nursing in public Archives - Page 3 of 7

The Year Breastfeeding Goes Mainstream

It’s happening. The exposure that women have given to their breastfeeding harassment is climaxing. Women have had enough of being verbally abused, called “disgusting,” and being kicked out of restaurants, doctors’ offices, court rooms, playrooms, public pools and stores. We are sick of being bullied by businesses, having photos deemed pornographic, being told that we should expect to be abused if we are going to do “that” in public/without a cover/near children/near husbands/past infancy/etc. Breastfeeders all over the world are shedding the cover and coming out of hiding. The world is feeling our power.

Photo by Ivette Ivens

Breastfeeding Perspective

I recently thought I’d like to start watching a TV show. I don’t watch much, but thought it might be fun to get into something regularly (besides Seinfeld reruns). I tried a couple of those prime time dramas and every time I had to turn it off after 10 minutes and was left emotionally triggered the rest of the evening. It seems we’ve become completely desensitized to rape, murder, beating, blood, gore, etc. Some of the plot lines were so outrageous, so violent that my mouth literally hung open. It’s always the same cheesy lines, void of any human emotion and more excessive violence. Yet I regularly receive messages over social media that I’m, “gross,” “disgusting,” or “harming” my children in response to my breastfeeding or gentle parenting posts. Get a clue, people. What is harming our children? What is harming the world? Breastfeeding and co-sleeping? Or glamorized violence, violence in our neighborhoods, free-walking abusers, intolerance, hate and fear?

Filed Under: Breastfeeding in Public // Tagged: Breastfeeding, breastfeeding in public, nursing in public

A Sickness

You will most likely not have a negative breastfeeding incident in your life. But that means nothing really. You live in a world where this happens and we all suffer the consequences of misogyny. Breastfeeding incidents occur often. Most of them are not reported. (Sound familiar?) Women are left humiliated, frightened and broken. Something is taken from women when this occurs; a sense of safety and innocence. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern of hatred of women, violence against women, abuse of women, shaming of women. Where porn is a billion dollar industry, where we pay a ton of money to see women take their clothes off, but women are told to cover up and go to the bathroom when breastfeeding their babies. There is a sickness in our society. One rooted in misogyny and double standards. One that hurts women and children everyday. One that must be cured. Cured by speaking up, speaking out, speaking often, making waves, not shutting up, not waiting for it to get better, breastfeeding whenever and wherever, shouting for each other and not giving up ever, ever, ever.

Filed Under: Breastfeeding in Public // Tagged: Breastfeeding, breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding incidents, double standard, end misogyny, nursing in public, violence against women

BREASTFEEDING CRITICISM by guest blogger Ashley Cmar

My name is Ashley Cmar. I’m a 27 year old mother of two from Latrobe, Pennsylvania. My daughter Deanna is 4 1/2 and was never breastfed, but my son Maximus is 13 months and we are still going strong with our breastfeeding journey! I don’t know who loves it more, him or me!

IT WAS HER RIGHT TO EAT by guest blogger Paola

My name is Paola and I’m 26. I’m a single mother to my two year old, Daenerys. We have been nursing since she was three days old and when I saw your post today on Instagram about nursing in public, I felt really excited about that. I do have a blog on Tumblr but I thought I’d write something new about it rather than send you a link to something old. My feelings about it are different now that we’ve done this so long.

—-

Before I begin about our journey to nursing in public, I think it’s important to note how we started. Daenerys was born with the cord round her neck and they swiftly pried her away to the NICU. A nurse wrongfully recorded she had gone five minutes without breathing and I met my baby two hours after she was born. She had tubes everywhere and I couldn’t hold her.

Ivette Ivens Photo Shoot – Try to Stop Me

I am a warrior. I fight for you. I fight for moms, dads and babies. I fight for those who are living slightly against the grain to those who rage against the machine.

Filed Under: Breastfeeding in Public // Tagged: Breastfeeding, breastfeeding in public, ivette ivens, nursing in public

Ivette Ivens Photo Shoot – Mama Tribe

We travel in packs. We are a village. We have each other’s backs. You mess with one, you mess with all.

To the Person Offended By Breastfeeding

By Abby Theuring

I’ve pretty much heard it all by now. “I’m all for breastfeeding, but… as long as you do it in private, as long as you go to the bathroom, as long as you cover, as long as I don’t have to see it.” “I don’t want my kids/husband to see that.” “That’s so gross.” “Why can’t you just put it in a cup?” And on and on with the stipulations that people love to put on other people’s behavior. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Breastfeeding in Public // Tagged: breast feeding, Breastfeeding, breastfeeding beyond infancy, breastfeeding in public, extended breastfeeding, NIP, nursing in public

Original Facebook Memes-10

Normalize Breastfeeding

By Melody Fetterman

I had a conversation with someone recently, someone who I really love and respect. It was a hard conversation, though. If my friends and family describe my parenting, they use one word: breastfeeding. Breastfeeding, more than any other single factor, has influenced my parenting style. It has dictated where I can go and for how long, how I sleep, how I eat, what I wear, and most importantly, how I respond to my son. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Breastfeeding // Tagged: breast feeding, Breastfeeding, breastfeeding ad family support, breastfeeding in public, le'mae photography, melody fetterman, motherhood, NIP, normalize breastfeeding, nursing in public