Essay Sample: Breast-feeding in Public Is a Sensitive Issue in Our Society Today

Breastfeeding in public has become an area of concern in the modern world. It is estimated that eight out of ten women will not breastfeed outside the privacy of their residential home (Leeming et al., 2013). Indeed, this is attributed to the social stigma that most women experienced when they nurse children in public. Activists are at the forefront to diversify social norms, embrace breastfeeding, and persuading different stakeholders to get on to disseminate positive reinforcement about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding should be socially accepted and widely adopted.

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First, exclusive breastfeeding is viewed as the best diet for all the newborns and infants. It ensures that lactating mothers can meet the babies milk demand at any place without hindrance. To achieve this, women have to be allowed to breastfeed in public since they cannot always be in hidden places while undergoing their daily chores. In detail, it will enable women to continue participating in the economic development of the nation while lactating. By denying them chance to breast anytime and anywhere, they will have to stay at home for a longer period that would not be beneficial for the society and the entire nation.

Besides babies need to feed frequently since the human milk has low-fat content as compared to other mammals who feed their young one at a short period. For a child get enough fat content, mothers should be allowed to breastfeed in any place. The society should not view this act as evil but as an important activity that gives a baby a chance to survive and be healthy. Besides, mothers who cover their breast while breastfeeding may develop complications. There are instances of mothers suffering from mastitis after awkward breastfeeding. Indeed, the benefits of breastfeeding are not only confined to children but also applicable mothers. The longer the woman spends breastfeeding, the greater the beneficial effects. Some of the benefits include decreased post-partum bleeding, rapid uterine involution, and regaining of pre-pregnancy weight. In addition, they have lowered the risk of ovarian cancer, reduced the risk of hip fractures, and increased child spacing. Breastfeeding is a human right; therefore, it is illegal to discriminate against women because of their sex including pregnancy and breastfeeding. Moreover, telling them to cover their breast is like marginalizing them. They should be allowed to breastfeed fully for the benefit of the society and the nation at large.

According to Morris et al. (2016), social acceptance breastfeeding is greatly influenced by cultural and religious factors. Moreover, presence or absence of legislation is factors that may have an impact on the issue. It is imperative for people to consider breastfeeding as a life-giving concept. Laws that legalize the activities should be adopted in various countries to give women easy time to breastfeed while undergoing their day-to-day operations (Morris et al. 2016).

To sum up, breastfeeding is an important activity that should not be prohibited in public. In fact, it should be socially accepted since it involves giving life to a young one. Babies need a lot of milk, yet this cannot be achieved while breasting in private only. Moreover, mothers milk has little fatty content which may not be enough for a baby if breastfed for a short interval. The act is beneficial for both the child and the mother; therefore, it should not be limited.

References

Leeming, D., Williamson, I., Lyttle, S., & Johnson, S. (2013). Socially sensitive lactation: Exploring the social context of breastfeeding. Psychology & Health, 28(4), 450-468.

Morris, C., Zarate de la Fuente, G. A., Williams, C. T., & Hirst, C. (2016). UK views toward breastfeeding in public. Journal of Human Lactation, 32(3), 472.