Dear Hands-Free Breastfeeding Mom that I saw in IKEA,
You might have noticed me staring at you. It wasn't because I was appalled that you were feeding your baby while walking around the living room showroom. It wasn't because I thought that what you were doing was inappropriate either. It was because of one thing and one thing only: I admire your ability to breastfeed your child without having to use your hands. You see, I would love nothing more than to do a little handsfree breastfeeding the next time I breastfeed a child. I just can't seem to get the knack of it though. You could say that I'm blessed (or cursed, depends on who you're asking) with a large bosom, and the British rock band, Cornershop, did say that everyone needs a bosom for a pillow, but it makes it exceedingly difficult to mimic your handsfree skills while wandering around IKEA. I am just amazed by how effortlessly you nursed your baby, covered with a delicate gray shawl, walking about the showroom. It was discreet and it was beautiful. It actually made me want to another another baby, which is a good thing.
I walked about the store with a sense of pride. These women are my people. They know what it's like to not only give physically give their bodies to growing and sustaining another life for at the most 40 weeks. They understand what it's like to continue sharing their body with a child ensuring he grows healthy and strong. Maybe I'm hyper aware of public breastfeeding because August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month and there have been a few breastfeeding in public debates on the morning network shows? Whatever the case, on this particular Sunday afternoon, IKEA was surrounded with beautiful women breastfeeding their babes confidently. That right there, being able to feed your child publicly in confidence, is what this awareness month is about.
Sincerely,
Me, Bert
While my family and I were shopping for pillows at IKEA today I saw so many women breastfeeding their babies in public. Some were sitting on benches with breastfeeding covers. Some were wandering around the store; some were discreetly covered by a shawl and one woman I saw had a cami on and that was it. And one woman came into the family restroom I was in changing my daughter's cloth diaper to sit in a comfy leather chair and nourish her baby.
On a lighter note, can you breastfeed your baby without your hands? What's your secret? I want to make this happen next time around!
Special thanks to the beautiful mothers who shared their breastfeeding pictures with me: Shannon, Erica, Karine, Kim & Meg.
I can breastfeed handsfree if baby and and boob are on a pillow of some kind. Otherwise, I’ve got to prop that sucker up for her. I’m also envious of those moms who can just unsnap the bra and their baby can sit up and nurse. DD is 1 and she still has to lay down. That’s just the way I’m built.
Seeing women breastfeed in public is always so encouraging to me. As a new mother who is breastfeeding for the first time, it’s rather scary to attempt breastfeeding in public for the first time. So if you’re one of the women who can so confidently nurse your baby without a care in the world for anyone else, keep up the good work! You’re an inspiration!
Nope- I can’t do it.. I have fed my baby every day for over 16 months now, and I have zero skills at public feeding.. She never would latch and stay latched with a distraction in the room. And I could never cover her…
I tried.. it just ended up in a lot of pain for me as she bites and fights to look around.. we usually end up in the car, with a shade up so she can’t see anyone.
And at 16 months, she is even pickier- she will only nurse lying on one side, in our bed..it works great for us though. I wouldn’t change it. Really. She is on a schedule, and she is happy!
I’ve nursed at IKEA, on the couches that provide a ‘sitting room entrance’ to the restaurant upstairs, but not walking around. However, I have managed to nurse while walking (hands-free) using a sling. I don’t think the baby liked it much though, because that was the first time he bit me. We haven’t tried much since.
I was nervous to nurse my son in public, but before my daughter came I decided I was tired of hiding and missing large portions of church and I was going to nurse her with a cover wherever we needed to. It was great! I never got a dirty look and I had a few friends tell me they appreciated it because it gave them the courage to do it too. I can nurse a baby while walking around, but I need at least 1.5 arms.
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