Nursing in public
I would breastfeed my baby – I knew that with absolute certainty a long time ago. I would feed my baby wherever and whenever necessary – that was also an absolute certainty. I’ve always said, “I’ll get my boobs out wherever I am, if my child needs to be fed.” 🙂 I still cannot understand why getting your boobs out to feed your baby could ever be inappropriate, even if there are other people around.
Why do you think women are blessed with breasts? To have impressive cleavage? To show off on the beach or in Playboy magazine? To sell sexy lingerie on billboards? Those things are all ok, but breasts are first and foremost meant to feed your baby. Nature has created us to carry our babies for 9 months, and then produce milk to help them grow further. Why are all those ‘uses’ for breasts which I mentioned considered normal, but feeding your child in public is not?
Liv drinks around every 3 hours, sometimes 4 hours, and sometimes every hour. It’s still unpredictable, and that’s fine with me. Breastfeeding should be done on demand, and that’s what I do. She gets fed when she needs feeding, but I don’t adjust my entire life to make that possible. I’d never be able to leave the house then. And why can women who give a bottle be free to leave the house, and not women who feed from the breast?
A few weeks ago I was at the weekly market. In the peak season it can get very, very busy, especially if the weather is not great. In front of a shop I saw a man giving a baby a bottle. A teeny tiny baby, who obviously was hungry NOW, and couldn’t wait for his food. I wondered what it would be like if I had stood there with Liv at my breast, in the middle of the market. Would everyone still just walk past nonchalantly? Probably not, unfortunately. When really it’s the most natural and normal thing in the world…
And so, for all the moms who find it hard to breastfeed in public: just do it! The more people see it, the more normal it becomes. Since Liv was 2 weeks old, Denny has taken a photo almost every time I have nursed her in public. Just because. Because breastfeeding just is. It’s normal. It’s natural. Even in public. Hungry babies have to be fed.
Do you also have a photo of you nursing in public? Share it under this blog on Facebook! #normalisebreastfeeding
P.S. Having said all that, I really don’t feel the need to fully expose my breasts when nursing (and that’s not easy to avoid with my cup size 😛 ) so here is a golden, budget-friendly tip. I used tanktops from the Action (a budget store) which cost less than €4 each. Feed your baby, without feeling exposed – win-win situation!
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