Comments on: Nursing in Public: A Fresh Perspective on Nurse-In’s

By: The Poor Husband

The Poor Husband — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:09:13 +0000

For a hilarious breast-feeding story about nursing in public, check out this account of my wife at http://lifewithrachael.blogspo.....mping.html

By: World Breastfeeding Awareness Week Starts Today | Breastfeeding Moms Unite

World Breastfeeding Awareness Week Starts Today | Breastfeeding Moms Unite — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:53:03 +0000

[...] a month ago I thought I would have that celebratory nurse-out I talked about. But amidst two family vacations in July, blogging, work and day-to-day life it just [...]

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:34:08 +0000

First off, let me say that I am 100% in favor of breastfeeding anywhere when you have a hungry infant. I too had strangers giving me the evil eye when I breastfed my son at storytime at the local library. I was hidden in the stacks and tried to be discreet at possible, using a burp cloth to “hide” the view. I won’t bore you with the details but that’s basically how my Nursing Cover Shop came about. Nursing covers have been around for decades and only in the last 4 years have become cute enough to actually use
I am definitely NOT suggesting that women “need” to cover up but if a bit of coverage helps give reluctant Mom’s the little bit of confidence required to go public…why not ?

By: Melodie

Melodie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:10:24 +0000

@Johanne – I agree with you about NIP – that it just needs to be done by more people more often. Then my idea to have a celebratory nurse-in wouldn’t even need to happen. Then real nurse-ins wouldn’t happen either. We’d all just be doing what nursing mothers do. Sad really that it’s such a big issue to some people that a baby needs to eat…

By: Johanne

Johanne — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:54:58 +0000

Love the idea! I also believe that you don’t always need to go marching in with picket sings and attitudes to get a change. Granted, sometimes it helps, and other times it’s needed. But often, change happens through shifts in perspectives, and I think the best way to shift perspectives about nursing in public is simply by DOING.IT.

I was never really good at nursing in public, partly because our nursing relationship was problematic to start with. But I remember going to my Sunday knitting group about 3-4 weeks after DD’s birth, with all the paraphernalia we required (had ti use a shield, complete with water in a tupperware to wet it), and far from the best nursing wear on me. It didn’t quite work out – DD refused to latch, as usual, but I still tried it. Later when I spoke with my LC and told her about that, she was amazed that I even tried so early. She said most of her nursing moms didn’t feel comfortable nursing in public until weeks, even months later. My thoughts? “Oh, really? Hmm… but what’s the big deal?” I was really a bit clueless on all the debates, and to me, it just felt as natural doing this as it was to change her diaper.

If more people just went out there and nursed in public without necessarily planning it as a major protest, I think it would have the power to change a lot of things. In fact, perhaps staging too many protest is harmful for the public opinion on public nursing. It kind of attaches a stigma over it, where crazy-arse opinions go hand in hand with the action. It puts everyone in the same bag: “Oh, look, she’s nursing her baby on the bench there. I bet you she’s an opinionated lactivist.”

I will be looking up that Global Breastfeeding Challenge you talked about. That would be a cool thing to do. We have a similar event here in Ottawa (Ontario) during National Breastfeeding Week – or at least I think it’s National Breastfeeding Week… in October? Anyway, they host this big event at the St. Laurent shopping centre, where everyone is invited to come and nurse their baby throughout the day. I missed it this year (we were travelling), but some of my friends went, and it’s supposed to be great.

We aren’t nursing anymore, but you can bet I will nurse again next time. And perhaps I’ll have an easier time doing it away from home. Either way, I sure will give it a try!!

By: Annie @ PhD in Parenting

Annie @ PhD in Parenting — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:02:41 +0000

I have participated in the Breastfeeding Challenge three times now and had a picture of my daughter flashing my breast to the world at the Breastfeeding Challenge in my Breastfeeding Carnival post. I have always made a point of nursing in public and smiling while I do so. Smiling to everyone that passes by, but especially to pregnant women or moms with small babies. I hope they will see me happily and confidently nursing in public and do it too! I have nursed in public with groups of women, but never as a formal organized event except for the challenge. Annie @ PhD in Parenting’s last blog post..Let’s try another analogy

By: Monday Musings: Disappointments | Breastfeeding Moms Unite

Monday Musings: Disappointments | Breastfeeding Moms Unite — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:33:29 +0000

[...] happened. Last Monday I contributed a post to the Nursing in Public Breastfeeding Carnival called Nursing in Public: A Fresh Perspective on Nurse-In’s. It was actually one of the first three posts I ever wrote for my blog but I’d decided to [...]