A couple days ago I had the most unusual interaction while I was breastfeeding my toddler; the new mom sitting next to me said “Good for you!” Oddly enough, I was taken aback. After nursing my son and daughter for a combined forty-two months, I can honestly say that this was the very first time my nursing was met with praise rather than embarrassment, shame, admonition, or ill-directed humor.
When this mom, who incidentally isn’t able to nurse her baby, praised my breastfeeding, I didn’t even know what to say. Eventually, I managed to say “thank you,” but I continued to look at her like she was Bigfoot…something that you had always heard existed but didn’t think you would ever run across.
She said that I was lucky to be able to breastfeed, and I agreed with her. “Yes, I’m very lucky,” I said (and meant) as she had told me of her troubles nursing. Something that comes so easily for me has alluded this other mom and makes me feel even more grateful for my ability to feed my children naturally.
Because of the reactions I usually encounter while nursing, this mom has inspired me to speak up more often when I see other moms nursing. If we don’t cheer each other on, breastfeeding will continue to be viewed as odd in this country. It’s a ridiculous viewpoint that needs to fade away. So, the next time you see a mom nursing, walk right up to her and say “Good for you!”
By Isabel Gobel
http://enlightenedmom.typepad.com/kids_rule_no_school
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to