“I…don’t want to see you flashing your bits around”: Exhibitionism, othering and good motherhood in perceptions of public breastfeeding

Abstract

Stigma and concern about public breastfeeding have been identified as contributing towards low breastfeeding rates in high-income countries. Despite this, very little research has examined public perceptions of breastfeeding. Among existing studies, lack of familiarity with breastfeeding, sexist views and hyper-sexualisation of the breast were identified alongside discomfort at viewing breastfeeding by strangers. During 2014, in the United Kingdom (UK), several cases of women being criticised for breastfeeding in public appeared in national newspapers. A Critical Discourse Analysis approach was used to theoretically frame analysis of 884 naturally occurring comments relating to a protest supporting women's right to breastfeed in public from the UK's most popular online news site, Mail Online. Findings are discussed in relation to mothers' roles as citizens and sexual beings, with a particular focus on the visibility of breasts in public space. Women who breastfeed in public were viewed as unattractive, lazy, bad parents and lacking in self-respect. More specifically, women who breastfed in public were viewed as exhibitionist. This was contrasted with the desirability of breastfeeding within the home, which was seen as an appropriate way to feed an infant. The undesirability of public breastfeeding was inherently linked to sexuality, with breastfeeding women viewed as sexual aggressors ("flashers") or inviting sexual contact from men. It is argued that these views originate in unequal gender relationships in society and the framing of breasts as sexual rather than nurturing. These discourses are played out in public space in which mothers are marginalised in a heteronormative patriarchal society.

Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding on Instagram

“…New mothers also face challenges related to breastfeeding in public. Even though it is protected by law in many countries, some people remain uncomfortable with this practice (Grant, 2016;Sriraman & Kellams, 2016; and react with hostility or disapproval towards nursing mothers (Grant, 2016;Khoday & Srinivasan, 2013;Rollins et al, 2016). Instances of women being told to "cover up" or take their breastfeeding elsewhere are common and have garnered significant attention from the popular press (Dolski, 2016;Rumley, 2016;Snowdon, 2017).…”

“…Instances of women being told to "cover up" or take their breastfeeding elsewhere are common and have garnered significant attention from the popular press (Dolski, 2016;Rumley, 2016;Snowdon, 2017). As a result, many mothers feel hesitant to breastfeed in public (Grant, 2016), and this may negatively influence their decision to initiate or continue breastfeeding. In a UK survey of mothers' experiences and attitudes towards breastfeeding (A. , respondents agreed that increased education and promotion could help improve breastfeeding rates.…”

“…New mothers also face challenges related to breastfeeding in public. Even though it is protected by law in many countries, some people remain uncomfortable with this practice (Grant, ; Sriraman & Kellams, ; A. Brown, ) and react with hostility or disapproval towards nursing mothers (Grant, ; Khoday & Srinivasan, ; Rollins et al, ).…”

Print media representations of UK Accident and Emergency treatment targets: Winter 2014–2015

“…Within these types of papers, material is presented in emotive language and in easy‐to‐read formats (Rooney, ). They are commonly criticised as being unsophisticated, distasteful and intrusive and driven by an aggressive pursuit of profit (Bingham & Conboy, ), which may invoke strong negative reactions among readers (Grant, ). Politically, Tabloid Newspaper 2 and Tabloid Newspaper 1 tend to have a right‐learning with traditionally conservative values, whereas the Tabloid Newspaper 3 openly supports the Labour party, a nominally left‐of‐centre party.…”

Breastmilk as Agentic Matter and the Distributed Agencies of Infant Feeding

“…shown the disgust over breastmilk in the context of breastfeeding in public that has been expressed in reader-comments in the UKs most-read online newspaper, the tabloid The Mail Online (Grant 2016). Along similar lines Longhurst (2001), Grosz (1994) and Bartlett (2005) have argued that breastmilk is additionally problematic within misogynist cultures as it represents women's biological productivity.…”