Melvin's blog

Nshima & Curry

Melvin's  Blog

Nshima & Curry

PUBLIC BREAST-FEEDING: DON'T HATE IT, EMBRACE IT

At some point, it's going to happen. My 15-month-old
daughter, Divya, will grow up and relinquish her rights to
my wife's breasts. "It's all yours, Dad," she will say. "I'm
done."

Don't get me wrong: It's not like I'm eager or anything.
It's not like I'm putting up signs in our home that say,
"Cow's milk: It's udderly delicious." It's not like I'm
longing for the days when I could watch swimming on TV
without feeling nostalgic every time the announcer says,
"Coming up next: the breaststroke."

I really don't begrudge my daughter's breast attachment,
even if the word "monopoly" no longer makes me think of the
board game. I'm glad she's being breast-fed, I'm glad she's
enjoying it so much and I'm glad she's staying away from my
nipples. Yes, men do have nipples, the purpose of which was
unknown for thousands of years, until a group of college
students discovered, quite brilliantly, how easy it is to
hang rings from them.

If men produced milk, perhaps breast-feeding would be more
common, perhaps public breast-feeding would be widely
accepted. Just picture rap star 50 Cent on TV saying, "I
breast-feed everywhere I go: At the post office, in the
grocery store, even in the record studio. Nothing makes me
feel good like nursing my son, Dime."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women
breast-feed their babies for at least a year, though formula
can be introduced after the first six months and root beer
after the first six years.

About 70 percent of American women choose to breast-feed,
but more than two-thirds give up within six months,
according to the New York Times. That's partly because they
face various obstacles, not the least of which is the stigma
attached to public breast-feeding. Some people are
uncomfortable at the sight of a baby being breast-fed, the
same people who would simply turn their heads when they spot
two teen-agers going at it hot and heavy, locking their lips
and making more sucking sounds than the baby.

Some restaurants and other businesses even go to the extent
of asking breast-feeding moms to either shut the faucet off
or leave. "It's nothing against breast-feeding," Scotty
Stroup, a restaurant owner in Round Rock, Texas, told the
Times. "It's about exposing yourself for people who don't
want to see it." I'm not sure which breast-feeding moms he
has seen, but apparently one of them walked around the
restaurant with her breasts hanging out, offering to feed
everyone. "Come and get it. A shot of protein."

Truth is, most breast-feeding moms try to be discreet. My
wife always covers herself and turns away from people. She
doesn't want to put herself on display, doesn't want to hear
an announcement: "Attention shoppers. A woman is
breast-feeding in Aisle 5. Please do not run. There's plenty
of space around her."

I'm surprised more business owners don't welcome and
accommodate breast-feeding. The only restaurants that seem
to encourage breast-feeding are the ones that serve fried
chicken. Unfortunately my daughter, Divya, doesn't run after
those breasts.

If you own a restaurant, it may make sense to divide it into
two sections. When women arrive, ask them their preference:
"Breast-feeding or non-breast-feeding." When men arrive, ask
them their preference, too: "Mask or binoculars."

Send this column to a friend

                                             Don't forget to visit Melvin's funny blog!