Natasha Chiam

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Nursing in Public-Not a Big Deal.

Natasha Chiam

Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival! This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe's Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today's post is about nursing in public. Please read the other blogs in today's carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!

I think I have been one of the lucky ones.  I have two children, DS is 3.5 years old and DD is 21 months old.  I nursed DS until his third birthday and am still breastfeeding DD and plan on continuing until she self-weans.  In all this time, I have never had anyone ever say anything to me about breastfeeding my children in public-and I do it A LOT.

Maybe it is because along with breastfeeding my babies, I also am an avid babywearer.  I have always carried my kids in various kinds of carriers and have found that nursing with a carrier can be a very discreet thing to do.  Maybe it is because I have invested a not-so-small amount of money in my breastfeeding wardrobe (I have an addiction to the BOOB line of tops and dresses).  These garments make it very easy to breastfeed and eliminate the need for blankets, shawls, or those crazy wired covers that I could never get the hang of.

Maybe it is because in our city (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) in the past 5 years there has been an incredible baby boom and seeing a mother breastfeed her child in public is not as uncommon as it once was.  I love walking through our huge mall and seeing moms sitting on the benches and couches taking a break and feeding their babies.

Maybe it is because I have surrounded myself with like-minded moms, or because I have become a part of our local La Leche League group.  Having a support network is incredibly important as a new mom and for me my community of moms let me know that it was OK to nurse my child in public.  I remember the first time I saw one of these amazing women breastfeeding her child - at the local pool, in the middle of summer, with a bikini on--I did not even realize that her daughter was nursing and all I could think of (besides damn you and your bikini body!) was WOW, how awesome is that!!

Whatever the case may be, I have always just done it.  If my child is hungry and crying, she gets nursed, wherever we are, period.  And to be honest, I think that nursing your children in public is kind of a state of mind as well as a natural human right.  If you make a big deal about it, so will other people and then the comments and stares and 'please ma'am, do you mind?' happen.  I just do it and I try not to make it a big deal.  I am just a mom feeding her baby and by the way, I might just happen to be browsing the sale racks at the GAP at the same time!!

Here are more posts by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.