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Keauna Lenton
21 April 2016
English 102
Dr. Wynne
There have been many news stories about mothers who have been harassed for breast
feeding their children in public. Currently there is a law in the United States that exempts
breastfeeding mothers from nudity or public indecency laws. This law is called the
Breastfeeding Anti-Discrimination Act which was passed June 24th of 2014. Even though there
is a law that excludes breastfeeding mothers from receiving a ticket or fine for breastfeeding
their child in public; there is no law that protects these mothers from being harassed for
breastfeeding in public.
In June of 2016 a mother named Jessie Maher (pictured below) took a trip to a local
Target with her four-week-old daughter, Zinnia. Zinnia became restless in the stores caf area
because she was hungry. Jessie quickly plopped [herself] down and
started feeding her right away. While Jessie was feeding her daughter in
public, a man came up to her and yelled, cant you do that somewhere
else? Thats fucking disgustingYou are nasty. Jessie did not stop
The mans tone and comments did not stop; instead he proceeded to get louder, angrier
and more disrespectful. The man called Jessie a whore and continuously repeated that she was
disgusting. During this altercation, Target shoppers and staff members began to intervene by
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shielding Jessie from the man and telling him to leave her alone. In an interview given by
Today.com Jessie expressed her feelings of fear and confusion. She is a mother who was only
trying to calm and nourish her child through the natural process of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is a normal and healthy way for mothers to feed their infants.
Breastfeeding involves a mothers breast gland producing milk that contains proteins, sugar
enzymes and nutrients. These nutrients are given to the mothers infant through a process of the
infant latching onto the mothers nipple and the mother releasing her milk. The American
recommend breast feeding, due to the fact that the nutrients from the breast milk, stimulates
growth in the infant and helps fight off bacteria and viruses.
Breastfeeding has an array of benefits for the infant, however, there are benefits for the
breastfeeding mother as well. While the mother is breastfeeding a hormone called oxytocin is
released. Oxytocin helps the mothers uterus return to normal size, reduced uterine bleeding after
birth and helps with pregnancy weight loss. Breastfeeding also lowers the mothers risk of breast
and ovarian cancer. Along with these health benefits breastfeeding has financial benefits for
mothers. When mothers breast feed, they do not have to measure and buy baby formula, warm
bottles or sterilize nipples. The breastfeeding mother not needing plastic substitutes for nutrients
she holds, allows for a bond between the mother and the infant.
Breastfeeding allows for an emotional bond between a mother and her infant. The
closeness the breastfeeding mother has with her baby by holding the infant in their arms while
giving them nutrients from her body offers an emotional bond that is essential for the
development of the infant. These psychological benefits from the physical closeness involves
emotional development and stability that will help the infant mentally develop properly.
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The process of breastfeeding in public is not disgusting and it does make the
breastfeeding mother a whore. However, men are constantly harassing women in public for
breastfeeding their child. Therefore, the Breastfeeding Anti-Harassment Law should be made.
This Law should be implemented because of harassment against breastfeeding women in public.
This law will protect breastfeeding women from public ridicule and harassment. The harassment
occurs when the mother is subject to unwelcomed and offensive treatment based upon her
preference to feed her child in public. Those who violate the womans right to breastfeed in
public through any type of discrimination and sexual harassment will be subject to a fine and or
Works Cited
"Breastfeeding." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 21 Apr.
2017.
Peters, Terri. "Watch Strangers Stand up for Mom Bullied for Breastfeeding at Target."