Saturday, September 22, 2007
When Nursing in Public Was Normal
This recent blog post "When Nursing in Public Was Normal" has some photographs of American women nursing in public in the 1930s and 40s. (Is the second one a Dorothea Lange? It sure looks like it). This blog post has another version of the 1943 photograph. I wonder how acceptable/visible nursing was during those decades. I know breastfeeding rates were quite low by mid-century. Are those pictures the rule or the exceptions? When did "covering up" become a social expectation? More questions than answers...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I guess I'm either lucky or blind, but I have nursed three babies in public for a grand total of 42 months and counting and have only received one comment (at Disneyland). Other than that my experience has been great, don't cover up either...although I am discreet. Breastfed today at a baseball game with just the baby and my t-shirt covering me. Nobody seemed to notice or care. Like I said, maybe I'm just lucky or blind. I think if we just keep on doing it we can change things. I often see a mom nursing in public and want to give them a big grin and thumbs up.(I wish I could figure out an appropriate way to say-"that's awesome, keep it up!")
ReplyDeleteThe bottom picture does look like the set done by Dorthea Lange --- the poor farm family (in the dust bowl...I do believe.) Although, I've never seen the breastfeeding picture. Usually you just see the one of the mother with her children. Nice image though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten any hassle from NIP either. I adopt a look of confidence and just go about whatever I'm doing. I saw some really cool "thank you for breastfeeding cards" somewhere but now I can't remember where!
ReplyDeleteHi Rixa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. In my article, I was very deliberate in saying breastfeeding "like this woman" because she was in a very busy public place with her entire breast exposed. With those variables, I stand by my assertion that one of the four things would more than likely happen. For example, if we dropped a modern mother in the place of the 40s mother, but put her in a busy airport with people around, I don't think strangers would be very accomodating. While I don't think this is the case in every instance, I believe it happens more than we care for it to.
By the way, yes, the second photo was taken by Lange. The first was taken by another excellent woman photographer, Esther Bubley.
I enjoy your blog very much and will be linking to it today.
You inspired me to write a post. This is not the first time ;)
ReplyDeleteLOVED IT!
The article was very good...read it today after posting my first comment. I think part of what's changed is people's tolerance for each other. In other times more people respected motherhood and family. Family is getting a whole new definition these days. I don't know any real answer, especially after reading all the horrendous comments left by one individual on that blog. If breastfeeding moms continue to support each other and form a community like on this blog, hopefully our voices can drown out the hateful minority.
ReplyDeleteYou all should check out House Fairy's post on this same topic at Breast & Belly. The link is under "my daily reads."
ReplyDelete