Now that a whole new world awaits me (motherhood) I am more aware of things I never thought about. I've never thought about breast feeding before, duh, and so now whenever it comes up I listen extra hard. Over the last seven years of traveling or living in Guatemala I've probably learned the most about breast feeding and baby-having, since it's quite popular in these parts. In Guatemala breast feeding, either in public or wherever, is totally normal. Like, so normal you'd only really take note of it if you, say, came from a breast feeding phobic place like the US. In fact, just the other day on a main street in Antigua this lady was walking down the street breast feeding. I can't really explain it but it probably would have freaked out a lot of people if it weren't Guatemala.

Aaaaanyway, I'm not worried about BF'ing down here (except for being a gringa and just being stared at anyway) but I have been consciously reading about laws and ordinances back home just so I know what to expect once we are state-side. Generally speaking, women are "allowed" to breast feed in public in every state in the US. However, there are state and city rules, we'll call them rule-citos, that pose restrictions, or say that people/businesses can still ask you to cover up. Whatever, I don't fully understand the whole thing since every now and then in the news it will be reported that someone was asked to cover up on an airplane or something.

So today this came out. In Atlanta it is now illegal, yes illegal, to breastfeed a kid over 2 years old in public. Silly! I wish I was as eloquent as Jon Stewart to say something more than, this is stupid! But... This is stupid!

There are many arguments as to why this law is ridiculous. The law is supposed to address "nudity" but breastfeeding a 2 month old or a 2 year old seems like it would require the same amount of what-these-folks-call "nudity." Or whatever. Plus, BF'ing after 2 years is not super common in the US. I can't imagine what all this effort to pass a law like this is really for. This is really interesting - a daddy's blog about the law.

I don't know. I wasn't raised seeing any breast feeding. Like I said, everything I know about breastfeeding I learned from Guatemalan women - no rules, no laws, no taboos, just feedin' yer baby. But the US is pretty old school on this subject. While I realize I will have the right to breastfeed in Las Cruces, or anywhere else really for that matter, I worry about encountering people or places that might ask me to do my baby-feeding elsewhere. I should put city and state laws regarding the matter in my wallet, just in case. Yikes. I can't believe how political and controversial something so simple like breastfeeding is. Maybe I don't get what the hype is all about. This is one thing (one thing!) that Guatemala gets right!

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Oooh I found this: Breastfeeding laws by state (in case anyone was wondering!)