Annotated Bibliography: Breastfeeding in public
Maria Brozek
University of Texas at El Paso
Kedrowski, K. M., & Lipscomb, M. E,, (2008). Breastfeeding in the Public Eye: Public Opinion
and Media Coverage. In J. Baer (Ed.), Breastfeeding Rights in the United States (pp. 3562). Westport, CT: Praeger.
In chapter 3 of Breastfeeding Rights in the United States, Kedrowski and Lipscomb try
to reveal how Americans truly feel about the issue breastfeeding in public. In addition to
the inclusion of their own studies that of which they held, they also mention other well
respected colleagues and doctors and include the use of visuals for the reader to better
understand these findings. All the studies held asked different questions but still remained
on the same topic, how do you feel about a mother nursing in public? One study was
executed in Rock Hill, South Carolina showing how demographics, education, and social
standing can all play a part on whether a mother chooses to breastfeed and how socially
acceptable it is. The results found that women of Caucasian descent, who were higher
educated with at least a bachelors degree and made at least $40,000 a year seemed to be
more socially acceptable and more likely to breastfeed in public.
This specific study can be useful to show, that although it is done in a community with a
population of 57,000 residents, it is a representation on how the rest of the country may
feel towards breastfeeding in public. The groups polled can give an insight to how a more
educated individual may be more socially acceptable on the issue than one who may have
limited knowledge on the benefits for mother and child, and the laws in their district.
For the reflection of this chapter, it gives a starting point to uncovering deeper details on
the heated topic, breastfeeding in public.
Kornblut, E. A, (2011, February 18). Michelle Obamas remarks on breast-feeding draw
criticism from Palin, Bachmann. The Washington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021805522.ht
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It started as an ordinary discussion between the first lady Michelle Obama and reporters.
She was issuing the importance on healthy living for children by reducing childhood
obesity, and reiterating what her husband President Obamas new IRS policy, to give
breastfeeding mothers a tax break on breast pumps since they are now seen as a medical
item. When starting to talk about the topic of breastfeeding she said, kids who are
breastfed have a lower tendency to be obese. With these words, she had opened a door
for the opposing party to slander her and making her a target. Now being labeled as
Mom in chief, republicans such as Palin, and Bachmann are worried that we will
become a nanny state. Bachmann stated To think that the government has to go out
and buy my breast pumpYou want to talk about nanny state, I think we just got a new
definition. Sarah Palin also had no problem voicing her opinion on the new tax policy,
jokingly saying, No wonder Michelle Obama is telling people to breast-feed their
babiesyeah, you better, because the price of milk is so high right now.
Since this article was published by the Washington Post which is one of the most widely
circulated newspapers in America, it is easy to asses that this is a credible and reliable
source. With some of the most powerful people in our country bickering back and forth
whether breastfeeding is acceptable and can be given a tax break or not, the public can
get mixed perceptions on whether they are doing right by breastfeeding. This shows us
that media can play a huge role into how a person can come to decisions, by what the rest
of America is saying.
Reflecting on how both parties republican and democrat can go so easily in stating their
opinions, its interesting to investigate if the public will make up their mind to breastfeed
according to which party they are a part of.
Trocola, G. M, (2005, November-December). Citing Websites. In Breastfeeding in Public, NEW
BEGINNINGS, Retrieved March 10, 2015, from
http://www.llli.org/nb/nbnovdec05p238.html
The author Trocola of breastfeeding in public for the website La Leche League has a
pro stance attitude for breastfeeding specifically breastfeeding in public. She goes on to
talk about how difficult it can be for new mothers and babies to adjust to making a new
life together. For some of the mothers who stick with breastfeeding, they can still feel
awkward and embarrassed about breastfeeding in public. However, she gives readers a
few options on how to go about breastfeeding in public and dealing with people who may
be close minded about it. From a womens clothing choices such as listing what is
available for women, Many companies sell stylish nursing bras, shirts, tank tops, and
dresses with concealed openings for breastfeeding. To listing points on how to respond
to someone if they make rude comments or make it even more awkward for the mother
these are, Ignore, inform, humor, acknowledge and empathize. These are the steps they
tell you to keep in mind.
This specific text is very credible because it comes from a reliable source, La Leche
League. Taken from their website, Our Mission is to help mothers worldwide to
breastfeed through mother-to-mother support. The organization is biased because they
cater more to women who are breastfeeding or thinking about breastfeeding their infant.
Compared to other sources, there is not one that is quite as understanding in the struggles
breastfeeding mothers face.
Breastfeeding in public, New Beginnings can be used in the future in looking at all the
ways mothers have to overcome when deciding to breastfeed in public. This source
shapes the pro-breastfeeding side of my argument for my future research projects.
Hausman, Bernice. L, (2007). Things (Not) to Do with Breasts in Public: Maternal Embodiment
and the Biocultural Politics of Infant Feeding. New Literary History, 38(3), 479-504.
Hausman takes an interesting approach when talking about breastfeeding in public. She
explains to us the mixed messages Americans are receiving about breastfeeding. It has
been a proven fact that breastfeeding has substantially more nutrients than formula and
therefore is better for the baby. We live in such a modernized world with so many gadgets
available for breastfeeding mothers that it still shocks many people to see women
breastfeeding their babies in public without any of those gadgets. She describes that the
main problem our nation has is knowing to separate, maternal responsibility and
sexuality (pg. 482). Her four main points that states are, the physical difficulties of
breastfeeding, whether breastfeeding in public is appropriate, how much breastfeeding
contributes to health, or whether breastfeeding necessitates a technological apparatus to
insure success.
Hausmans piece on breastfeeding can be useful to assess why the, the abandonment of
breastfeeding in the first six months is the response of the majority of American women,
or that a major public health campaign to promote breastfeeding would resort to images
of dandelions rather than breasts to get its point across. The conflicting messages that
the breastfeeding discourse community receives from outside sources can be difficult to
overcome for some.
Reflecting on how I will use this in the future, this article can be a good resource to have
to look for additional details on why people oppose breastfeeding in public.
Springen, Karen, (June 11, 2007). Indecent Exposure? Newsweek, 149(24).
This article starts off with what Gawker.com called a momtroversy. One of
Hollywoods most famous actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal was caught breastfeeding her
daughter in a public park and had a photo taken of her.
The photo is now on a "nude" Web site. Springen also shares statistics that seem to
clash. A poll taken states that, While two out of three Americans think breastfeeding is
the best way to feed a baby, a quarter say they feel uncomfortable seeing women do it.
Even though it is a proven fact that breastfeeding is indeed better than formula, some
women still opt out after only a few months of attempting to breastfeed.
This article seems to be very credible because it had appeared on Newsweek, which is
one of Americas top magazines. The biased nature of this article seems to be nonexistent,
Springen does an excellent job in keeping this article informative about all the reasons
why women dont breastfeed.
With Springens multiple statistics on both topics on why women choose breastfeeding
over formula and also how many women start to breastfeed and soon stop a few months
later.
Morton, C. (2011, December 1). When Bare Breasts Are a Threat: The Production of
Bodies/Spaces in Law. Canadian Journal of Women & the Law, 23, 600-626.
This article argues whether women should be charged for breastfeeding in public as some
people deem it as an indecent act. Morton expresses that even though she
acknowledges the fact that a womens breasts are made to feed infants, she has a hard
time separating it from their sexual implication they have been given by mainstream
media. She touches on a demonstration that was held in 1991 by Gwen Jacob, where she
walked down a street bare breasted in protest of the unjust laws of the time for
breastfeeding mothers in public. Morton further explains that while Jacob was being
arrested, the police walked by a few shirtless men, obviously their chests being exposed.
Her reasoning on why the law differentiates exposed men from exposed women comes
down to one word, consent.
Mortons article is indeed credible as most of her information has been cited from another
scholarly article by Judith Butler, Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of
Sex, and Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space. Taking these two texts and
summarizing them as well as inputting her own personal opinions give this piece a wellrounded argument.
Reflecting on how this can be used for future references, I found this article to be very
informative, especially on Mortons idea on why women and men are seen differently.
When reading her theory it gives you a different way on looking at why society perceives
breastfeeding as wrong.
Williams, B. (2012, May 11). Dear TIME Magazine: I Am Mom Enough, Thank You Very
Much. Mommyish. Retrieved from http://www.mommyish.com/2012/05/11/time
magazine-breastfeeding-cover-are-you-mom-enough-450/3/
This article takes a pro-stance with Time Magazines article, Are you mom enough.
Williams is an attachment parent advocate as well as a participant. She wonders why
society deems her as someone with mental issues just because she chooses to prolong
breastfeeding her child well into toddlerhood. Why is it inconceivable that a
woman can be fulfilled by being just a mom? If a woman feels fulfilled by wearing her
child, feeding on demand, making homemade lentil soup, and spending her days in nonstop contact with her offspring She does not look down on the women who choose to go
out into the workforce and do not follow Dr. Searss guides to attachment parenting. She
just expresses why there cant be acceptance to both. Giving high applause to Time
Magazine for making the issue of breastfeeding and providing an outlet for female
empowerment.
In assessing this article, Williams is very biased in her opinion, understandably because
she herself follows attachment parenting. There is absolutely no credibility in her article
that is taken from, mommyish.com a website solely aimed towards women who are
mothers, future mothers and everything in between.
This article takes an interesting approach on the support in regards towards, are you
mom enough? and lets the reader understand the women who were in favor of the article
written by Time Magazine as well as women who support attachment parenting such as
breastfeeding.
Belkin, Lisa. No. I Am Not Mom Enough. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-belkin/no-i-am-not-mom-enough_b_1507550.html
The article labeled, No. I Am Not Mom Enough. takes a negative reaction in response
to Time Magazines article, Are you mom enough? Belkin illustrates that the cover of
with the, the willowy bombshell of a mother, staring defiantly at the camera, while her
3-year-old son stands on a chair next to her, the better to suckle at her exposed breast is
nothing more than a ploy for the magazine to sell more copies. She goes on to, shame
the company for creating and posting such a controversial picture as the cover. Long term
breastfeeding, otherwise known as a part of, attachment parenting continues to be a sort
of taboo or stigma in todays society.
This article does not seem to be credible at all, as it comes from Belkins own biased
opinion. Although Huffington post may be a popular online news source, it is mainly
consistent of mainstream news articles and poses itself to be a more formal version of a
blog.
No. I Am Not Mom Enough can be used in reference to better understanding the
opposition of attachment parenting, long term breastfeeding and as well as long term
breastfeeding in public, since this article has been seen nationwide.
