Mortified today while nursing my 22 m/o - Page 2

[Virginia90]

I'm so sorry this happened to you...people can be so mean. This exact thing happened to me, just replace it with a doctor's office and a 1 month old...Three different people made their kids move and, "Do NOT look over at that baby!" That was rough as a first time mom already struggling and hating breastfeeding! (luckily, now I love it...a friend helped with her latch problems at 2 months, and I was able to start enjoying nourishing my dd!)

[sosurreal09]

Aww that is terrible! Certainly not the support you needed nursing a NB!

[Lovin' It]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

Well to counter react my bad experience, yesterday I was nursing DD at the mall, and a woman came right over to me and congratulated me. Then she called all her kids over to "see how a baby really eats". Then she was talking to me a little bit about how she hates that there is no exposure to nursing in this country b/c it just makes it harder for other moms to nurse successfully!

Talk about night and day experiences in the same week!

Wow, what a contrast!  I'm happy that your NIP experience has received a supportive jolt, as it should.  I NIP w/my first dd until she was 4.  She weaned shortly after turning 5.  I was fortunate to have mostly positive experiences, but I live in a city that's generally supportive of bfing. My second dd is 2 and nurses wherever/whenever, I am not flashy but I've been nursing for 74 continous months an have become a bit desensitized to when and where I nurse. 

And that woman, who told her son that your dd was resting, seriously underestimates his intelligence.

Way to go for your nursing and inspiring others to do so!

[rebecca_n]

Im sorry you had to experience that and you have nothing to be ashamed of. those other parents reacted horribly and made your nip a big deal to them when really! i'd be happy for my children to see another child eating the way nature intended. my son is almost 3 and while he still nurses alot at home (ALOT) he rarely does in public. if he's hurt I'll nurse him and otherwise it depends on the situation (i'm not a fan of tandem nursing in public just because i will get exposed by one of my two monkey children)  

when my son was a little older than 2 and i was still pregnant we were grocery shopping and he managed to pull a can of olives of a shelf and it hit him in the head. the poor kiddo had a nice dent on his head and was very upset so i pulled my cart to the side, sat down and nursed him. a woman in the isle looked at us in what i can only describe as horror and scurried away. i think she complained since a store worker came over but when they got to me i just said he was nursing and that he had hurt his head and the worker said okay and left. i felt embarrassed for a minute but i had to do what was best for my son. just like you do for your daughter. i just hope your dd doesn't pick up on what those silly women were talking about because i'd hate for her to feel like nursing is shameful. sorry i don't have any good advice but i think you're doing a good job and i really wish we lived in supportive country!

[KateDavies45]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

Well to counter react my bad experience, yesterday I was nursing DD at the mall, and a woman came right over to me and congratulated me. Then she called all her kids over to "see how a baby really eats". Then she was talking to me a little bit about how she hates that there is no exposure to nursing in this country b/c it just makes it harder for other moms to nurse successfully!

Talk about night and day experiences in the same week!

It's definately a good feeling to have a positive NIP experience! I've had a couple of funny looks nursing DD (7mo) (but I'm pretty sure it's because my boobs are huge and somewhat unweildy  so it's sort of hard to be discrete about what we're doing) but the one experience that stands out in my mind is when nursing DD (then 4 1/2mo) walking around walmart I had a woman come up to us -she didn't have kids with her or anything so I was pretty sure that she was going to say should cover up, but she was like "good job, I just wanted to say thank you for NIP! We need more of that!" It really stuck with me. I try to remember now that for every odd look I get I'm sure there are other people who're thinking along the same lines as that woman in walmart, she was just brave enough to say something.

On that note, I think more of us need to take the time to say an encouraging word EVERYTIME we see another mama NIP. We've got to stick together here!

[sahmof2girls]

Just saw this and wanted to say I am so sorry that happened!!!!!!  That is so sad.  I had the opposite happen.  My community as a whole is pretty crunchy, which is good in ways and bad at times (don't flame me) But I Didn't make milk, i'm talking not even a drop, when I was pregnant with my first I was sooo excited to have my breasts get bigger....lol, I know silly.  Nothing changed in them, NOTHING.  after she was born I nursed and nursed, and waited for my mil to come in, it never did.  I used the sns on the breast (with formula) hoping to get it going.  After nursing and pumping non stop for a few months I made the desicion to go to bottle, It was a hard one, but I had to do what was best, and I was unraveling quick.  So when I would be out in public, I would have stairs and whispers when I pulled out the formula and bottle, that only made me feel worse.  So I commend you for sticking to your guns!!!!  I did the whole sns with all 3 dc hoping that my body would work this time, to no avail BUT I did hold my kids and feed them, I didn't prop the bottle, which just disgusts me.  My second dd actually was pacified on the breast, and that helped me feel a little better.

I want my dc to know that you do eat from the breast, it is NORMAL!  They see it all the time though with my neices, nephews, and friends, so they do not think it is taboo to nurse.  Just recently my sisters twins self weened at 20 months.

So here is my novel...lol  anwho keep it up mama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lifeguard]

I'm so sorry you had this experience. I somehow have lucked out - the worst I've encountered is a jaw-drop when someone realized I was nursing a 2 year old but no one has actually said anything to me.

For the most part ds didn't nip much as a toddler - he was generally too busy to be interested. When he did I would sometimes put him off if I could (we'll nurse when we get home or let's wait 10 minutes) but then I always kept my word unless he completely forgot. I also was fairly "strict" about nursing rules. I didn't tolerate any goofing around while nursing (at home or elsewhere) - if he wanted to nurse then he could curl up nicely & nurse, if he wanted to bounce around & do gymnastics we were done - this included changing sides multiple times. I think this did help to make it more discreet for us.

I don't think anyone should hide they are nursing unless they are doing so for their own comfort.