If you want to polarize a room when mommy talk is on the table, mention breastfeeding in public. Some people can’t help reeling back in disgust at the thought of it, while others could care less. It’s a complicated issue that undoubtedly weighs on the minds of any expecting mother; if my child is hungry, what choice do I have? If I do breastfeed my child in public, am I going to be harassed, stared at, or taken advantage of by some aspiring Youtube filmmaker holding his Android phone out to video record it? Or is there truly something to be said for the sakes of others who don’t care to see breastfeeding in public?
Mothers who choose to breastfeed their infant will have to decide for themselves whether or not it’s appropriate. But no matter what new mothers decide, they should know that the law takes the right to breastfeed in public very seriously.
45 states including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws that explicitly protect a woman’s right to breastfeed in any location, public or private. 28 of these states also have measures that prevent breastfeeding women from being arrested for public indecency. 24 states have laws in place protecting the right to breastfeed in the workplace, while a provision in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama outlines specific federally-mandated laws regarding breastfeeding in the workplace.
Some states even take it to the next level, declaring that breastfeeding mothers have Constitutional protection to the point where asking someone to cease breastfeeding in public can result in being sued by that person. Vermont law, for example, includes a passage that states that a woman whose right to breastfeed has been violated by another person “may file a charge of discrimination with the human rights commission” – in other words, a woman who is told she can’t breastfeed in public in Vermont can legally seek damages.
Now that the laws are all out in the table, there’s something that should be said about the expectation of a public breastfeeding to be as unassuming and polite as possible. No laws, state or otherwise, currently restrict or otherwise regulate the right of a woman to breastfeed in public. However, that doesn’t mean that a woman who breastfeeds in public should proudly pull her breasts out for the whole world to see (not that she’d want to). But respecting those around you should still be a part of life no matter how well protected you are by the law.
That’s because no matter how much the law is on the side of those who wish to publicly breastfeed, there’s still an enormous part of the population that does not approve of public breastfeeding. To avoid an otherwise awkward situation, practice some politeness if you ever choose to breastfeed your child in public. Cover it up as much as you can and try and pick an out-of-the-way spot. But always know that no matter what, it’s your right and right of your child to breastfeed wherever you wish.
