In the last week or so there have been some great examples of what it would mean if breastfeeding were considered normal behavior in our culture. They all happen to come from the U.K., but there have been similar stories here.
If breastfeeding were considered normal:
1) A picture of a toddler nursing her doll (on a poster meant to 'normalize' breastfeeding, no less) would be considered cute, not obscene.
2) A mother nursing her child at the pool wouldn't be ejected for violating the 'no food or drink' policy.
3) Breastmilk would seem at least as normal as cow's milk, and a story of a cancer patient drinking it wouldn't make national freak-show news. (By the way, if you watch the video, listen to Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, who is on the AAP Section on Breastfeeding, not the Good Morning America 'expert,' who doesn't appear to know much about this topic.)
Just this week several mothers told me that they're worried about getting harassed for nursing in public. Again, if breastfeeding were considered normal behavior, there wouldn't be any worry about that.
So, how do we get some of that normal?
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