Boldly Nursing in Public
November 1, 2006 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breastfeeding stories, nursing in public
Welcome NaBloPoMo readers! I’m starting the month off with the first in my series of stories from breastfeeding mothers. If you’d like to contribute your own story, click here.
When I lived in Boston, I carried my daughter in the sling everywhere I went. Together we rode the subway, went for walks, shopped at the mall and even went out to eat. When my daughter was two months old, we went to Legal Sea Foods for dinner. As I waited for my order to arrive, my daughter decided she was hungry too. We weren’t yet pros at nursing in public, so I was a little nervous as I positioned her in the sling and latched her on. As she nursed happily I surveyed the dining area to see if anyone was watching us. Suddenly, the restaurant manager approached me. He said, “I’m sorry but….” My heart leapt and I prepared myself for him to ask me to stop nursing. He looked at me sheepishly and said, “We’re out of the shrimp tonight. What else can I get for you?” I relaxed and smiled, and I never worried about nursing in public again after that!
I definitely nurse in public and don’t care what others think. I feel that it is my right to feed my baby and i nursed in public with my first one back in 1991 for one year, and now I have another and we nurse wherever whenever he feels it’s time to eat. I have never had anyone say anything to me or maybe they just talked amongst each other. But, it wouldn’t have stopped me.