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My babies liked that hold too. It is nice once you realize you CAN get out of the house. I found the first few times hard. Now, its harder in different ways (2 year old and 8 month twins).
Wow, oh yea the twins. I can't imagine that.
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As for the nursing and walking, I certainly think it is doable to nurse and walk, I did it with my babies, and still do now. But I was doubting that a woman was walking around the store topless nursing her baby.
I am very passionate about breastfeeding. But I believe 'lactivism' is just about equality and respect - equality and respect to be given the same peace and freedom as any feeding child (bottle or boob). Not to be treated better than any other. It's about being 'normal' not 'special' for just doing as we should do. I do not agree with giving free food just because she is breastfeeding. I understand people can give free pizza for whatever they want, but if you wouldn't give a woman a pizza for giving her baby a bottle, then not a breastfeeder either.
I agree. I breast fed both mine in public and never really thought too much about it. If someone had come up to me with an attagirl I would have felt awkward, not empowered.Breastfeeding is or should be normal, not something people need to fuss over one way or another.
Nice backpedal but you claimed there is a movement of mothers who want special treatment.
Well, not even the mother in the OP WANTED a free pizza.
So who is demanding special treatment.
Oh wait, NO ONE.
I think you misunderstand what I mean by 'special treatment', exactly what do you think I mean by that? A medal? No, I don't think any reasonable person believes that.
By 'special treatment' I mean extraordinary recognition or praise for nursing. Please, I am not 'backpedalling', I am simply clarifying, because you are assuming I mean something else. Maybe you are making that assumption because you want to think I am someone who thinks nursing should be hidden? From your toilet comment, I think maybe you are confused as to what I mean.
And with respect, I think you are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Do you have some kind of agenda? I have no idea why you are coming off so aggressive here??? Am I wearing a bullseye or something?
You accused me of wanting women to feed in a toilet, something I absolutely never said, so quite honestly I think you are reading what you think you want to read and not what I have actually written or intended.
Does it surprise you that some women, even women who nurse in public freely, think that they, as nursing mothers, should be not be given 'special treatment' by the public - ie. "that's why your baby looks so healthy!" "here, have a pizza! thanks for nusing"???
Or must we all either be in the camp that nursing is gross OR that "hey that's awesome!"? Is there no GREY??
I think you misunderstand what I mean by 'special treatment', exactly what do you think I mean by that? A medal? No, I don't think any reasonable person believes that.
By 'special treatment' I mean extraordinary recognition or praise for nursing.
What you misunderstand, I think, about her point is not the definition of special treatment. I think what she is saying that you have created a solution for which there is not problem. That is the SEEKING of special treatment. No one has sought it out in this case or in any other known case.
I think you misunderstand what I mean by 'special treatment', exactly what do you think I mean by that? A medal? No, I don't think any reasonable person believes that.
By 'special treatment' I mean extraordinary recognition or praise for nursing. Please, I am not 'backpedalling', I am simply clarifying, because you are assuming I mean something else. Maybe you are making that assumption because you want to think I am someone who thinks nursing should be hidden? From your toilet comment, I think maybe you are confused as to what I mean.
And with respect, I think you are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Do you have some kind of agenda? I have no idea why you are coming off so aggressive here??? Am I wearing a bullseye or something?
You accused me of wanting women to feed in a toilet, something I absolutely never said, so quite honestly I think you are reading what you think you want to read and not what I have actually written or intended.
Does it surprise you that some women, even women who nurse in public freely, think that they, as nursing mothers, should be not be given 'special treatment' by the public - ie. "that's why your baby looks so healthy!" "here, have a pizza! thanks for nusing"???
Or must we all either be in the camp that nursing is gross OR that "hey that's awesome!"? Is there no GREY??
Who asked for praise? Really, who? What group of nursing mothers is going about demanding praise? You have stated it is an entire movement. You have stated the breastfeeding mother in the OP asked for special treatment.
None of those happened. Expecting to be allowed to feed your baby is not expecting special treatment. Having someone spontaneously and unsolicited give support for breastfeeding is also not EXPECTING SPECIAL TREATMENT.
Given your hang up about a single statement from a woman who in all likelihood thought she was giving your support about something that can be very difficult, especially for new mothers, it appears you are projecting, more than a little.
If you are no longer claiming that there is some movement of nursing mothers demanding special treatment and/or "praise", so be it. But, there is nothing wrong with spontaneous and unsolicited acts of kindness in support of other women. The fact that you think there is, says far more about you than it does about the waitress or the breastfeeding mom.
I agree. I breast fed both mine in public and never really thought too much about it. If someone had come up to me with an attagirl I would have felt awkward, not empowered.Breastfeeding is or should be normal, not something people need to fuss over one way or another.
I am glad it was no big deal for you, it wasn't for me either. But for many woman it does not come "naturally" due to both biological issues and societal pressures. For those women, the support of others, even if it just an "atta girl" might BE empowering and acknowledgement of their own struggle to do what is best for them and their child.
I am all for normalizing breastfeeding but if we refuse to acknowledge that it can be both normal AND at least sometimes a struggle worthy of support, we are going to make women for whom it does not come "naturally" feel even less "normal".
I have never seen such a thing either. Even in the liberal, hot bed of nursing nazis the northeast.
And yes, I see mothers breastfeeding all the time. You see a babys head, and a few inches of breast. Sometimes you might even see a nipple when the child is latching on. The horror!!
I seriously doubt there are hordes of people routinely walking through stores topless just to breast feed. I call bologna. Aside from the ridiculous nature it would just be plain old uncomfortable. Most nursing moms I knew, even the nursing nazis, rarely nursed without a nursing bra or at least a cami due to comfort issues.
But I am sorry that you ran into two people who made you think the rest of us need to be invisible.
If a woman displays her nipples when breastfeeding, it's pretty obvious that's what she meant to do, she meant to make a show, my mom breastfed and in public but no one was the wiser. Women today didn't invent breastfeeding, and very likely you've been in many places with breastfeeding babies that you never were aware of because it can be discreet.
This waitress rewarded the mom who made it obvious, but some women keep themselves covered, others feed the baby before leaving the house, others prefer to go to their car --are they any less as mothers? There are women who breastfeed for two years, no formula but never choose to breastfeed in public, are they lesser mothers? And if a shyer woman breastfeeds at home but brings a bottle to use at a restaurant, is she lower than dirt or the woman for whatever reason cannot or does not breastfeed but truly loves her baby?
If a woman displays her nipples when breastfeeding, it's pretty obvious that's what she meant to do, she meant to make a show, my mom breastfed and in public but no one was the wiser. Women today didn't invent breastfeeding, and very likely you've been in many places with breastfeeding babies that you never were aware of because it can be discreet.
This waitress rewarded the mom who made it obvious, but some women keep themselves covered, others feed the baby before leaving the house, others prefer to go to their car --are they any less as mothers? There are women who breastfeed for two years, no formula but never choose to breastfeed in public, are they lesser mothers? And if a shyer woman breastfeeds at home but brings a bottle to use at a restaurant, is she lower than dirt or the woman for whatever reason cannot or does not breastfeed but truly loves her baby?
It's absurd to go to the car. That's what I do and it's dumb. It's 95 degrees outside and I go to the car with my child. What's sad is that there are people who prefer such a thing because of their own perversions. That should not trump feeding a child.
eta: Although you are inspiring not to take it to the car any more.
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