Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Last week, a fascinating controversy erupted that is worth mulling over. According to an article in The Huffington Post, an American University professor, finding herself in a child-care jam because her baby was sick, took the baby to class, let the baby crawl around while she lectured, and then started breastfeeding when the baby got hungry. Evidently this act was hugely controversial.
Now we must admit that if there was a reasonable threat that the child was spreading disease, or if the professor was somehow unable to present the material because of the child, perhaps she should have made other arrangements. On the other hand, with regard to the latter concern, cancelling class would surely have disrupted presentation of the material more than lecturing with a fussy child. When one reviews internet comments on the incident, it becomes evident that many people have a visceral, negative reaction to what the professor did—despite the absence of any allegation that she failed to do her job adequately in teaching class that day. Apparently, many people take the view that her choice was per se unprofessional. The interesting question is, why?
Let me hazard a hypothesis: as a society, we are deeply uncomfortable with women in public. Hold on, you might say, what about feminism? What about the Nineteenth Amendment, what about civil rights law, etc.? I repeat my hypothesis, and now let me extend it: we have no problem with honorary men, i.e., pants-wearing persons with two X chromosomes, in public. What really bothers us is when a person with two X chromosomes engages in exclusively feminine activity like breastfeeding, while on the job—irrespective of whether the breastfeeding meaningfully disrupts what is going on in the workplace. In other words, we don’t like it when a woman combines traditional and modern roles.
If you are skeptical, let me offer some evidence. The two female politicians who received the most scathing criticism of late were Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Both combined traditional and modern roles—Hillary Clinton by touting her professional background as a prospective first lady, and then running for the senate after being first lady, and Sarah Palin by having a child in office. By contrast, female politicians appearing solely in their modern, professional capacity (Barbara Boxer, Michelle Bachman); or political wives whom we associate almost exclusively with a traditional role (Laura Bush, Michelle Obama), do not find themselves on the receiving end of anything close the same negative attention. Controversy also swirled around former Massachusetts Acting Governor Jane Swift when she had children in office.
My point is not to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin (personally I am not a fan of progressive politics, on the one hand, or reality TV, on the other). Nor am I trying to editorialize on a right to breastfeed in the workplace. I just find the visceral negative reaction fascinating. It could be that there is good reason for our discomfort with the combination of traditional and modern roles on the part of women. There is nothing illegitimate about concern for the needs of children. Most of people, however, generally consider it appropriate to leave judgments about the needs of children to the children’s parents. And frankly, the ire over the professor bringing her baby to class is absurd.
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Comments:
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Ah! I found it. The claim you had in mind was this one, Foxfier: "you note that a thread like this hardly ever gets ten comments in without someone suggesting that. (This one didn't.)"
I meant it as an impersonal "you". Sorry for the confusion.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Rachel Lu
Foxfier
Incidentally, I'm afraid you're mistaken in your claim --
Which claim?
Rachel Lu:
*SNIP*, because the people I know don't use the expression "flipping out a boob", or talk about the non-sexual nature of women's bodies, but they do sometimes volunteer the "why can't women just pump and be done with this" line, and you note that a thread like this hardly ever gets ten comments in without someone suggesting that.
***
It takes a sadly not rare enough sort of selfishness to conflate "showing basic consideration to others in regards to female exposure" with "keeping a two year old closeted at home." It's probably related to the mindset that thinks being asked to cover themselves in a public place, or use a quiet, comfortable changing room to nurse is some sort of incredible insult, or who those who nurse a child that would usually be on a bottle and should be perfectly able to snack on a banana or something in front of a large class they're being paid to teach.
May '11
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Yes.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Huh. Well, that was pointlessly hostile, in a thread where I clearly solicited your opinion in a friendly manner and did not endorse exhibitionism. Oh well, then. It's kind of fun, I guess, to play the role of the crazy free-love hippie person, for once! I've always been the prude who argues for modest bridesmaid dresses and PG movies, but reading all these grouchy comments, I'm starting to get the thrill of being scandalous! My body is beautiful! Conquer your fear of my glorious womanhood, America!
Maybe I could get into this exhibitionism thing.
Just a warning, though. Reading over the thread, I see nobody here wanting to "whip out their boobs" (again, something I would never, ever normally say), and a number of huffy assertions that women shouldn't breastfeed in public at all. I think your basic assumption (that nobody really has a problem with public breastfeeding, and it's just a reaction to La Leche extremists) just ain't true.
Jun '11
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Almost laughed my coffee out my nose.
Sep '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Mark Belling Fan: If a male professor stops in the middle of a lecture, tells the students to hold on for a second, leans forward, squints, and then blasts a massive fart, would you consider that professional?
But its natural! Just like breathing! · 19 hours ago
So; by your rationale: The totally natural act of ejaculation would be fair game in this scenario then?
Jun '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
I feel no offense and breastfeeding in public is not the issue that's fine in my book. What is of concern is the safety of the child, as wandering about the classroom could be dangerous and the childs mother is hugely distracted by teaching.
I also agree completely with others here who have said that an issue is the loss of focus that the students receive, and the distraction the baby presents to both the professor, and her student's acquisition of knowledge. It is rude and unfair to the students to have a baby/toddler present during a lecture with or without concurrent breastfeeding, and the students are being deprived of the best efforts of the professor during such a lecture. They are being treated unfairly.
Thus whether or not it is unprofessional is highly situation dependent. In some job situations it is unsafe, in others deprives the audience of what they paid for, a professor's full attention, but in many others, go ahead. it has nothing to do with women and/or their place in society
Jul '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Joseph Eagar
Why do some guys obsess over breasts so much? Males in my family tend to be attracted to motherly qualities as much as sexual ones. A lot of traditional male fantasies--like big breasts--actually turns us off, since sex goddesses strike us as failing in the mothering department.
I've always wondered if people like us are rare, or if perverted men are just louder and more obnoxious and get more of the attention. Although, this may be related to how some of us are bisexual, so I suppose maybe we are rare. Still, it's not bad to want a woman who will be a good mother. · 18 hours ago
Cracking a one-liner about breasts, given the question, can hardly be considered obsessing over them. Try some humor my friend. I'll bet you'll enjoy it.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
So, in addition to telling someone who only stopped feeding discretely in public a few months ago when her youngest weaned, who has offered first hand experience with the "flip out a boob" folks, multiple nursing consultants and the general public, you offer... hm, claims that it ain't so, get huffy that those you accuse of mental issues aren't up to your level of manners, continually conflate recognizing indiscretion with wanting to bannish it for pump or synthetic, and just say "nuh-uh" when folks point out that the "controversies" are almost always women behaving badly, or trying to get attention so they can throw a fit.
Oh, and never bothered to directly respond to what I said when it conflicted with your world-view, to the point of mischaracterizing the "usual" flow of these threads, even thought he topic hadn't even been raised.
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
I'm very late to this thread. Proud breastfeeding mama who prefers to feed in private. This is not always possible, as we all know. What I've found absolutely fascinating is that I've had far and away better experiences having to do this around conservative men than liberal folks. The difference is so dramatic as to stand out.
I was once in a high-powered meeting where I was the only female. We all had flights to catch and much to accomplish before then. My baby absolutely couldn't wait, as she was sick. They didn't bat an eye. And yes, these were men who were married to women who had been breastfeeders. They loved that I was balancing my various duties. And they were respectful and adult-like.
While my experiences with progressive friends at newspapers and such haven't been awful, they were just uncomfortable. Like, they'd never thought about breastfeeding and didn't know how to react. Or made too big of a deal about it. I couldn't help but think it was related to the fewer children in their lives. Or not knowing women who stay at home or nurse.
Dec '10
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
I don't have time to read all of the comments, but I encourage the author of this post and others to read the professor's blog post about this. You can't look at this situation in isolation from who she is and her reputation on campus. She is a raging feminist. Anyone who deals with these extremists on a campus knows what I'm talking about. They are notorious complainers and troublemakers. If you read her post you will understand why she has no support system to help her when her child is sick (her friend was going to charge her money!!). When you abandon the nuclear family and religious affiliation you don't have people to help you when your kid is sick! Additionally, academics in obscure fields like "feminist anthropology" often relocate away from family to find the relatively few jobs in their field. I guarantee the controversy has as much to do with her attitude and reputation as it does breastfeeding. My wife breastfeeds in public with a cover. No one cares. This woman was working and being paid by the students and she is probably not well liked. She was asking for trouble.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Well, Foxfier, I always hate to cause offense, but I really don't see any grounds for it here. I never denied your experiences with La Leche types, who may indeed be extreme in some of their views. I never denied that ultra-feminist "exhibitionists" do exist. I have only disagreed with you on two points: first, I have questioned whether such people arecommonin the world, and second, I have suggested that they are not the primary cause of American discomfort concerning breastfeeding.
Before I was a mother, I heard many people of my acquaintance express disgust when they saw breastfeeding mothers in public. Similar sentiments have been expressed on this thread. Knowledge that these people existed caused me serious grief when I was a new mother. I felt like I was carrying around a ticking time bomb that might put me in a socially awkward situation at any second. When I had to use public transportation (worst of all, a plane), I was terrified of sitting next to someone like Israel or Mark, who would think I was dirty or obscene if I needed to feed the baby. I've known other mothers who felt similarly.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Having two kids to deal with was kind of the breaking point: I realized that I couldn't let these people and all their varying opinions prevent us from living our lives. If there's a comfortable nursing room available when my baby gets hungry, I'll use it. If it's not 100 degrees outside, I'll use a blanket or coat for cover. But usually there isn't a nursing room, and my boys get overheated easily, so I'm not going to suffocate them just in case some squeamish person walks by. You seem to think there's a kind of "reasonable people consensus" on this issue, but I haven't found that to be the case. That's why a thread like this always runs to 150 comments.
But look, I already tried several times to level with you by honestly explaining my own struggles with this, and you threw that back in my face with acid accusations of oversensitivity and sensationalism. So, probably just as well to leave it here. Off to my topless mom rally!
Jul '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
I read her blog post too and the most glaring thing to me was, this woman has NO ONE to help her, she had a friend staying with her who was visting from Chile and she couldn't watch the baby for a couple of hours, or one of her colleagues who would be in their office. I'm a working mom with two small children, I didn't breastfeed but I've been in jams with sick babies before but I've been able to find someone to watch them. I think its very unprofessonal that she brought her baby to the lecture which is a huge distraction to the students and not to safe for the baby as she mentioned her student had to point out to her that her baby was trying to swollow a paper clip and crawling towards electrical outlets. I agree with Stephen this woman's post points out bigger problems in her life, as well as liberal culture, than breastfeeding.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Really? You seriously think that accusing people of mental issues is not grounds for offense? You think that claiming offense at every turn, while dismissing the offenses felt by others at exposed female breasts is not reason to be offended?
Clearly, I've been wasting my time.
Apr '12
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Oh, she's got insecurity issues, for sure.
But, it's the breastfeeding that made it a story.
Feb '11
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Wow, this is still going on... I think et equus est mortuus.
Feb '11
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Rachel Lu: .....Eventually someone gets around to comparing breastfeeding to something gross, like public urination (though the diarrhea and chamberpot comparison was the crudest I've seen), and a lot of people applaud (notice how that comment got nine "likes".)
.....
Again, you're missing the point. It's not that they think breastfeeding is disgusting. It's that they were challenging your justification for public breastfeeding as something that should be utterly uncontroversial, seemingly without regard to place or circumstances. You take this position because breastfeeding is mundane, unremarkable, and natural. The examples of defecating, urinating, and eating were brought up as common examples of mundane, unremarkable, and natural activities for which we have a common etiquette including restrictions on place and occasion; no one ever claimed they were the same in every way - only the ways you were relying upon to justify your position.
Feb '11
Re: Is It Unprofessional to Breastfeed at Work?
Rachel Lu
.....
Seems like a manufactured issue to me. Should you stop and gawk at a breastfeeding mother? No, of course not. Should you avert your eyes and hurry by? No, that would be equally silly. If you know her, can you say hello even though she's breastfeeding? Yes, and then of course you may look at her, though the primary focus of attention should be her face, .....
What's the super-awkward scenario you have in mind? I don't see much here.
Ok, but don't your additional demands that I know the woman and that my primary focus be on her face tell you something? Doesn't it imply that Richard Finlay may have a point? If I were to look at a person's sandwich or someone sitting on a park bench for a heartbeat too long, I doubt I'd get dirty looks or get instructed on manners and the propriety of looking at a woman's face rather than anywhere else about her. I don't have a particular scenario in mind, only that breasts can be a sensitive subject for both the looker and the lookee.