Breastfeeding is natural, beautiful. When done in the privacy of your own home. God forbid your baby should need to eat while out in public. You must then make sure to only feed them while hidden underneath a hot cover that will cause your baby to sweat like a sumo wrestler. Seriously, this is still the mentality of a lot of people out there, despite the fact that its 2013 and we’re supposed to be enlightened. This ignorance, unfortunately, causes many new moms a great deal of anxiety, fear and even shame around feeding their child.
I was one of them in the first three weeks or so. I carried that hot, annoying cover with me everywhere. If we were out somewhere, I’d take her to the car to feed her, under the cover of course. If you’ve never been in that situation, I assure you that trying to get a hungry baby, who’s screaming like you’ve never fed him/her before, under a cover while sitting in a car is a feat not even Houdini could perform.
And then, I got real. Maybe it was the doctor’s crazy insistence that Drea wasn’t gaining weight fast enough and that I should supplement with formula. Maybe it was just because breastfeeding was becoming easier for both of us. But suddenly, a switch in me flipped and it was like that Luvs commercial with the difference between baby number one and baby number two. I realized that, while whipping out my boob under other circumstances might be crude and spring break worthy behavior, feeding my child wasn’t something to be ashamed of. If my kid is hungry, I’m going to feed her. It’s as simple as that.
I’ve now breastfed in the mommy lounge at Babies R Us, the parking lot of Target, without a cover, the fitting rooms at Target, Macy’s and Express, my front porch letting my girl enjoy the fresh air and, most recently (and notably) at the DMV. Hey, I had to renew my license, she had to eat. We’re a team after all, we have to work together! (We did use a cover in this incident however!)
As I left the DMV, an elderly couple asked how I finally got my baby to be quiet. I responded that “She was hungry. I whipped out my boob.” I think they went straight to therapy. But that’s reality. And if anyone else had a problem with my feeding her, they didn’t show it. In fact, two women sitting behind me jokingly commented about Drea being drunk on breastmilk afterwards. And my daughter was perfectly happy and content!
We see commercials on TV all the time urging us to send money to starving children in other countries. Why would we allow our own little one to go hungry for even a minute if we could help it? The great thing about breastfeeding is that you always have food for baby, wherever you are. So whip it out and give your precious bundle that yummy, wholesome nourishment! For the record, Drea is growing in leaps and bounds. And I never gave her a single drop of formula.
To the new mommies trying to face their breastfeeding fears, let me just say this: the first time’s always the hardest. And the most rewarding. After you successfully feed your baby in public for the first time and,survive, you wonder what you were ever so uncomfortable about. The truth is, people stare when your baby’s screaming and crying. So let them stare because you’re feeding him/her instead. There is nothing more beautiful and natural in this world and don’t ever let anyone make you feel ashamed for providing your child with the greatest gift in the world.
For more support, check out the Facebook page, You Can Breastfeed Here. My only question now is: can you breastfeed in church? We have a communion coming up and this is the one place I’m not sure about! Lol
My Journey Through Mommyville 