Comments on: How They Do It… In West Africa

By: Emma

Emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:29:17 +0000

I breastfed my bub everywhere and anywhere. I have never used a blanket or wrap to attempt to cover us while I did but probably would have if he was a curious, easily distracted bub. Mine was all about the milk so no worries there!
I find it very odd that your educated, enlightened friends were made uncomfortable by you feeding in front of them? I cant imagine an adult having an issue with it. My friends 13 year old son does, but I think thats more because he a 13 year old boy and everything weirds him out!
No one I have done it in front of has ever blinked an eye. Not at work, or on the bus, in church at a christening, in restaurants, pubs, shopping centres or at computer training (where I was the trainer).

I find the idea of feeding a baby in a public toilet revolting, and I resent the message it sends. Why should my baby have to eat where people go to the toilet??

By: Lara

Lara — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:24:56 +0000

Great article – but you missed out an important issue. Women in Africa breastfeed for much longer than we do (on average) here. While I am comfortable feeding my baby whenever and wherever he needs it – I was shocked at the attitude change when he was no longer “little”.

He’s 19 months old now, and I intend to keep breastfeeding him until he is at least 2 years old (as per world health organisation guidelines), and I hope that this taboo too will go the way of the dinosaurs, and we can all do what is best for our babies without public opprobrium.

By: Sallyo

Sallyo — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:02:33 +0000

My children are now 28 and 25. I fed the elder of the two whenever he wanted. No one ever seemed to have a problem, whether I was in church or in a meeting. The younger was a different matter. I HAD to feed her in private because she was very curious and wouldn’t concentrate if anything or anyone was around. After getting thoroughly sogged up with spurting milk several times, I gave up and fed her in a quiet room. Both children fed for more than two years. The boy was a real roly poly who put on a pound a week. He is now a strapping man with a BMI of 22. My daughter, a skinny little minx who put on a grudging OUNCE a week, is now a busty beauty with a BMI of 25.
Hmmmmm

By: simone

simone — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:50:41 +0000

great article. i just spend the day out and about in brisbane. breastfed at the train station, in the park and at a cafe. no one batted an eyelid- i was nervous for nothing!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:10:20 +0000

Excellent article! I have to say, I was nervous nursing in public with my daughter at first. To the point where I didn’t even attempt it until she was about 3 months old, and then only because I was with another nursing mom. Before that, the times we did go out were to Babies R Us or the mall, and both of those places, I used the places they had set aside for nursing. When I did work up the nerve to NIP that first time, it didn’t go too well. My friend was using a recieving blanket while she nursed her baby, and I attempted to do the same. But, my daughter wasn’t as calm and content as hers (in retrospect, I can’t see how her baby was so calm, it was a very hot day and we were outside in the sun). But after that ordeal, I realised I didn’t have to use a blanket and if someone had an issue, they could look away. I’m now nursing #2 and have no hang-ups nursing him wherever. He’s only 4 weeks old and I’ve already nursed him in public a few different places. I’m more concerned about people seeing my stretch marks than a flash of my nipple! Thankfully, nursing tanks are wonderful for hiding those!

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:29:58 +0000

I have two sons and I nursed both of them whenever and where ever. No hiding. My own personal experience working in Africa supported my breastfeeding habits.

When my second child was born while I was working in Haiti as the Child Survival Coordinator with USAID, I brought Jason to work and nursed him where ever I was – including high level meetings. It provided a great example to the professional Haitian women who thought they had to leave their infants at home. I have never understood men and women being hung up about breastfeeding.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:47:24 +0000

I don’t think people who are artsy and pro-gay-marriage are enlightened. If they are so weirded out by breastfeeding, they aren’t. A truly enlightened person is not defined by what they are comfortable with, but by being comfortable with — or at least not UNcomfortable with — a myriad of lifestyles which may or may not mirror their own.

I breastfeed EVERYWHERE. And my DD is almost 17 months old. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’ve fed her at the mall, the doctor’s, in front of friends, parent meetings, everywhere, with no attempt to cover up. I was at a parent meeting earlier this week and everyone just picked up their toddlers and popped them on the breast when they needed, there was no embarrassment or comment or anything.

I think it’s our right and our duty to feed our children whenever and where ever they need it — and let the people be uncomfortable if they must. If we keep at it then soon enough it won’t be weird anymore, right?

By: helen

helen — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:32:39 +0000

My first baby was very fussy and nursed a lot. I’m delighted to say that I nursed at a table full of search committee members when I was looking for a new job. They held up well, and I was hired. As a priest, in a small midwestern town.
The more women nurse in public, the more normal it will become. Thanks for your article.

By: charla

charla — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:02:31 +0000

We all need to support each other and get over the idea of being embarrassed for taking care of our infants! Thanks for the article

By: serena

serena — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:12:40 +0000

Loved this! Thanks!