Fear Of Breastfeeding In Public

Breastfeeding has been part of the instinctive nature of a new mother since the age of time. As society revolutionized, breastfeeding has became branded as an outmoded means of nourishment, especially when breastfeeding is being done in public areas. Due to lack of education and the need to be socially accepted, mothers have begun to neglect this practice. When mothers choose to breastfeed, they are taking the first step to ensuring their baby’s future in terms of health. However, under the gaze of disapproving eyes, women have decided to stop breastfeeding altogether.
Atkin (2013) suggested that along with the stress of having a baby comes the responsibility of choosing whether to breastfeed or formula feed. This decision is greatly influenced by the fear of breastfeeding in public. The definition of …show more content…
The participants also expressed that if more breastfeeding facilities were available, women would not feel ashamed of breastfeeding in public. In addition, “participants were quick to point out that designated breastfeeding areas should only be for those that choose to feed in private, but women should be able to feed wherever they choose” (Marsden and Abayomi, 2012). Overall, the results of this study concluded that most employees feel that breastfeeding should be publicly accepted, and think that women should be able to openly breastfeed whenever and wherever they choose.Nurses can help normalize breastfeeding through educational resources in a variety of areas. Along with patient teaching and offering classes in the hospital setting for new mothers, nurses can participate in sex education presentations to teach school-age children what breastfeeding is, create support groups for breastfeeding mothers, and help inform local businesses and its patrons about public breastfeeding. In doing so, audiences of all ages would understand the importance of breastfeeding. Through these interventions,