A few days ago, I was at a birthday party for a family friend. One of her relatives was there with two young daughters. We brought our infant; when she was hungry, I sat in a chair in the corner of the living room to nurse her (I never leave the room to nurse). The younger daughter, a five-year-old, came over and leaned over the arm of my chair, staring in astonishment as I nursed the baby.
"What are you doing?!" She asked.
"Feeding the baby," I said. "This is how babies eat, they drink milk that their mamas make." (She and her sister were both adopted as toddlers, and are the only children in their family, so they probably haven't had any direct personal experience with breastfeeding.)
Her mother, realizing what was happening, said sharply to her daughter, "come away from there."
"She's fine," I said back, just as sharply. "I don't mind. I was explaining that this is how babies get their milk."
"Oh, well," she said, embarassed, "yes, honey, didn't you know that? Mamas make milk for babies and that's how they feed them."
"Really?!" the little one said in surprise.
"Yes," her mother said. "But... just don't go talking about it at school!"
This last comment was met with (slightly embarassed) laughter from the other women in the room, and the little one blushed and went running off to play. I was left sitting nursing my baby, feeling like I was doing something vaguely shameful and dirty. I just spluttered something like, "well, and why shouldn't she talk about it in school? Kids should know what breasts are for!" But nobody responded - they were clearly done with the conversation.
I was so sad by the way that happened. What would you have done? What should I do if this sort of thing happens again? I'm sure that this little girl is embarassed now by the idea of nursing, because of her mother's (immature and inappropriate, IMO) reaction. *Sigh*
"What are you doing?!" She asked.
"Feeding the baby," I said. "This is how babies eat, they drink milk that their mamas make." (She and her sister were both adopted as toddlers, and are the only children in their family, so they probably haven't had any direct personal experience with breastfeeding.)
Her mother, realizing what was happening, said sharply to her daughter, "come away from there."
"She's fine," I said back, just as sharply. "I don't mind. I was explaining that this is how babies get their milk."
"Oh, well," she said, embarassed, "yes, honey, didn't you know that? Mamas make milk for babies and that's how they feed them."
"Really?!" the little one said in surprise.
"Yes," her mother said. "But... just don't go talking about it at school!"
This last comment was met with (slightly embarassed) laughter from the other women in the room, and the little one blushed and went running off to play. I was left sitting nursing my baby, feeling like I was doing something vaguely shameful and dirty. I just spluttered something like, "well, and why shouldn't she talk about it in school? Kids should know what breasts are for!" But nobody responded - they were clearly done with the conversation.
I was so sad by the way that happened. What would you have done? What should I do if this sort of thing happens again? I'm sure that this little girl is embarassed now by the idea of nursing, because of her mother's (immature and inappropriate, IMO) reaction. *Sigh*
