NIP. Nursing in Public. S and I love doing this! I am discreet, but I don't hide the fact of what we are doing, neither do I put a blanket over my baby or my shoulder. Sometimes we get funny looks, but never a dirty look, and never a "would you please go somewhere else"...I guess the publicity of the nurse-ins at The View in NYC and in Delta airport terminals and Victoria Secrets across the country has brought to the public eye the fact that nursing in public is 100% legal. If you don't know about the nurse-ins, here is a video
Did you know that, here in Utah, nursing mothers are excused from the public lewdness law if they happen to show their nipple while feeding their baby?! Not that nipple displaying is a goal of mine, but I think it's a very sensible law.
I think I'm becoming something of a radical! I actually relish the chance to nurse my little one in public places! Let the world see how normal and appropriate it is for mothers to feed their babies! Thus far, we have nursed in Walmart, Borders Bookstore, a couple of restaurants, the WIC office (of course they were supportive), Motherhood Maternity (they were too), an auto shop (while getting the oil changed), in the middle of the mall (with a friend--we both NIPped!), in my in-laws house, and on the front row at church. :-)
I want to go be in a nurse-in and hold up one of those big signs that says "Breasts are for Breastfeeding!" I also love that the women in the video are not just nursing tiny infants--they are nursing their toddlers too. After all, momma milk doesn't become any less healthy once the baby passes 6 months or 12 months or 2 years! If mom and baby are both in favor, well then go for it!
(I also love all the babywearing in the video. :-) Now I want to go make another sling and an ABC! :-) )
3 comments:
I want to go and hold a sign, too! Maybe we can go incite some poor innocent mall employee into offending us so we can have a protest! :c) ha ha ha
I live in Utah and I wish that I could have felt comfortable nursing in church. That was my biggest discouragement. To always go to the mother's lounge where it was smellier than the restroom always gagged me and was not pleasant. If I do have another baby- hopefully- what do you suggest I do about this? Should I feel okay sitting in the bench nursing? That would have been nice to actually hear a whole meeting.
A few church leaders have spoken about breastfeeding, and have always been positive about it--it's a matter of using our bodies as God intended, and is therefore good.
SO, yes, you should feel free to nurse in church. I always did so when I lived in Utah. If someone hassles you about it, you can be as polite or as snarky as you like, but the simple fact is that state law says that you have a right to breastfeed in any place where you and the child are legally able to be--and yes, that includes church. (visit http://itsallaboutthehat.blogspot.com if you'd like to read a LOT of pro-breastfeeding arguments from an LDS mom in provo--she's got a lot of good points I think.) :)
I DO always make an effort to be discreet when I nurse in public--I don't use a blanket, but I usually tried to sit on the side and not on the front row--that way I wasn't directly in front of the Bishopric as they looked out, and there weren't a lot of other people next to me and there was at least one bench in front of me... I felt that i was more discreet that way. But yeah, I nursed right there in the chapel, or in RS, or whatever. Sometimes if the little one was fussy I'd go sit on the couch in the foyer, but i didn't usually go to the mothers room because like you said, it was part of the bathroom and darn stinky! I only went there if I had to change a diaper--and i'd usually leave again before nursing LOL!
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