How accommodating is U.S. society to women who choose to breastfeed their babies?
Although the act of breastfeeding is not “illegal,” women in various parts of the U.S. can be arrested for “public indecency” when breastfeeding their baby in public. As of November 2005, 12 states and Washington, DC had not enacted at least some kind of law regarding breastfeeding. The U.S. Healthy People 2010 target is to increase the proportion of mothers who choose to breastfeed their babies for at least six months to 50%; the World Health Organization recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first six months. However, these goals may be difficult to meet since some mothers in the U.S. face challenges to breastfeeding. Many women view their return to… Want to see the full article?