This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sheeshka, J. Articles by Kuczynski, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sheeshka, J. Articles by Kuczynski, L. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Breast Feeding Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Women’s Experiences Breastfeeding in Public Places

Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

Beth Potter, MSc

University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario

Emilie Norrie, BASc

Ruta Valaitis, RN, MHSc

School of Nursing at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario; Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Ontario

Gerald Adams, PhD

Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph, Ontario

Leon Kuczynski, PhD

Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph

This two-part field study compared researchers’ recorded observations to mothers’ perceptions of attention they received while publicly breastfeeding. In part 1, four breastfeeding and four bottle-feeding mothers each made eight restaurant visits. On average, there were more neutral looks from customers (P = .01) during breastfeeding visits, but no differences in the amount of overtly negative or positive attention given during breastfeeding versus bottle feeding. In part 2, four breastfeeding mothers made a total of 24 visits to shopping malls. There were more neutral looks given while mothers were breastfeeding and more smiles and comments while they were not feeding, but no difference in total amount of attention received. Breastfeeding mothers acknowledged they had anticipated some undesirable attention but instead received little attention. Nevertheless, they felt "vulnerable" nursing in public. Certain proactive behaviors and personal attributes as well as support from otherwomen enabled them to breastfeed successfully in public.

Key Words: breastfeeding • field study • observational study

Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 17, No. 1, 31-38 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/089033440101700107


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Li, S. B. Fein, J. Chen, and L. M. Grummer-Strawn Why Mothers Stop Breastfeeding: Mothers' Self-reported Reasons for Stopping During the First Year Pediatrics, October 1, 2008; 122(Supplement_2): S69 - S76. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Dykes, V. H. Moran, S. Burt, and J. Edwards Adolescent Mothers and Breastfeeding: Experiences and Support Needs--An Exploratory Study J Hum Lact, November 1, 2003; 19(4): 391 - 401. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. A. Scott and T. Mostyn Women's Experiences of Breastfeeding in a Bottle-Feeding Culture J Hum Lact, August 1, 2003; 19(3): 270 - 277. [Abstract] [PDF]