Breastfeeding in Public Is Legal in All 50 States. Yay!

Forgive me, I’m a little late on this one but I decided to take some time for myself.

But now that I’m back, I hope you could sense my sarcasm in this post title. 

Why is it strange to see a woman feeding her baby from her breast? We’ve all been babies and if not all, most of us have been nursed by our mother’s breast at some point in our lives. It’s sad that something as natural as breastfeeding had to be deemed “legal” in the first place.

I don’t feel any different now that breastfeeding in public is legal in all 50 states. Heck, I didn’t even know it was ever illegal. I’m thankful that I haven’t had to deal with any backlash while nursing my son in public because I was sort of expecting it after having so many unpleasant encounters while pregnant. I’m not going to lie though, I was so excited the first time I had the opportunity to feed him in public. It wasn’t that I was nervous or hesitant before, I just really hadn’t gone anywhere since giving birth. 

My first time breastfeeding in public was during my son’s first plane ride. His pediatrician recommended that I nurse him during takeoff and landing to prevent his ears from popping. He did so well on the plane ride, other passengers complimented us and told us how they didn’t even know a baby was on board.

Why I Choose to Cover Myself When Breastfeeding in Public

Since then, we’ve enjoyed countless feeding sessions in public—at restaurants, graduations, in the middle of the mall, parks, you name it! When I breastfeed my son in public, I choose to cover myself with a scarf for two reasons; the first being that there are some creeps out there who gross me out just thinking about them! The second reason I choose to cover myself while breastfeeding in public is that my son is nosey! I found that covering him while he eats helps him to get a full feeling instead of him pulling away mid-feed to see what’s happening around him.

However you choose to exercise your God-given right to nourish your baby, do it! Don’t worry about what someone has to say—whether they actually have the courage to say it out loud, whisper, or just offer an unwelcoming stare. I guarantee they would prefer you to feed your baby instead of letting him scream at the top of his lungs because he’s hungry. We eat when we want. Why can’t babies?

#FreeTheNips!

Lead image by Pexels user Pixabay