Breastfeeding

I just recently heard about Barbara Walters comments on the View about a woman breastfeeding on a plane she was on being discusting - apparently in response some local news person equated breastfeeding in public to public urination.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/jamieson/230375_robert28.html

I have pretty strong feelings about breastfeeding. Medical Science has proven beyond all doubt that breast is best. I think people should support breastfeeding in all forms. I breastfed my daughter Lucy to 15 months. I started weaning to cows milk at a year. I might have gone a tad bit longer (The American Pediatrics Association reccomends two years if possible) except I found out I was pregnant and was feeling really under the weather breastfeeding so I decided it was a good time to wean. I also had no plans to tandem nurse and I have read that if you continue to nurse to the time the new baby arrives it is very hard to wean a little one. I expect to do the same with our next child.

I personally try to be discreet when I breastfeed in public, by draping or wearing clothing designed with nursing in mind. I have come to appreciate stores like Nordstroms that have breastfeeding lounges. How nice is it for mothers to have a convenient and comfortable place to nurse at the mall. I, however, have no problem with women nursing in public without draping. The main reason is that having nursed a child, I understand a hungry baby is not prone to waiting, also if you don't start nursing when baby is hungry you tend to leak. People who are very upset by this confound me completely. Having lived outside the United States I can say we definitely are the exception to the rule. In other places it is no big deal to nurse in public. Avert your eyes if you have a problem. Is it that hard not to look? If the public at large is so squeamish about this, why not encourage airports and places of public accomodations to have nursing lounges? I wouldn't mind.

Also I think the public should encourage breastfeeding in any form a mother wants to do it. I have a problem with the crazy breastfeeders who insist that everyone should ONLY breastfeed, there should be no bottles in the world, and pacifiers are satan. I had several friends who were so discouraged by well-meaning lactation "experts" that they just decided to bottle feed to avoid feeling bad. The system should support any amount of breastfeeding a woman is comfortable with, not stressing what is best so much as what works best for you... Anyway that is just my two cents on the subject.