Breastfeeding in public?

Lately I have seen this little gem floating around Facebook:


and I kinda wanted to express my feelings about it. As a mother who breastfeeds I TOTALLY understand the need to feed a hungry baby at the drop of a hat. I have had to feed Ava during a lunch date at Chili's with my girlfriends, during a dinner date with the hubby, during 3 separate movies at a theater, during game night with friends, and I even had to leave my entire full cart of groceries at customer service while I went to the bathroom and fed her. The one thing I always did though was cover up.

I completely believe that women have the right to breastfeed their babies in public. Babies need to eat just as much as adults, but I don't agree with being completely shameless and whipping out your boob at a restaurant or any public place for that matter, and exposing yourself too much, and exposing others to your bare breasts. Something not everyone wants to see. My friend Brittany bought me this awesome Udder Cover so that I could breastfeed in public without being indecent. I use it everywhere, and it makes me feel much more comfortable about having breastfeed in public. It has a little tie that loosens and and tightens, and has a band up top that allows you to see in and see your baby while he/she is eating.

So if these are available to people, why then are some mothers throwing a huge fit about it being unacceptable to pull out your bare breast in public? It so easy to put on and gives you privacy, and is respectful to others as well.

The LDS religion so highly stresses modesty and keeping your body a sacred protected place only to share with your spouse after marriage, yet this photo I am referring to was actually reposted by an LDS woman I know on Facebook. I guess I don't quite understand why people find this ok, yet can also believe in modesty and preserving those sacred parts for only your spouse.

To be honest, I think its more of a feminist outlook of equality, that women should be able to breastfeed in public uncovered because its "natural". There are a lot of things that are natural in life. Burping, farting, sneezing, but we don't do those purposefully in public, and if we do we make sure to excuse ourselves because it is rude and inconsiderate to others around us. Even having sex is natural, but we don't do that in public... I think some people consider it intolerant if we don't just accept someones lifestyle and person choices, even if they are being pushed upon us with no choice in the matter. Consider this: lets say you were on a bus filled with people, with your husband and your teenage son, and your 6 year old daughter, then an attractive woman across from you who has a baby, pulls down her shirt, pulls out her boob, and adjusts her baby to eat from it. All right in front of all of you with no decency to cover herself. Would that concern you? I know I would be concerned with my husband seeing another woman's breast, my teenage son, who regardless of whether the woman is attractive or not, cannot control his hormones and is exposed to thoughts he may otherwise not have had, and my young daughter, who's innocence has been compromised by another person. And yes the human body is natural and yes at some point they will need to learn about it, but they can learn about it from me, not by being subjected to it without my consent.

I guess what I'm saying here is that I think woman should have more pride in themselves and more respect for themselves, their spouse/significant other, and for others around them by simply covering up their private parts in public. Breastfeeding is fine by me, just have some respect. Don't be inconsiderate of others and make others uncomfortable.

I kind of want to know what others think about this issue! What do you think about breastfeeding uncovered in public? Let me know!