I never realized how much debate and discussion and endless conversations swirl around the choice to breastfeed, until I made that choice myself. Honestly, I didn't put much thought into whether or not I would breastfeed; my partner and I were aware of the benefits and I wanted that experience and, well, I just breastfed my kid, very few questions asked. Little did I know that my decision to breastfeed would also expose me to all the things men say about breastfeeding mothers; things that are sexist and objectifying and offensive; things they absolutely should stop saying, immediately.
I tried my hardest to stay inside the supportive bubble that was my home, while breastfeeding my son. For the first month or so that was easy, because I was sore and exhausted and didn't feel like exploring the world with a newborn baby I was still, somewhat, terrified of (they're just so tiny). However, eventually I needed to get out of the house and when that day arrived, that supportive bubble popped and I was shamed and judged for breastfeeding in public. It didn't happen all the time, of course and thankfully, but it happened enough for me to realize that while the decision to use my breasts to sustain another human life didn't seem like a big deal to me or my partner, it is (apparently) a very big deal to others, especially cisgender men who can't physically breastfeed yet feel entitled to comment on it.
Part of me feels bad for those men, and the many men I didn't come in contact with but have some "feelings" about breastfeeding. Internalized misogyny is a very real thing, and chances are they've been conditioned by a patriarchal society to sexualize women's bodies constantly and to the point that they feel they have some ownership over them. Still, ignorance isn't an excuse, which is why I think it's worthwhile to go over all the things certain men say about breastfeeding that they absolutely should never say again, including: