Today, someone random stranger told another breastfeeding mother that she was wasting her time with the whole breastfeeding and breastfeeding in public battle. We had already won, he said, since it is protected by law, and there are people getting massacred out there and other atrocities that need our attention. In my opinion, no, we have not won. Women and babies are being harassed constantly. Every.Single.Day. Despite the protection the law provides, women are being kicked out of restaurants, pools, church, courtrooms, government buildings, museums, off buses, out of toddler gym class, gymnastics, and even out of water parks, being asked to move or stop what they are doing. Celebrities tweet about breastfeeding mothers like they are doing something wrong. They are even fired from their jobs. They are being threatened to be kicked out on the streets.  This is no joke.

The recent offenders, the companies and celebrities who publicly shamed and harassed nursing mothers: Target, Legoland, Facebook, Funny or Die, Old Navy, Urban Planet, Disneyland, Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, Walmart,Chickfila (Warrenton, Virginia), H&M, the Vancouver Sun, Citizens’ Advice Bureau at Oldham council, Old Country Buffet, McDonalds, Starbucks, YMCA, Delta, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Fort Rapids Indoor Water Park, Discover Gymnastics, Kim Kardashian, Sarah Palin, Kasey Kahne

And because of this public shaming and fear of going into public with a nursing child, as well as many other factors, our nation’s breastfeeding rates are severely low. Yes, there are other things that need fixing in this world but people need to put their minds where they’re motivated. Helping life, helping mothers feed their babies is a good cause too.

The Facts on Moms & Breast-Feeding (Infographic) – Live Science

“56% of children from 79 countries surveyed by UNICEF are still being breast-fed at two years.” Will the US ever get there? What needs to change?

There are so many factors driving our low breastfeeding rates. Here is a good read about the importance of societal support and social networking:

“Breast” Behavior: A Q&A with Katie Hinde | World in Mind | Big Think

‎”So what we as a society need to do is to make sure that all the people around mothers get the same message about how important breastfeeding is. Let’s face it; every Mom is doing the best she can on any given day. And my hope is that we can remove all the challenges and barriers that make breastfeeding so difficult for Moms, so everyone can have as many best days as they can.”

Related Posts:

• Breastfeeding At The Beach
• Nursing Positions Chart
• Read it: Every argument against NIP debunked
• Breastfeeding In the Military

Did you ever wonder what’s in breastmilk, compared to formula? This poster answers that question in a very dramatic way. (You can read it through on-line, but if you want to print it out you will need to print it in the full 22″ X 72″ format.) Instructions for this poster are here and there is also a document of references which support the information in the poster.