Earlier this week, Sarah wrote about embracing nursing in public sans cover which was not how she had planned for things to go. The topic of whether or not to cover in public is hotly debated amongst lactivists. There are those who insist a mother should do whatever she feels comfortable with when nursing a child in public. Others insist that covering up further perpetrates the notion that breastfeeding is - at best - a "sacred" or "intimate" or "private" moment between mother and child and therefore should be covered up, or it is - at worst - indecent.
Most breastfeeding advocates simply want to work towards the common purpose of normalizing breastfeeding in our culture. Breastfeeding is, after all, normal.
Anyway, in this post, Sarah talks about her experiences in nursing without a cover-up, and she shares some gorgeous photos, and then the brave soul opens up comments for thoughts on nursing in public.
Amongst the comments, I read a statement that absolutely drives me batty. Someone stated "yeah its natural, but so is pooping, and I would rather just not see it." Rather than engage in comment box debate, I figured I'd just bring it over here to discuss.
That statement drives me insane because it is biologically ignorant. Breastfeeding and pooping are completely opposite. While the common element of food is shared, the actual processes are, you know, completely different. Breastfeeding = food in. Pooping = food out. It's a pretty basic concept.
I have not personally been confronted with this commentary on nursing in public, but I've been practicing my comeback for years:
People who do not understand the difference between eating and pooping are not allowed in my kitchen. And they probably shouldn't be allowed to do the grocery shopping, either.
Ohhhhhhh, I'm just waiting for the day when I can pop off with that comeback. (yet knowing my propensity for tongue-tied-ness, I'm sure I'll mess it all up and leave everyone involved in hysterics. The possibilities for how that can be messed up are quite endless.)
I would love to hear from you - what is the best comeback you've used or heard to counter the critiques of nursing in public (with or without a cover)?
photo (isn't it lovely?) courtesy of Daquella
