NATURAL CONTROVERSY : MOTHERS' RIGHT TO BREAST-FEED MAY GET BOOST FROM STATE LAW.

Byline: Lori Moody Daily News Staff Writer

Julie thought that snuggling up with her baby to offer her breast was not only the most beautiful, natural thing in the world, but best for her daughter's health.

So in September, when an employee at a children's amusement center told the nursing mom to cover up or move, the 30-something Burbank resident was mortified. Then angry.

``At that time, the manager got involved, and he saw I was being discreet,'' said Julie, who asked that her last name not be used. ``I never thought it would happen to me, especially in a place like that. I felt terrible, like I did something wrong.''

So many women have been made to feel like criminals while breast-feeding their babies in a public place (even though the act is not illegal) that the state Assembly in April approved a bill to protect nursing mothers and children. Assembly Bill 157 is now before the state Senate, and supporters say they expect it to sail through.

If signed by Gov. Pete Wilson, California will become the 14th state to enact legislation to protect breast-feeding moms. Eleven of those states make it clear that it's OK to nurse in public, and two states exempt breast-feeding moms from jury duty.

``The purpose of all this is to clear the air and create an ambience so a woman can breast-feed in public, in private, anywhere she has a right to be,'' said majority leader Antonio Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles, AB 157's sponsor.

Villaraigosa tried to get the bill passed two years ago, but it was killed by Republican opposition. Opponents then and now say they didn't see the need for such a bill when breast-feeding is not illegal. Others said breast-feeding belongs in private or expressed concern that such a law would spark public nudity.

But having that law on the books could have given Julie instant reassurance and avoided an embarrassing situation. It also could've saved that amusement center a customer.

``I won't go back there,'' said Julie, who received a letter of apology from the amusement center's corporate headquarters after she wrote to complain about the treatment. ``I have nursed everywhere (without problems). I believe very strongly in a woman's right to breast-feed. It's a child's right.''

Sensitive subject

Lisa Parrott, a lactation consultant in Agoura, said the issue of breast-feeding in public comes up in all her breast-feeding classes.

``Some women feel that it should be a nonissue,'' she said. ``And other women who have seen it done very blatantly feel that's where the bad press comes, so to speak.''

Breast-feeding can be difficult for many first-time moms, as Christine Matheson, 33, of Thousand Oaks discovered. But she soon overcame the awkwardness of breast-feeding her son, Alec, now 9 months, in public places.

``You just need to make do with what you have,'' said Matheson, who also breast-feeds her son at her employer's on-site child-care facility. ``Otherwise, you're stuck in the house.''

Garments specifically designed for nursing moms can make the feeding more discreet. Some moms carry the baby in a sling so he or she can nurse. Others position a hooded stroller in front of them for privacy. Lactation experts advise women to practice in front of a mirror or their husbands to gain confidence. Rather than deal with nursing in public, some women express breast milk at home so they can feed it to their child later from a bottle.

Caroline Murphy, 26, of Toluca Lake looks for a quiet corner and drapes a small blanket over daughter Cara, 3 months, when she must nurse in public.

Although Susan Siskin, a La Leche League group leader, thought the women-only section of her gym was a discreet place to breast-feed her first child eight years ago, she remembers being confronted by an angry woman that day.

Today, instead of leaving, as she did then, Siskin said she would be more assertive.

``First-time moms are so vulnerable to everything,'' said the 42-year-old Chatsworth mother of three, including a 1-month-old son. ``Now I would say, `I'm sorry it bothers you, but he's hungry.' Now it would not really bother me the way it would have earlier.''

But not everyone experiences confrontations or dirty looks. Josi Kneisel, 34, of Burbank says she has breast-fed her baby at Disneyland and does so every week in church. People often assume her son is simply sleeping.

``You learn the baby's signals, and when he starts getting a little fussy or hungry, you start feeding him,'' Kneisel said. ``And nobody notices.''

It's a lot less intrusive than a crying baby, she said.

Feeding facts

Backers of AB 157 say they hope the law will free women to feel more comfortable breast-feeding wherever they can - whether in the privacy of a ladies' lounge or the middle of a restaurant. Doing so might encourage more moms to breast-feed and increase people's awareness about the benefits.

Among its many advantages, breast milk is more easily digested than formula, contains antibodies against infections and may raise a child's intelligence quotient, studies show.

For nursing moms, breast-feeding uses up more calories after birth, helps the uterus tighten up and shrink back to its normal size faster, and reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

``The problem is people's perception of the breast as a sex organ and the liquid that comes from it as repulsive - not as a miracle food and drug,'' said Chele Marmet, director of the Lactation Institute in Encino. ``I felt the law would put it in front of the public. It would start to change the attitude. My goal is to make us a breast-feeding community.''

Embarrassment plays a part in low breast-feeding rates in the United States, according to a 1996 report by the Statewide Committee on Breastfeeding Promotion.

``We need to overcome this,'' said Louise Tellalian, a Beverly Hills lactation consultant who also trains other consultants through UCLA Extension. ``We're looking at the health of the next generation. ... Across the history for our species, the biological norm is breast-feeding at some level for three or four years. Culturally, we have a problem getting beyond three or four months.''

Studies suggest that fewer than 18 percent of California babies are exclusively breast-fed for longer than eight weeks.

Nationwide, about 44 percent of babies are breast-fed at birth. But by 6 months old, only 11 percent are still breast-feeding. And by the time they're a year old, only 2 percent are still drinking mother's milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The academy ``strongly encourages'' that babies be given breast milk for the first six to 12 months.

``If a woman is told she can't breast-feed in public and has to go somewhere and find a place, is she going to do this every time? Probably not,'' said Dr. Bruce Smith, San Bernardino County's medical officer for maternal, child and adolescent health. Smith is a member of the breast-feeding promotion committee and testified in support of AB 157.

It's unfortunate that legislation is required to help prevent harassment of women breast-feeding in public, supporters say.

``The more women start doing it, the more people are going to feel comfortable with it,'' said Michelle Barone, a family therapist and La Leche League leader. ``I think the more women do it, the more attention will be brought to the fact it's best for the baby.''

Positive feedback

So, what do you say to a breast-feeding mom in public?

Etiquette expert Letitia Baldrige:

``I think if you have a family, you react as if it's the most natural thing to do. ... Just don't make any comment. Someone who is breast-feeding in public gets enough hostile stares or crazy men looking in the wrong way.''

Karen Meehan, a registered dietitian for public health breast-feeding projects in Irwindale:

``Sort of smile, give them a thumbs-up and say, `You're doing a great job.' They need the encouragement. The duration rate is low. Any encouragement a woman can get, even from strangers, is great.''

Louise Tellalian, Beverly Hills lactation consultant:

``If they can't say something nice, just ignore it. ... I give a thumbs-up to every breast-feeding mother I see.''

Caroline Murphy, Toluca Lake mother of a toddler and a baby:

``I would think they would sort of celebrate the fact this is definitely the most healthy thing I can be doing for my child. They don't necessarily have to say anything ... just letting me be (and) not giving me those stares.''

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF MOTHERHOOD

Controversy over breast-feeding in the open prompts state bill

Terri Thuente/Daily News

(2) Susan Siskin of Chatsworth, burping son Jacob after a feeding, says mothers should be more assertive when others disapprove of breast-feeding.

(3) Thousand Oaks resident Christine Matheson breast-feeds 9-month-old Alec at Amgen's child-care center.

Tina Gerson/Daily News

Box: Positive feedback (See Text)