Mom concerned about question

By Gillian Ramsel Stafford
Published: September 03, 2008

» 0 Comments | Post a Comment

As a breastfeeding mother of five children, I am very concerned about the Street Talk question on page A7 of the August 29-Sept. 4 edition. In this day and age, when so many benefits of breastfeeding are known, what would cause you to even ask this question?
Asking people “Do you think it’s OK for women to breastfeed their babies in public” is the equivalent of saying “Is it OK for you to eat in public!?” And don’t even suggest that we breastfeeding moms feed our babies while hidden in the restroom. Would you eat your dinner in a public restroom? There’s nothing shameful or offensive about breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is healthy, natural, and normal. It’s why God gave women breasts and mammary glands. To even suggest otherwise is ignorance on the part of your writer.

Editor’s note: The Sept. 4 edition of Street Talk posed a question regarding breastfeeding as a follow-up to a recent story about a breastfeeding walk held in downtown Fredericksburg. Proponents of the walk from The Rappahannock Chapter of La Leche League said the walk would educate people about breastfeeding and provide support to breastfeeding mothers. But not all people agree that breastfeeding in a public setting is ideal, and this makes it somewhat controversial. That’s why we placed the question in our Street Talk feature, in order to hear
what readers had to say on the subject. As always,
we’d like to hear your
views. Send them to info@staffordcountysun.com.