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At Walmart Today...  

post #1 of 22
10/15/08 at 11:40pm
Thread Starter 
I had a weird experience at Walmart today that I thought I would share. I don't know if this was truly lactivism but I was speaking about nursing my toddler, so maybe it fits.
Ok, really pushy - young - clerk talking about my dd (17 months). She was trying to talk to my dd, who doesn't talk anyway, and doesn't really like strangers. She was totally into telling my dd that mommy would take her home and give her a snack of fruit. Ok, nice that she was talking about a healthy habit but I tend to say what comes to mind and I said that nope I was probably going to bribe her with candy (because, frankly, it was one of those days). She totally goes into what my dd does and does not eat. Umm, why do you care. But then, I say, well, she's breastfed whenever she wants so I know she gets the best nutrition she can from that.

And then she totally checked out my boobs.

Like, really obviously.

And I'm not small.

Does this seem odd to anyone? Because it really felt weird to me.
post #2 of 22
10/15/08 at 11:46pm
i don't think it was that weird. then again, i wasn't there. it seems like a natural reaction to look at the thing being talked about if it is in the presence of the conversation. i've had this happen to me too, where i mention dd is nursed or i think she wants to nurse, and the person glances in my boobs' general direction. it doesn't make me uncomfortable per se, but i have been tempted to say "yep, those are my boobs, the boobs we were just talking about.", just to be a smart a**
post #3 of 22
10/16/08 at 3:52am
You know, with how accustomed people are to bottle-feeding it probably takes a little bit of mind wrangling when reminded what boobs are for. But yeah, that's a little odd that she was checking out the girls.
post #4 of 22
10/16/08 at 10:56am
I've had it happen too (although not in such weird context...) I think it's just the word association thing... if you'd said she needed a diaper change, she'd have looked at your LO's rear, if you'd said you lost your watch she'd have looked at your wrist, etc.

Still creepy, but understandable.
post #5 of 22
10/16/08 at 2:09pm
I'm a boob checker. I'm pregs and really really want to BF. So when I see a woman who BF or her child try to undress her for "bobas" or whatnot, I won't lie, I check out her goods! I want to make sure that I am "normal". Where I live you really DON'T see many BF you have to get you "normal checks" where you can!
post #6 of 22
10/16/08 at 2:24pm
Sounds annoying, but I think it's neat that she was so interested in your daughter's diet - maybe she's pregnant and starting to think ahead, and you just totally educated her about the realities of good breastfeeding!

P.S. I totally check out other women's boobs. I'm quite small and am, frankly, fascinated by larger breasts. I know it's not cool to "talk to the boobs" no matter what my interest, but it happens unconsciously sometimes.
post #7 of 22
10/16/08 at 2:33pm
I had the bad habit, especially while pregnant with dd, to stare at women NIP. I just wanted to see how they do it, how old the baby was, how much I could see, etc. I'm sure I made some of them super uncomfortable, especially since I'm the only person I've ever seen NIP without a cover.
post #8 of 22
10/16/08 at 2:52pm
i work in a bra and undie store so i spend all night checking out boobs.....it's just part of my job....but if you had been talking about a super deal you got on a bra she would look at your boobs too!
post #9 of 22
10/16/08 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kriket View Post
I'm a boob checker. I'm pregs and really really want to BF. So when I see a woman who BF or her child try to undress her for "bobas" or whatnot, I won't lie, I check out her goods!
Yeah, me too.
post #10 of 22
10/16/08 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shelsi View Post
I had the bad habit, especially while pregnant with dd, to stare at women NIP. I just wanted to see how they do it, how old the baby was, how much I could see, etc. I'm sure I made some of them super uncomfortable, especially since I'm the only person I've ever seen NIP without a cover.
me too!! I saw a woman NIP in a waiting room and she got out a little blanket to try and cover and turned in her chair to face the wall. I wanted to take her blankie and tell her to "NIP FOR ALL TO SEE" but I'm weird and hormonal right now.
post #11 of 22
10/17/08 at 1:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Twinklefae View Post
I've had it happen too (although not in such weird context...) I think it's just the word association thing... if you'd said she needed a diaper change, she'd have looked at your LO's rear, if you'd said you lost your watch she'd have looked at your wrist, etc.

Still creepy, but understandable.
This. I uh probably would have looked at your boobs too or tried not to, but conscious that I would've.
post #12 of 22
10/17/08 at 3:19pm
I remember doing that as a teenager:
A mom I was babysitting for mentioned that she was breastfeeding and I just looked at her breasts because they were so small I didn't think it was possible.
Yes, I've learned a lot since then both about being polite and about breastfeeding
post #13 of 22
10/17/08 at 8:36pm
happens to me all the time. i always leave the room to feed my primarily ff ds. ill look and dp and be look he im gonna go feed him ill be back in a bit and about 50 of the time atleast one person within hearing range looks at my boobs. lol

little do they know that if he were going to nurse i would have done it right there.. but since i am a little uncomfortable ff in public and b/c i dont like the idea that seeing me ff would in anyway encourage another mother to do so i tend to try to avoid it in public but if i cant ill go somewhere quiet... also b/c its darn hard to hold a 22lb babty and a bottle.

so no i dont think its weird. when i see moms with babies i tend to see what they are wearing or carrying around with them to see if they bf. i know this does not work since all i carry with me is ds in a wrap and my purse... which contains a bottle and formula but for some reason i seem to be able to take less stuff with me then most moms who ff.
post #14 of 22
10/19/08 at 3:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shelsi View Post
I had the bad habit, especially while pregnant with dd, to stare at women NIP. I just wanted to see how they do it, how old the baby was, how much I could see, etc. I'm sure I made some of them super uncomfortable, especially since I'm the only person I've ever seen NIP without a cover.
I think it would help new mothers ENORMOUSLY to be able to watch another woman nurse her baby or watch lots of other women nursing their babies. I'm not talking across the restaurant, either, I'm talking up close and personal, so you can see a good latch and whatnot. In fact, I would like to offer my services to people I know, if I knew anyone that was pregnant...
post #15 of 22
10/19/08 at 9:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpeppers View Post
I think it would help new mothers ENORMOUSLY to be able to watch another woman nurse her baby or watch lots of other women nursing their babies. I'm not talking across the restaurant, either, I'm talking up close and personal, so you can see a good latch and whatnot. In fact, I would like to offer my services to people I know, if I knew anyone that was pregnant...
Yeah, around other women I'm pretty open in general for a few reasons but mostly to a) make it seem normal and b) to let them see how little they do see and how easy it can be. Of course sometimes dd is FREAKING out and kicking me and trying to throw my boob away and then I want to go hide lol.

OP, btw, I totally dig your screen name. I love those movies!
post #16 of 22
10/20/08 at 2:42am
she was probably toasted. i think you'd have to be to work at wal-mart with a smile on your face. maybe she was afraid you were going to spray her. i honestly have no idea.
post #17 of 22
10/20/08 at 3:03am
Well, this is embarassing, but one time I was out for dinner with my dp and some old friends of his, who I knew fairly well, but for nowhere as long as dp has. The husband said that he'd had a vasectomy that day and without even thinking, I checked out his "package". He totally called me on it too. I don't have a clue what I was expecting to see, and I was mortified. I wouldn't read too much into it.
post #18 of 22
10/20/08 at 8:05am
LOL - I don't think this is unusual (I mean, rare, unusual - yes, it's a little "weird" unusual!). This has happened to me MANY times when I tell people I still breastfeed. I live in China, where NO ONE still breastfeeds at my son's age (he's 14 months), and I get checked out every time I make this confession.
I'm not big, and I've actually been directly asked how I can possibly make milk for my baby. I've been very tempted to say, "It's a miracle!" Next time, that's going to be my answer.

I think the staring is kind of reflexive and not purposeful- nonetheless, it's a little disconcerting, eh?
post #19 of 22
10/20/08 at 10:24am
its probably just heightened awarness... like if you get a certain car its then you notice there are a bunch around you... or if someone mentions lice it makes you itch your head (itchy yet?)

I wouldnt get to weirded out by it... but that is just me
post #20 of 22
10/22/08 at 12:24pm
I'm a boob checker! Pregnant women, women with babies. I don't do it consciously, but I do find myself checking out the milkies to see if they look like beautiful full nursing boobies Small or big, doesn't matter, you can usually tell at least in the first few months
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