I was in town today and I spotted a woman trying to breastfeed her baby. I say ‘trying’ because she was not having much luck, what with her baby and most of her being covered by some weird feeding tent. I couldn’t see the baby, or her breast – that was the point of the tent I guess – but I could see her frustration and desperation to feed her baby. The ironic thing is that she was sitting outside an underwear shop where there was a huge picture of a woman in a bra.
I really wanted to go and sit next to her and feed my baby too or to chat about the local groups she could go to and feel comfortable feeding. I didn’t and now I wish I had. I hope she doesn’t give up feeding because she just felt so damn self-conscious.
The male gaze is everywhere and we are made to feel it upon us. Being a sexual object = ok, feeding baby = feel shameful and cover up unless you’re one of those crazy mums off that breastfeeding program!
1 comment:
Thank the Goddess for that crazy breastfeeding programme, right?
:-)
PS I just read Birth Without Violence - it made me think of that new / old post you wrote the other day... Very true.
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