No not me Monday today, because I’ve got something much more important to share. or something like that.
I am going to nurse in public without a cover.
I’m going to do it, just watch me. Or don’t… if you’d prefer.
I think that, in principle, breast feeding uncovered in public is more than ok, but in practice… yeesh. I can’t imagine myself doing it. So, I’m taking a page from my father’s book.
By nursing in public. Clearly.
My dad likes to perform impromptu social experiments in public, such as intentionally being awkward in the elevator in his office building, standing too close to people and occasionally breaking unspoken social norms, just to see what people do or don’t do. So I thought, why not try decent exposure as a sociology experiment?
For the next week I will nurse OBaby without anything covering me, no matter where we are.
(Yes, you can still retract that dinner date we had made.)
This may well be a psychology experiment too given that I’m nervous about it already. But I’m also excited that if I say it’s an experiment, it’s like, totally ok to do, right? I mean, I’m not that lady because, hey! it’s just an experiment! But then the cool part is I still get to try it and can say ‘nursed there, done that’.
Dealing with a cover is just one more thing to juggle when nursing on the go, as if simultaneously finding a seat (hopefully with a back), unsnapping a nursing bra and tank top, and holding a 12.5 lb baby with one arm while arranging his face and checking his latch weren’t enough. Let’s throw an over-sized piece of fabric that OBaby keeps moving and pushing around into the mix, shall we?
Well, not this week! Not this lady!
I’ll be tweeting about where I’ve nursed and what I’m experiencing, just for funsies.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go google the libraries and coffee shops farthest from my house.
Here goes my modesty nothin’!
Good for you! I remember the first time I nursed with out cover. All I had with me was a fleece blanket for cover and we were eating at Famous Daves at the MOA, it was hotter than hades in there. I was in a sweater, Lucy was in snuggly fleece jammies, we were ROASTING. I could not in good conscience smother my baby with a blanket just for the sake of some one maybe/ maybe not seeing a small section of my breast. I couldn’t. And you know what, it made me more comfortable with the fact that it is o.k. to nurse in public, soem times you can’t cover up. Don’t go flashing nip every where if you can avoid it but seriously, the worst that any one would see is some fat smooshing babies face. Boo hoo public, boo hoo.
Do you have a nursing tank with the pop down bra cups? Get one if you don’t. Then all you have is some tank top showing and maybe a smidge of the goods.
i love it!
You go girl. Let me tell you – it’s freedom!
I can’t imagine. I remember when you wouldn’t kiss Dan in public.
I can’t wait to hear how people react. I think it’s a great experiment. I mean, I don’t think I could do it… :) But, you go girl!
hi there. new to your blog + just wanted to say that i love it! you’re simply adorable and your writing is engaging. i’m a new mom as well, so i can really identify with what you’re going through (the good + the bad!!)
I’ve never commented before (I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, I came over from Mckmama) but I just had to comment on this post. I say “good for you”. I have 3 boys & nursed all of them in public with no cover. It was just too much, like you said, and I always made sure not much of the “girls” were showing. Also, I really enjoy reading your posts. I love your writing style, very entertaining!
it’ll change your life :) you go girl!
next thing you know, you’ll be nursing a 2 year old. I said it too….
More power to you.. but I don’t think I could ever do that because I think it’s quite awkward for both you and the people around you. Honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary either.. just my opinion.
Howcome this such a goal for breastfeeding moms? Even though it’s a natural thing, it’s still a private area that other people besides your husband/son shouldn’t/don’t want to see.
What does your husband think? I understand that they don’t have to look, but glancing over and realizing that someone is flashing me is a little weird.
Hi anonymous!
I wouldn’t say it was a “goal” by any means, more of something I resorted to. I think the belief that nursing in public is “not necessary” is one that most now-public-nursers start out holding. Truth is, I do most of what I do as a mom out of necessity, either for OBaby (lest he cry for 15 more minutes while I find a private place, if I can, and THEN mess with a cover), or for myself (being in a roasting hot restaurant with a sweaty baby up against your chest does not make one want to throw a blanket over one’s self). When you are suddenly doing something every day, 8 times a day for 30 minutes, you make it as easy as possible. Cutting out the covers was how I did that.
DanO is completely supportive. He saw what a pain covers were for me. And he knows I am a modest person. It took great lengths of frustration for me to get to this point.
As far as privacy, it actually can be done very discretely so that little to no skin is ever visible. In the morning, I dress with public nursing in mind, always with a tank top so my back isn’t exposed, and a shirt that I pull up so that the top of my chest is covered. I get things all set but leave my top layer covering myself until OBaby is less than an inch away and ready to go. You’d have to A) stare and B) be at just the right angle in order to see anything, and then just for a split second.
In the end, I think it’s all a perspective thing. Since I am (and most nursers are) discrete about it and am not “flashing people”, the only issue people may have is with the concept in general. In which case, I don’t care that people judge me for that any more than for the clothes I choose to wear.
Thanks so much for your questions!
It makes much more sense to me now. Thank you for clarifying. I am not a Mom yet and I have always wondered about that situation. Never really thought about it being so hot, yet it does make sense. I have been put in an awkward situation once with a lady who was not so discrete about it.. I guess that was what caused me to ask these questions.
More power to ya.
Want you to know I’m not judging, just questioning. :) I picked “Anonymous” because I know this can be such a touchy subject – I don’t want people to take my questions the wrong way, as you didn’t.
Love your blog and your OBaby pictures.
By the way, I always thought the date was wrong on your blog… and until today, I realized it was my stupidity that I could scroll to the next blogs.. I don’t know how it got stuck on the older ones. Anyway, I have lots of catching up to do!
You’re doing a great job as a Mommy and I love reading about it.