Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!
This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is about nursing in public. Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!
A few days ago, Peanut and I traveled into town on the train. We almost always take the train, but this time I decided to do something different. I thought bringing a stroller rather than just our Boba would be easier, so we tried it out. It turned out to be immensely more difficult, but that’s not the point of today’s post.
Since we had the stroller, we had to sit at the very front of the bus. It was just around Peanut’s nap time and I knew that if I nursed her she would pass right out. Of course, I happened to be wearing just a thin strapped dress with no sweater or anything (it’s July!) and the bus driver was already grouchy about the stroller. Needless to say, I was ready for some confrontation.
So there I sat, nursing my 28 month-old at the very front of the bus in the most showing way possible (I won’t say immodest because breastfeeding is not an issue of modesty). I knew the bus driver could see us because I could see myself in his mirror. On the other side of the bus sat a mom and her probably less than 2 month-old son who was currently having a bottle. I looked up the breastfeeding statues of my state so I could readily read them allowed. I got on my lactavist hat so I would be ready to respond with my handful of facts on breastfeeding. I tried to look as confident (though nonchalant) as possible, even though I was feeling terrified that this was going to be when someone reacted.
Then something amazing and unexpected happened, the mom on the other side of the bus looked at what I was doing and then smiled at me.
And that’s how the rest of the bus ride went. I nursed Peanut for probably 20 minutes before she finally passed out and almost every person who got on the bus just smiled at me. Maybe it’s just because I smiled at them. Maybe they didn’t even notice I was nursing. Either way, there was zero confrontation (even from the mean bus driver). Just a wonderful, happy experience nursing my child on the bus. It put me in a wonderful mood for the rest of the day (even when Peanut woke up the second we got off the bus because of that ridiculous stroller… which I already sold).
Of course, it doesn’t always happen perfectly. There are people out there who are willing to harass a mom just for feeding her child. Such a thing happened last month in a Whole Foods in the same city I was visiting. Needless to say, there will be a nation-wide nurse-in on August 20th at 3pm at all Whole Foods stores. Hope to see you there.
Here are more post by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.
- Dionna @ Code Name Mama-Twiddle Me That
- Judy @ Mommy News & Views Blog-Breastfeeding in Public
- Natasha @ Natural Urban Mama-NIP by NUM
- Timbra @ Bosoms and Babes-In Public Eye
- Claire @ The Adventures of Lactating Girl-How It Should Be
- Xela @ Happy Hippie Homemaker-Why I feel the need to nurse in public
- Shelly @ Lousy Mom-Breastfeeding Welcome Here
- Renee @ Just the 5 of us!-Take it All Off
- Sylko @ Chaotic Mama-Breastfeeding Carnival Day 5
- Ana @ Motherhood: Deconstructed-Breastfeeding in Public is Good for Society
- Sara @ the Momzelle blog-Shy Girl Nursing in Public
- And of course the guest poster on the Breastfeeding Cafe’s blog today is Melissa LaVange-Breastfeeding is Not Taboo
That story just brought tears to my eyes – I love hearing joyful NIP stories
That’s awesome! So many times I’ve been ready for a confrontation but dreading it at the same time. once, this woman approached me and I was sure she was about to tell me I was disgusting or something, but she congratulated me on nursing in public! It’s so great when we have positive experiences.
Thats awesome! I actually find that I have been less harassed while nursing uncovered than when I used to nurse my first with a cover. I tend to think that if you are confident and strong in your beliefs (even with some jitters on the inside) people are less likely to confront you. Bullies will pick up on uncertainty they see, unfortunately .
Good for you! That’s so wonderful that you weren’t afraid to give your little one what she needed, and it’s even more wonderful that you got such a positive response!! Did you happen to read about the mom in Detroit who was harrassed last month for nursing her newborn on a bus? (http://www.drmomma.org/2011/06/detroit-mother-ordered-off-bus-for.html ) Breaks my heart and makes me sick to my stomach that another woman would treat a mother like that!!
Yeah I read that. Made me extra paranoid! Thank goodness it ended up being a good experience.
It’s so nice to hear of the positive response you got. I love that you were prepared with the knowledge of your rights. If only the rest of society would accept these rights, then maybe our jitters and apprehensions would go away!