Yesterday, I fed my baby in a public place. It was a new experience for me . I was at the library with both kids. We had stopped by to play with their wonderful wood train set in the children's section. I had asked my toddler where she would like to go, and she had said "kids Toot-toot", and I knew that meant the library.
The kid's corner is semi-private, so I decided to go ahead and feed the baby when he got hungry. That was a much much easier than trying to get them both to the car....especially since my toddler wasn't finished playing. It worked out fine, especially since no one came back there while we were "busy". I did use a blanket to cover up, but the baby kept pulling it off.
I don't mind one bit when I see a Mommy feeding her baby in public. Babies have to eat whether they're breast-fed or bottle-fed. I think that it's a normal, necessary thing and people shouldn't be shocked at someone for doing it.
With my first baby, I did experience some of that negative attitude towards breast feeding. I worked full-time, so I would have to use the pump at work. There was nowhere clean to do that in private, and I was told to pump in the bathroom. Can you imagine? It would be the same as preparing a meal for someone in a public restroom. Pretty disgusting. I did pump in the restroom, but I made sure that my pumping equipment did not touch anything. On the same note, sometimes mothers are expected to feed their baby in a public restroom. Would you like to eat your dinner in a public restroom? Yuck.
It will be interesting to see what you all think of breast feeding in public. I do try to schedule my day so that I'm at home during baby's feeding times, but some days I can't predict it. I'd rather be feeding him on my comfy couch than scrunched up in a corner or in the car. He's been extra hungry lately and eating more frequently.
3 comments:
I was always to self-conscious to breastfeed in public, but I am going to try to do better with the next baby. When our generation was born, it was frowned upon to breastfeed your child, I think it meant that you could not afford formula. My mother gets totally freaked out by breastfeeding and the one time I did it in front of her, I thought she was going to pass out.
Good for you, I am glad you had the courage to do it!!
Lida is so right. My mother did breastfeed and she got such hell for it. The nurses at the hospital would actually tell her she was starving me, and make a big deal that she had to wake up all the other mothers (lots of women in one room) just so that this HIPPIE could feed her baby!
Truthfully I never thought of the fact that bathroom feeding was icky...but your right....it kinda is. Unless it's one of those bathrooms with the little room attached to it. Then it's not so bad. Unfortunately I wasn't able to breastfeed longer than a month or two, so never had to breastfeed in public. But it doesn't bother me.
Breast feeding is natural, and you shouldn't feel self-conscious to feed your baby in public.
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