What’s behind the contradiction? Breastfeeding advocates say the answer is simple: The public is sexualizing breastfeeding. “It all comes down to the basic question, ‘Whose breasts are they?’ ” says Linda Blum, a professor of sociology and women’s studies at the University of New Hampshire and the author of At the Breast: Ideologies of Breastfeeding and Motherhood in the Contemporary United States.

Women’s bodies, contends Blum, have always been on public display, to be looked at and admired in a sexual way. In Victorian times, the curvy, small-corseted waist was prized. Showing ankles was once considered racy and scandalous – and very sexy. In China, women’s feet were subjected to torturous binding to achieve a desirable small size.

All in all, women have been on display throughout the ages, and since the late 20th century, large breasts have been the ideal of feminine sexuality in America. “The message women get [from society and media] is that their breasts are not their own,” asserts Blum. “Their breasts belong to someone else – especially if they are out in public.”

Breastfeeding is Sensual, Not Sexual