I can't think of any particularly funny stories of my nursing antics. I've only ever been aked to move once and that was at my sons nursery. He was 2 I think and he had just moved up to the next classroom. I tried to visit every lunchtime to nurse and it was usually at the beginning of nap time. The teacher wasn't particularly friendly and not my favourite. She asked me to move into another room and I declined (citing my legal rights), so she left the room and sent another in her place who applauded me for nursing so long as she had also done with hers.
- One of my first nursing in public situations occurred at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. My brother was due to arrive at the International Arrivals Terminal and I drove down to pick him up. I think William was maybe 2-3 months old at the time. I don't think I had nursed in public on my own yet. I sat right in front of the passenger exit with William in a sling. It took my brother quite some time to come through customs and immigration and William started to fuss. As his fussing got louder the other people waiting began to look at me and whisper to each other. They then started telling me what I should do and that maybe my baby was hungry. They all agreed that William was hungry and that I should feed him. As I lifted my top and unclipped my bra the whole arrival lounge fell silent, but I'm guessing they couldn't really say anything as it was them that told me to do it. It was then that the automatic doors opened and hundreds of people rushed through to be greeted by their families 10 feet in front of me.
- My husband was a little shy when we had William. He would try to rush me out of wherever we were so that I could nurse at home or in the car. After a few weeks I decided to take a stand, in Walmart of all places, and told him I wanted to stay and shop so he needed to find me a chair. He did find me a chair in the furniture aisle, he then hid me behind a pillar in a barely used aisle and stood guard at the end of the aisle to stop any unsuspecting shopper from disturbing me.
- My Mother took a similar approach when she came to visit. She was always sure that I would cause a heart attack in some unsuspecting pensioner, so she always parked me behind the buggy (if we used it) or stood in front of me throughout the feed. I guess this was OK, it didn't really affect me, but did look rather silly in restaurants. I tried reasoning with her that if they were that frail that the sight of a little flesh might kill them that they probably couldn't even see that far but it never worked.
- The most unusual place that I have ever nursed is not really unusual in that it is funny but that it probably doesn't happen all the time. I pledged allegiance to the flag when William was only 6 months old and we decided to make it a family affair. Gosh, back when we both worked full time and William was at nursery we wouldn't dream of leaving him there if we were not at work (how things change!). So, William was breastfed in the Federal Building in Baltimore during my Citizenship ceremony.
- I usually pumped in my office. I worked with 99% women so I never needed to close the door and I wore a loose fitting polo shirt that I lifter from the bottom to pump. I was always bad and checked emails and made phone calls while pumping. If I did nothing I would sit and stare at the drops coming out which wasn't very productive.
- I pumped at every committee meeting that I attended as well as staff meetings, State meetings and work trainings that I was scheduled to attend. But, to be fair there was always the sound of a pump at most of these meetings because the majority of hte WIC staff came back to work as a breastfeeding Mum/Mom.
- I have pumped in meetings that men attended. (I don't even think they knew what that noise was).
- I have pumped in a stationary car on I95 while waiting for an accident to be cleared (always get the battery pack if an option with your pump).
- My last pumping experience was for my Breast Milk Keepsake which I did at the home of Twinkle Mummy. I was surprised to still be able to pump 50ml from my "pumping boob" although Ellie wasn't too happy about it and kept trying to pull the flange from my breast to get at "My Boobie!". Here is my keepsake for you to see.
Tell me about any unusual places that you have nursed in public or pumped in the comments below.
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The funniest story I have was when my lo was 3 months old my hubby took me to a spa day for my birthday, baby was taken care of with lots of expressed milk so off we went, half way though the day I realised I wasn't going to make it through the day without expressing off some milk, of to the changing cubical I went armed with a pump and a cup if water, unfortunately the doors had no lock and were like saloon doors, after a while I gave up with the pump and started to hand express into the empty cup only for a elderly woman to walk in who just stood and stared at me until she finally worked out what I was doing and shuffled off in embarrassment, that will be the last time she barges anywhere I am sure x
ReplyDeleteMy funniest moment breastfeeding had to be when I had been away from my baby for a while, so when I did get to feed him, the milk squirted out, my little man wasn't too happy to have boobie milk all over his face, but he did soon latch on and calm down, even though I was in stitches :-)
ReplyDeleteMy husband has also tried to shield me from others views when i've been latching baby on or when she has finished. He did this at New Year when we were at a pub and the local drunks were around us it just seemed so mad,,,
ReplyDeleteDifficult to choose my best ones but probably the highest contenders are:
ReplyDeleteAt my cousin's baby's christening when my daughter was only a few months old - it was in a Cathedral complete with choirboys so I moved back to put a pillar between me and the choir boys so as not to distract them. One of the church wardens/vergers came over to me and said how happy she was and how lovely it was that I was feeding her.
Breastfeeding on the plane to Arizona when she was almost one - getting on an eight hour flight with a baby didn't make me very popular, I was also worried how people would react to me BF when there was no space for privacy (hubby and I swapped places each time I swapped sides so we could use our bodies to shield me a bit), but when I got off the plane I had several comments abut how "good" she was.
Favourite place - part way down the Grand Canyon! We hiked down as far as we could with baby on my husbands back, so she had a feed when we stopped for lunch. Fantastic views - just wish she could remember it.
Somehow I don't have any particular memories of places with my son - it was so normal to me then we just got on and did it!
as for pumping - the car, disneyland paris :)
ReplyDeleteFor my darling daughter everywhere we needed to nothing stands to note but I always remember feeding her in tesco whilst shopping and her dad making a funny comment about "having milk?" as we went through the dairy aisle...
I have fed my sons all over the place. The place that seemed to bother others the most was while walking around Tesco. He was covered, but staff kept telling me there was somewhere upstairs I could feed him.
ReplyDeleteFeeding in public: I have fed in the woods whilst walking the dog, on fair/showgrounds, on a bench in the churchyard, in cafe's etc. The more comfortable you are about it the easier it becomes!
ReplyDeleteWhen i was feeding out in public my daughter unlatched and my milk started spraying everywhere! i have never seen my boob do this before i was in shock lol
ReplyDeleteI have a lovely picture of me feeding my almost 2 yo on dartmoor. I nursed during my smear test too, that was interesting!!
ReplyDeleteBreastfeeding has got funnier as my daughter has got older. Toddlers are funny. She likes to read books while she nurses and wear different hats too.
ReplyDeleteYou pumping in my living room was a first for me! x The milk I use isn't usually that fresh.
ReplyDeleteI have breastfed at school meetings. I had a table full of 2 SENCOs, head of year, two classroom teachers, education psychologist and a speech therapist. Yep of one of those meetings for my son. I felt the most powerful woman on the table just being the parent breastfeeding.
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ReplyDeleteI loved reading this post and everyones comments. I am 31weeks pregnant and have been breastfeeding for 2yrs. There are very few places i havent fed. My husband calls it extreme breastfeeding. When my son is in a sling we can be fairly discreet(i think). We have fed along side a dual carriage way. In the back of many cars. On airoplane. While shopping in primark. At the top of a light house (that was fun!) On the top of a mountain.
I have pumped lots too. Mainly in my house and at work but also when i was flying weekly i would pump as soon as i got through to departures (cos you cant bring liquids through security). I have pumped in cars and at hotels when i have been on courses and at weddings.
What a great inspiring week. Thank you!
No particularly unusual places but I got told to feed my daughter in the changing rooms at the swimming pool instead of where I was sitting on the pool steps. Had a bit of an argument with the lifeguard about it, then gave up and went home because she was too cold to feed in the changing room. Complained afterwards and got an apology and some swimming vouchers, and they said they would retrain their staff.
ReplyDeleteI went to the zoo and found a quiet spot by the sealion pool to feed baby - and two minutes the masses arrived to watch the sealion show! So baby was more interested in the crowd than the boob and I got a little chilly!
ReplyDeleteOne of my first public feeds was at church, being quite new to this we'd gone out to for in the porch, where I met a lovely gent who called over his son to see the "cute little boy having his milkies". It was clearly so little of an issue to them it gave me a bit if confidence; we now feed in church and everywhere my lad wants to even now at 19 months.
ReplyDeletePumping I've done numerous places too, I had supply issues so and wasn't missing a pumping session because we were busy. On the 370 odd mile trip to my parents my husband drove so after every stop and feed for our son I could sit in the back with the pump going.
when my daughter was about 6 months old I was attending a close family members funeral. She had been really good through the service, sitting with Grandma and Grandad as I did my reading up front, but by the time we were graveside she was definitely hungry.... I knew if anyone was going to be able to hear what was happening I'd have to feed her.....I apologised to the vicar and he said "the needs of the living far outweigh those of the deceased, you carry on".
ReplyDeleteI only managed to feed DS till he was 4 months due to an extreme lack of support. I was so sleep deprived that I have no memory of anything funny happening. Hopefully with better support this time I'll have a few funny stories to share next year!
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