps complaints of other employees
to a minimum, it’s one worth having. Actions such as these also keep the organization or company within state