The way to break the taboo is to do the taboo thing: breastfeeding in public and citizen activism in the UK

Abstract

Like other forms of infant feeding, breastfeeding is a fundamental act of care. Yet despite being therecommended way of feeding babies, breastfeeding is not always easy to do. In addition to lack ofsupport, bio-physical problems and the need to return to work; discomfort with breastfeeding in publicis a factor shaping infant feeding choice (and the decision to stop breastfeeding specifically). Withincreased awareness of breast milk’s health benefits in recent years, there has been a rise in efforts tomake breastfeeding in public more commonplace and socially acceptable (including through lactationadvocacy or ‘‘lactivism’’). This paper considers breastfeeding in public and lactation advocacy in the UKthrough interviews with lactation activists, non-activist breastfeeding mothers, and participantobservationat two breastfeeding picnics held in 2009. Building on existing scholarship in Geography, Isuggest that lactivism can be understood as an effort to expand the boundaries of where care-work isallowed to take place: thus constituting a form of ‘‘care-work activism’’