Breastfeeding in public
This can result in nursing women avoiding spending time in public, carrying expressed breast milk with them, or using infant formula when away from home.
[2] Even though the practice may be legal or socially accepted, some mothers may nevertheless be reluctant to expose a breast in public to breastfeed[3][4] due to actual or potential objections by other people, negative comments, or harassment.
During a goodwill trip to the country, actress Salma Hayek breastfed on-camera a hungry week-old infant whose mother could not produce milk.
In some places, such as the capital Tehran, the municipality has set up private "mother and child" rooms for breastfeeding and diaper changing[18] to help boost the population.
[19] It is widely accepted for mothers to breastfeed in public in Malaysia with the expectation of breastfeeding modestly (covering the chest with a blanket or something of the sort).
After the first nine months, the employer is still required to assure conditions for breastfeeding are met (like timely breaks, nursing rooms, safe environment, etc.
[citation needed] In 2016, Member of Parliament Carolina Bescansa breastfed her son in the Congress of Deputies, receiving both praise and criticism for doing so.
is protected under the Equality Act 2010 which specifies that a business must not discriminate against a woman who is breastfeeding a child of any age in a public place.
[45] To combat these fears in Scotland, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation safeguarding the freedom of women to breastfeed in public in 2005.
[47][48] In 2014, during a ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus, Pope Francis voiced his support for mothers breastfeeding their children in public spaces, including churches.
Both British Columbia[51] and Ontario[52] have included protections against discrimination due to breastfeeding in their provincial Human Rights Codes.
YMCA CEO Jason Brown later apologized, stating "This situation has caused us to reflect and review, and certainly we see no reason why there should be a restriction to women breastfeed their babies in the adult-only change room.
In a survey of medical professionals published in 2012, including physicians, midwives, residents, and nursing students, only 57.8% felt that breastfeeding over 1 year of age was normal.
A United States House of Representatives appropriations bill (HR 2490) contained an amendment specifically permitting breastfeeding[62] and was signed into law on September 29, 1999.
These actions included viral videos of people harassing breastfeeding mothers in public, protests, and social media campaigns.
[66] As of July 2018, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands have passed legislation that explicitly allows women to breastfeed in public.
This act grants most nursing employees the right to reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space to express breast milk at work for up to one year after childbirth.
In March 2008, the Presiding Officers agreed to the recommendation and work commenced to provide facilities to assist breastfeeding mothers at Parliament House.
Article 9 of the Child and Adolescent Statute states that the government, institutions and employers must provide adequate conditions for breastfeeding.
[73] Some Brazilian states and municipalities have passed laws to ensure the right of mothers to breastfeed in public and private places.
In 2015, the governor of the state of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin sanctioned a law passed by the Legislative Assembly that punishes anyone who prevents a woman from breastfeeding with a fine of approximately R$ 510.00.
[74] In the same year, a law similar to that of São Paulo was sanctioned by the mayor of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes.
The law provides for fines of R$2,000 to R$10,000 for companies and employees who prevent mothers from breastfeeding their children in any public or private place.
[84][85][86] In 2006, the editors of U.S. Babytalk magazine received many complaints from readers after the cover of the August issue depicted a baby nursing at a bare breast.
"[60] In 2005, U.S. television presenter Barbara Walters remarked on her talk show The View that she felt uncomfortable sitting next to a breastfeeding mother during a flight.
She reported the harassment on Facebook, and in response a number of mothers organized public "nurse-ins" at Target stores across the United States in cities including Houston, Knoxville, and Decatur, Illinois.
UK politician and broadcaster Nigel Farage spoke out in support of the hotel's right to have such a policy[89] but the Prime Minister's office at 10 Downing Street said it was "totally unacceptable for any women to be made to feel uncomfortable when breastfeeding in public".
[citation needed] While the U.S. Air Force did not endorse the pictures, their commanding officer gave the women permission to be photographed in uniform while breastfeeding.
This action was described as hypocritical, since Facebook took several days to respond to calls to deactivate a paid advertisement for a dating service that used a photo of a topless model.
Founders of a Facebook group "Respect the Breast" reported that "women say they are tired of people lashing out at what is natural and what they believe is healthy for their children.
