The Sexist » public breastfeeding http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist Sex and Gender in D.C. Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:08:35 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Bizarre BreastFeeding Contraption #2: The Breastfeeding Curtain http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/07/09/bizarre-breastfeeding-contraption-2-the-breastfeeding-curtain/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/07/09/bizarre-breastfeeding-contraption-2-the-breastfeeding-curtain/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:39:26 +0000 Amanda Hess http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/?p=4952 Want to be able to breast-feed in public, but not down with the boob flashing? Hundreds of inventors have patented devices to help limit public displays of mommy’s food-source.  Many: weird.

Bizarre Breastfeeding Contraption: The Breastfeeding Curtain

Patent No.: U.S. 7207070

Inventor: Swarez-Ballesteros, Eva R.

Description: " A nursing garment and method enabling women to nurse a baby in public by covering the mothers. Maintains the breastfeeding relationship by allowing breastfeeding to occur anywhere at anytime. Provides a nursing mother a true sense of privacy and modesty, and provides a mother the added security that most nursing garments or blankets do not. The nursing garment is formed by lined lightweight material and is designed to cover the mother's upper torso, partial back and the nursing infant. The curtain is attached around the neck of the mother by a semi-rigid annular hoop. A layer of material lies across the front panel forming a valance or curtain for added privacy. Added inside the nursing curtain is a pocket for the nursing mother to place nursing paraphernalia and attached to the pocket is a small sized sanitary cloth for the nursing infant and mother."

Why It's Milkable: Doubles as puppet show theater.

Why It Sucks: "The curtain is attached around the neck of the mother by a semi-rigid annular hoop."

Previously:

Bizarre Breastfeeding Contraption #1

What the Nursing Bib Means for the Right to Bare Breasts

]]> http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/07/09/bizarre-breastfeeding-contraption-2-the-breastfeeding-curtain/feed/ 0 Bizarre Breastfeeding Contraption #1: The Breastfeeding Hat http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/07/09/bizarre-breastfeeding-contraption-1-the-breastfeeding-hat/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/07/09/bizarre-breastfeeding-contraption-1-the-breastfeeding-hat/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:52:10 +0000 Amanda Hess http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/?p=4943 In my column this week, I profiled local mammographer and inventor Ella Laseinde, who created the Shield-Me-Baby Nursing Bib to allow women to breast-feed in public without flashing everybody. Laseinde's product isn't the only contraption on the market that encourages public breast-feeding while discouraging public displays of mommy's food-source. Hundreds of inventors have patented similar devices. Many: weird.

Bizarre Breast-feeding Contraption: The Breastfeeding Hat

Patent No.: Patent pending.

Inventor: Sam, Diane Margaret

Description: "The breastfeeding device includes a head-receiving portion sized and shaped to receive the head of a child, and a brim portion extending radially outwardly from the head-receiving portion. The brim portion is sized and shaped to substantially cover a woman's breast when the head-receiving portion is received on the head of a child breastfeeding."

Milkable: In doubling as baby sun-hat or Panamanian costume, the Breastfeeding Hat (patent pending) may very well help shield the mother's breasts from public view—without inadvertently calling more attention to the mother's breasts. The hat will get a lot of stares, though, I'm sure.

Sucks: Just a fucking hat.

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