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breastfeeding Meet the mom inventor

I Will Breastfeed in Public. Darnit.

November 17, 2010

by Jodie Adamson, Owner, Skinies

The funniest (or most tragic) breastfeeding in public moment I had was with my screaming infant in the middle of Krogers. She just would not wait to eat and the grocery list was calling out to me. It stressed me out thinking about sitting in the middle of a busy store filled with strangers to breastfeed. Right before I decided to give up and go home, sneaky mom ingenuity prevailed and I slid myself down a semi-dark hall that was hiding by the bathrooms. Making sure I was down far enough past the bathrooms, I whipped out the lactators and let baby have at it. Her screaming stopped, she relaxed in my arms and became completely content (and I gotta say, so did I).
A sense of pride and accomplishment swept over me as thoughts of 2 more hours of shopping danced in my head! The joy that I could actually finish my shopping list with a content baby, and the pleasure of being able to find a secluded, quiet and totally PRIVATE place to nurse made me feel warm and fuzzy. Either that or the let-down hormones were just kicking in. Leaning back against the wall, totally exposed but cool with it, the “Hallelujah” chorus I heard playing in my mind came to a screeching halt when I lifted my eyes and noticed my worst nightmare. The security camera was on and pointing right at me!! NOOOOOOO!

It was moments like these that led me to invent Skinies. Knowing that breastfeeding my baby was the absolute best I could give drove me to set aside all my personal feelings of being exposed and put baby first. The sacrifices we, moms, make! But I’ll tell ya, I absolutely hate the concept of someone other than my husband getting a glimpse. No, I am not ashamed of my body, I just hate being exposed. It’s just me. I will breastfeed in public. Darnit. But I’m gonna do it my way! Because of this mentality, I found myself becoming a super sleuth trying to find a way to accomplish this and satisfy my need to be discreet. After six babies, I have discovered a few things that really helped me.

For what it’s worth, here’s my (mom of 6) breastfeeding in public advice:

  • The most important of all is what is going on in your head. Our minds can play tricks on us especially if we are doing a good thing and others may not think so. Hold your head high! Know that you are giving your baby the best and poo-poo if anyone disagrees!
  • Prepare beforehand. Before you ever go anywhere, think about the possibility that you could have to nurse in public and devise a plan. Where will you go? Are you OK with a bench in the middle of the store, or would you prefer privacy? Remember ~ you have the right to be comfortable. Determine where your comfort level is. You have nothing to prove. Respect yourself and your feelings. It will make your experience much more enjoyable. Consider also that comfort levels may change as your nursing experience grows. For example, a brand new mom who is just getting the hang of breastfeeding may prefer a bit of privacy, and a mom who has been at it awhile may be comfortable anywhere.

In my next post, I will share with you my personal choices for preparing beforehand and how I kept from flashing skin in public!  Check it out on (November 24).

I Will Breastfeed in Public. Darnit. appeared first on Mom4Life Blog.


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