It's Just a boob.

Lately everyone seems to suddenly have such a strong opinion on breastfeeding. Some say they are for breastfeeding, but don't you dare do it in public without a cover. Others say they are "okay" with breastfeeding but you need to keep that at home. Well, here is my opinion: it's just a boob!

I am completely, 100% for breastfeeding a baby, after all breast is best! (I'm not bashing moms who use formula, our Brayden was formula fed and he is perfectly fine!) When you are out and about, just enjoying this beautiful earth that God has given us and all of a sudden your baby is hungry, what do you do? You didn't bring any bottles of pumped milk and it feels like a thousand degrees outside! Of course you aren't going to let your baby starve, so you do what is natural and feed your baby. You sit down on a bench in the park, grab your cover, and begin nursing your baby. People walk by and throw you dirty glances, you may even hear someone say to their friend "Ugh, don't look now but that woman on the bench is breastfeeding her baby. How could you even do that in public? She needs to go somewhere else, I know McDonald's across the street there has a bathroom. Why can't she be courteous of others?" You feel embarrassed and decide to leave. A few days later you are in the mall and baby is hungry, you realize you forgot to bring your cover, but at least you have on a tank top under your shirt, so you sit at a table and lift up your top shirt and begin to feed your baby. You are just enjoying the quiet moment and you look around and see someone sitting a few tables over awkwardly glance away. You hear someone else whisper to their husband, "She should be ashamed of herself, and in the food court of all places!" Then someone comes up to you and asks you to either use a cover or find somewhere else, that other people are trying to eat.

Here is what I have to say about all of this: IT'S JUST A BOOB! It should not be a bad thing to feed your baby. As for my son, he will eat in a bathroom when everyone else eats in one. Yes, they do have places available now days for nursing mothers, and if you can get to one that is great. But sometimes, especially when I am out with my family, I would like us all to eat together. If Finley is hungry while we are eating dinner, you know what I do? Yep, you guessed it. I FEED MY BABY, with my boobs. I have used a cover in public and I have not used a cover in public. I've even fed my baby in public without a cover and people who were sitting at the same table with me didn't even notice what I was doing until I was finished! Yes, there are some women who are less discreet about it, but it is no different than going to the beach or seeing a Victoria's Secret ad. It is very sad that we as a society have grown so accustomed to seeing breasts as a sexual object and not for what they were created for. Yes, breasts also have a sexual purpose to be kept in private, but anyone who finds breastfeeding a baby as sexual has a very sick mind.

I have seen ladies who have breastfed their babies but still feel it should not be done in public, and that is completely their opinion that they are entitled to. All I'm saying is we should not shame women for nurturing their baby in the best way they see fit. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of doing a latch-on session with a friend of mine at Goodwin Images and she did a fantastic job! I wasn't able to breastfeed Brayden very long, so I am blessed that God has provided me with the ability to do it for Finley. 

I will leave you with this quote I found online: "My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring too hard." -David Allen