Mayim Bialik: Breastfeeding is not a sexual act

An article by Claire Jones-Hughes    No Comments

The actress Mayim Bialik has caught the attention of the Hollywood gossip press, defending her decision to feed her child in public - out of need! Best known for her role as Dr Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory (although for my generation, she is and always will be Blossom), talking to HuffPost Live she explains her views on public breastfeeding. She received a backlash for posting a photograph on her blog, feeding her son on the New York City subway in 2011.

‘I think everywhere you give a bottle, you breastfeed.’ she comfortably states. Going on to share her opinions on the American attitude towards breastfeeding and women’s anatomy. ‘Breastfeeding is not a sexual act, it’s an intimate act which can make some people feel uncomfortable.’ she eloquently declares.

Views which people hold in the U.K., as I experienced when I was bullied in a cafe for feeding my 4 month old and countless other stories shared with me still. We are ridiculously short on major public figures and celebrities such as Mayim Bialik endorsing breastfeeding, let alone public breastfeeding. Sadly, celebrities are shown to influence opinions on body image, fashion and sometimes lifestyle choices. Whether we like this or not, we have to accept that young mothers are likely to perceive their lifestyles as the norm.

Mayim Bialik is a well-known advocate of attachment parenting in the States, her book, “Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way” causing a stir on it’s release. She’s the media ‘go-to’ person for comment on attachment parenting issues, such as the controversial Mother’s Day Time Magazine cover of Jamie Lynne Grummet breastfeeding her 3 year old son. An image aimed at shocking people into looking inside the cover, maybe buying the magazine but had attachment parenting experts conflicted to that approach.

BrightonMums.com have decided to share a handful of positive public breastfeeding stories, demonstrating the wide network of people who support mother’s choices in this respect. Nancy Carter of Wildplay, writes how she feels we are fortunate in Brighton, many mothers can be seen out feeding, a sort of solidarity in numbers. Plus we share a number of stories from our community, which we hope will give confidence to breastfeeding mothers everywhere.

Take the survey! We want Brighton business and public services to know what is important to mothers breastfeeding while out and about AND who is getting it right.