Nursing in public is an issue that provokes a wide range of opinions from people. Personally, I don't think anyone but the nursing mom's opinion matters. I nurse without a cover, and I'm always surprised by how others react to it.
One day I had Dav visibly nursing in her sling while I was walking into a clothing store at a strip mall. Walking past me was a young-ish guy by himself, and when he saw that Dav was eating he stopped to open the door for us. I was impressed. Then, the other day at the park, Dav and I took a break from the swings so she could nurse. There was one other mom there with her two shool aged children. Even though nothing innapropriate was visible (no tummy, no side boob, no cleavage, nothing), once the mom realized I was nursing she made her kids get off of the swings where they were playing and go to the other side of the playground. I couldn't belive it.
One of the reasons many moms give up on or choose not to even start nursing is not wanting to feel trapped in their houses. Many women feel like breastfeeding means planning outings around baby's feeding schedule and having to get back to the house after only a short time. Especially if, like me, you have a baby who would rather go hungry (screaming all the while) than eat with a blanket over her head. Not that I blame her. Who wants a blanket over their head while they eat? Imagine if our society supported breastfeeding. Aside from just acknowledging that breast is best, what if we encouraged women to feel like they could still go out and be a part of the adult world while nursing? How many more women would nurse longer (or at all)? How many babies would benefit from that? It's sad that we live in such a puritanical environment that something as natural, beneficial, important as breastfeeding is suffering for the sake of a stranger's inability to keep from gawking. I really think it's awfully unfortunate.
On a less soapboxy note, all I've heard these past three days is 'dada.' Man, that kid is a daddy's girl for sure! I get the one 'Mama' and then never again. There was also one time when her daddy leaned down to do something with a toy she was playing with and she said 'Mine!' That was pretty funny (though it probably doesn't bode too well for her future capacity for sharing). It's crazy how much she can do already. She's a pro at getting to the internet on my phone and loves to play the infant specific games on the computer (thanks to her dad for that one, can't say I'm thrilled about it). She's frighteningly close to being mobile and can go from sitting on my lap to standing without holding on to anything (she then promptly falls over but, still). It all goes much, much to fast.
One day I had Dav visibly nursing in her sling while I was walking into a clothing store at a strip mall. Walking past me was a young-ish guy by himself, and when he saw that Dav was eating he stopped to open the door for us. I was impressed. Then, the other day at the park, Dav and I took a break from the swings so she could nurse. There was one other mom there with her two shool aged children. Even though nothing innapropriate was visible (no tummy, no side boob, no cleavage, nothing), once the mom realized I was nursing she made her kids get off of the swings where they were playing and go to the other side of the playground. I couldn't belive it.
One of the reasons many moms give up on or choose not to even start nursing is not wanting to feel trapped in their houses. Many women feel like breastfeeding means planning outings around baby's feeding schedule and having to get back to the house after only a short time. Especially if, like me, you have a baby who would rather go hungry (screaming all the while) than eat with a blanket over her head. Not that I blame her. Who wants a blanket over their head while they eat? Imagine if our society supported breastfeeding. Aside from just acknowledging that breast is best, what if we encouraged women to feel like they could still go out and be a part of the adult world while nursing? How many more women would nurse longer (or at all)? How many babies would benefit from that? It's sad that we live in such a puritanical environment that something as natural, beneficial, important as breastfeeding is suffering for the sake of a stranger's inability to keep from gawking. I really think it's awfully unfortunate.
On a less soapboxy note, all I've heard these past three days is 'dada.' Man, that kid is a daddy's girl for sure! I get the one 'Mama' and then never again. There was also one time when her daddy leaned down to do something with a toy she was playing with and she said 'Mine!' That was pretty funny (though it probably doesn't bode too well for her future capacity for sharing). It's crazy how much she can do already. She's a pro at getting to the internet on my phone and loves to play the infant specific games on the computer (thanks to her dad for that one, can't say I'm thrilled about it). She's frighteningly close to being mobile and can go from sitting on my lap to standing without holding on to anything (she then promptly falls over but, still). It all goes much, much to fast.