Providing areas in public for breastfeeding leads to less stigma, a decrease in social shaming, and a loss of sexualization of the nursing mothers. Many women believe breastfeeding is better for the baby and the mother-baby bonding, but are reluctant to choose to nurse because there are so few places in public to easily breastfeed without being looked at with disgust for feeding their child. Women get confronted and told to “do your business” in the restroom. The less these situations are dealt with, the more people judge women for feeding their children. Breastfeeding provides many health benefits to not only the mother, but the infant. “Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants with a range of benefits for infants’ health, growth, immunity and development” (“Breastfeeding - Natural is Best [column]” 1). The average percent of women who breastfeed through the first six months in New Jersey is 59.1% (“Breastfeeding Rates among US …show more content…
Breast milk contains many essential nutrients that are beneficial to a growing baby. A mother’s breast milk is able to change and meet the needs of the infant, but formula cannot change (“Breastfeeding- Natural is Best [column]” 1), meaning as the infant grows, more nutrients are need, breastfeeding provides those new changes. compared to formula. In many cases, breastfeeding is easier for mothers. Formula can be very expensive and costly. Also, mothers need to sterilize bottles and teats, but they do not have to worry about that when they breastfeed. Lastly, if a mother breastfeeds, there is no need to measure formula or make sure that a bottle remains at the right temperature (“Breastfeeding- Natural Is Best [column]” 2). The cost of formula over just the first year of a child's life can cost up to $1,000 (Epstein 2). Most markets have formula locked up, and many woman deal with not having the money to purchase