Socially Informative Essay: Breastfeeding In Public

Breastfeeding has been around for centuries, but has recently become a controversial topic. It has been considered immoral for a woman to breastfeed her child in public. Breastfeeding in public should be socially acceptable and continued to be protected by law. It is a natural action that is healthy for the child and the mother; it should also be socially acceptable because it is only considered immoral because of the constant sexualization of the woman’s body.

Breastfeeding was normal for women in the U.S. society until the 1940s. During this time, science edged its way into motherhood; upper class women started to give birth in hospitals and bottle feed their children (Ostle, Lily). Likewise, those women would spend time large amounts …show more content…
This way of feeding a baby is beneficial for the child as well as the mother. A child has less chance of getting infections or becoming sick when they are given breast milk. A mother’s milk naturally has hormones and nutritional values; although formulated milk provides these, they are not natural, and it is harder for a baby to digest than it is for breast milk ("Breastfeeding vs. Bottle-feeding."). Along with benefits for the baby, there are different health benefits for mothers; this includes protection from breast cancer, lower rates of osteoporosis, less of a chance for urinary tract infections, among others (Ostle, Lily).

A mother breastfeeding her child is considered immoral in public because of how society has sexualized women in a drastic way. Women who are breastfeeding do not intend to be sexual, but instead just want to be able to feed their child in the most natural way possible without having to be subjected to stay at home or go into a private area. The sexualization has thwarted the natural ability a mother may want to go through in the interest of ensuring her child’s