I think I can join the club now...maybe

[Ivan's Mom]

I always NIP, lots and lots and lots. My babies love to nurse for hunger and comfort. I nursed Ivan for two years and plenty in public. Matilda is a baby who loves her Hotsling and is very comfortable nursing while in the sling walking around.

In all this time I have never been asked to cover up. Yesterday we were all at Babies R Us and Matilda was in the sling with my breast in her mouth. Ivan was there at the cart we were looking at the cups. Two mamas were shopping together and they had there very small infants each in a bucket in their cart.

One mama took a look at me and said, "You might want to cover up." The side of my breast was a wee bit bare because Matilda was nursing. I looked at her with a "Huh?" look. Then she smiled and said, there is a man down the aisle.

Am I in the club?

[alllyssa]

What did you say?

[Ivan's Mom]

I did not say a word. Just the look. The "huh?" look. And I did not take her advise

[Siera]

A man????? OMG!!

Ok, sarcasm off, that is too funny, but also sad. You were doing the right thing; good for you!

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Ivan's Mom

Then she smiled and said, there is a man down the aisle.

oh, nooooooooooooooooooos.

[tessie]

It sounds as though she thought she was doing you a favour, that she was concerned that you didn't realise you were showing some boob and might be embarrassed - hence the 'you might want to cover up' rather than 'you must cover your dirty, dirty breasts.'

She was mistaken, but not rude or forcing you to cover.

[Ivan's Mom]

Originally Posted by tessie

It sounds as though she thought she was doing you a favour, that she was concerned that you didn't realise you were showing some boob and might be embarrassed - hence the 'you might want to cover up' rather than 'you must cover your dirty, dirty breasts.'

She was mistaken, but not rude or forcing you to cover.

Yea, in my OP I mentioned that she smiled when I gave her the "Huh?" look. Not rude at all. This was my first time that anyone mentioned that I should perhaps cover up. So I was excited about being in the club.

[Mama Phoebe]

I hear ya. I'm grinning at your tone!

We were at the hospital with DD last week awaiting a CT scan (which was scary and awful and not at all the point of this post) and I was nursing DD in my arms (she's nearly three) and we had to walk over to the CT machine. The nurse handed me a blanket to cover a small amount of bare breast. I took it, as in those situations I tend to feel so grateful for the care of nurses that I comply so long as it doesn't interfere with what I am doing to care for my kids... but I did have that same "hmmm, so THIS is what they were talking about in lactivist school"

CT scan was clear and dd, myself and my breasts all went home. The blanket (which we completely bonded to on the way down to the CT scan) came home with us to and is covering dd as I type.

[Ivan's Mom]

Glad the CT was clear and that you all have a snugly souvenir.

[Zadee]

I remember when I FINALLY got harassed for NIP I was like "Score! I'm in!" Alas, it wasn't during those early days of sleep deprivation when I longed for someone to say something to me so I'd have an excuse to rip into them.

[Smokering]

Hehehe. FWIW, Rowan turns 1 in a week and I still have yet to be harrassed about NIP. The worst I've gotten is a few second-hand reports of people saying "Is she still nursing?" to my family, whereupon they looked bland and said "Yes, indeed", 'cause my family is cool like that.

I never get into the cool clubs, but I don't mind so much in this instance. Imagining snappy comebacks online are all very well, but I was brought up to respect my elders and (after many years of customer service) not to rock the boat, so I'd probably do something lame and then kick myself for a week.