Breastfeeding is natural and is a legal act in the United States. But where does one draw the line?
Today, I was one of several speakers invited by Mocha Moms to talk about some aspect of Education. Two speakers before me was a woman who talked about the advantage of homeschooling your child. As she spoke, she held her baby. A few minutes into her presentation, the baby became skirmish. The speaker informed the audience that her 18-month-old was hungry and proceeded to lift up her sweater, whip out her breast and start feeding the baby. The moderator offered to allow her to finish her speech a little later but she opted not to. She continued her presentation without skipping a beat.
While everyone tried to focus on what she was saying, it was rather difficult because of the breast-feeding, which was clearly a distraction.
One thing I have learned over the years as a Speaker is that your audience has expectations. They want to be taught, informed, educated, trained and even entertained. Today, I think we got more than we bargained for.
So what do you say? Was the speaker right or wrong in how she handled the incident?
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A child at 18 months should know that they can wait. And it’s not like they wouldn’t be capable of eating something or drinking from a cup or bottle. I think the speaker went too far. But then perhaps she was looking for a lasting impression… 🙂
Kathie M Thomas recently posted..The Importance of Networking
I guess my reaction would have been to just not make quite as much eye contact with her as I might have previously..while she’s breastfeeding. Seeing another women’s breasts can change the dynamics of the friendship or relationship whether you expect it to or not. Could be for the better or worse. I personally don’t have a problem with breastfeeding in public, just think it’s strange to do so during a conference/speech. To each her own.
Alicia
Alicia recently posted..Introducing the new ‘Magical Unicorn’ Pillow Pet and a Giveaway!
Her audience was Mocha Moms — she did know her audience, and I would assume of just about any audience they would be affirming of the ability to multitask in her calling as both a mother and an educator.
TulipGirl recently posted..Looking at the Heart
Of course, my experience has been with an organization that valued people as both parents and employees. My husband and I were flown in for a high-level meeting in Atlanta and I when I had a 6 week old. In spite of our best planning, the little one became quite fussy. The men in the room had no problem with my nursling latching on, while we continued the meeting.
TulipGirl recently posted..Looking at the Heart
I honestly think she went a little too far. I mean it would have been cool for her to have left the stage, handle her business, and then come back and finish her speech. I get that sometimes you have to do what you have to do when you’re breast feeding, but 18 months is a great time to start training your child…
Not knowing the audience I am not sure how to respond. Even though I am a huge advocate for breast feeding, I would have found this very distracting. Sometimes a babysitter is the best course of action. However, this may have been normal for Mocha Moms.
And a quick comment to TulipGirl: I think the men in the room may have been more disturbed than you knew, but were trying to be polite. Just a thought.