Even though the primary function of breasts is to feed an infant, why are we scandalised when we see a human mammal (read: woman) do exactly that? When model Lisa Haydon shared an image of herself breastfeeding her son Zack, in time for the Breastfeeding Awareness Week, her followers applauded her for such a brave picture.
Needless to say, trolls weren’t happy. From accusing her to using such a picture to gain more followers, to calling her shameless, they did everything possible to insult her. But what made these trolls so angry? Answer: The difficulty of removing the sexualised image of breasts from their minds.
Author Meghna Pant, who gave birth to a baby girl last week, says India is ailed with the disease of hyper-sexualising breasts. “Films and advertisements promote breasts as titillating mechanisms more than they are. Breastfeeding is a beautiful natural bond between a mother and her baby,” she says.
As far as the issue of breastfeeding in public goes, many mothers will narrate stories of how they have faced innumerable issues doing the same. Media professional Simone Pires says, “Airports have breastfeeding areas, but one has to hunt for them,” she says. Recalling a personal incident, the mother of one talks about how she is expected to cover up when she is around company. “I remember this one time when my mother-in-law had her friend over and my baby wouldn’t stop crying. So I had to feed her and didn’t think it was necessary to cover up. Once she left, my mother-in-law chastised me for having not done so. But really, why was it expected of me to cover up when all I am doing is feeding my baby!” she says.
Simone adds that public breastfeeding comes with its own set of complications. “It is perennially so hot here and I am expected to cover up with a shawl. Not only it is uncomfortable for me but also for my baby.” She also adds that breastfeeding is the easiest way to feed a baby. “A baby needs to be fed every two hours. If I am travelling and resorting to formula milk, I need to lug around a thermos because it requires warm water, and once made, it needs to be disposed off within an hour. Breastfeeding is the easiest way to feed my child.”
Shaili Chopra of SheThePeople believes there is nothing “intimate” about breastfeeding. “It is a natural phenomenon,” she states. She adds that there have been several times that she wished she could just breastfeed anywhere. “Breastfeeding is not easy. And if someone is attempting to create awareness about it, we shouldn’t shy away from accepting it,” she says. It is interesting to note that not all mothers here averse to public breastfeeding.
Shaili Chopra, Shethepeople
Adhunika Prakash, who handles the Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers, a Facebook support group of 50,000 members, says, “Women from the underprivileged section don’t care much because they rarely enjoy the luxury of privacy. I have breastfed everywhere without feeling conscious or covering up. And I was never asked to cover up, except this one time when I was at a high profile restaurant,” she recalls. “The educated class is where the stigma is attached,” she adds.
