When Tucker was a wee one and I was a bumbling breastfeeding mom, I pretty much stayed holed up in our house. I didn't want to risk being in public with a starving infant.
This time around, I want to get out with our boys and experience life outside our four walls. However, I'm finding those around us are not so accommodating towards breastfeeding mamas.
For instance, today we went to a friend's birthday party and one of those bouncy places. Thatcher slept for a good while and I thought he'd last until we made it back home. But alas, about half way through the party, Thatcher woke up, famished as usual.
We asked an employee if they have a family room or someplace we could tuck away to do our business. The naive teenager said "the bathroom". Really? The bathroom?
So I attempted to give Thatcher an "emergency"premade formula bottle but he refused. Ok. Soooo...we're gonna do this. I grabbed the baby and my diaper bag and went in search of the restroom.
I sat up shop in the handicap stall because I needed all the room I could get. I wasn't about to plop down on the floor so I sat on the toilet seat (no lid), which was nice and loose, and proceeded to feed my starving child. After he finished one side, I stood up and burped him which resulted in a river of spit up all down my back and on the floor. *sigh*
I sat back down on the toilet and rotated Thatcher to the other side all the while rocking back and forth on the loose seat. While he nursed, I attempted to throw toilet paper on the spit up pool and wipe it around with my foot.
When he finished, I again burped him but used a burp rag over my spit up soaked shoulder this time! Smart! Oh but wait! This burp resulted in a nice blowout on the other end. And who didn't pack a change of clothes? Not smart.
So now I'm balancing my poo covered baby on my spit up soaked shoulder while I attempt to pick up the toilet paper mess on the floor.
Really? No family room at all? SERIOUSLY!
I successfully changed the very messy diaper, threw on some lipstick, plastered a smile on my face and went back to the party smelling of spit up and poopy baby. pretty.
I think if I wasn't so modest, I wouldn't be so mortified by the thought of breastfeeding in public. I have a couple of cute cover-ups and have mastered a comfortable Boppy-free position. But the thought of having my boob out and everyone around me conscious of said boob...absolutely mortifying!
This is my plea - just have a nice little family room. Heck, at this point, I'd settle for a folding chair in a bathroom stall. I just think breastfeeding mamas should have the right to a little privacy. Really, is that too much to ask?
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1 comment:
Try not to be too worried about nursing in public... I know it can seem so daunting at first, and like the whole room is staring at you, but it honestly isn't a big deal in the slightest, especially if you have a blanket, cover, or the top of you over shirt to somewhat cover up with. It gets easier the more times you do it, promise!
Oh, and remember! If no one ever sees someone nursing in public, they will never know that it's normal. A young man the other day at a birthing class honest to God thought that it was illegal to breastfeed outside of your home. Needless to say, he had never seen anyone do it!
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