Breastfeed. Just do it.

I've had this post on my mind for a while now and some recent events made me decide it was finally time to write it up. A friend of mine is expecting her first baby soon and is planning to breastfeed. Hooray! I'm paraphrasing here, but she recently said that she would never nurse uncovered in public. Simple enough, right? Well, not if you're me. Now, I know she meant no harm in her comment but because I am sometimes a little insane, I allowed myself to get worked up over it. I didn't delete her from facebook or punch a baby or anything drastic like that... but I did decide that it was time to write this friendly little post about why I choose to breastfeed uncovered in public. Gasp!

I breastfeed in public without a nursing cover or a blanket. I always wear a nursing tank under my shirt and I've totally mastered the art of feeding my wee ones like this. Between my two little bugs, I've nursed a total of 26 months and I plan to nurse Addie for at least another year, but hopefully longer. Here's my reasoning for not using a cover:

1. It can be crazy uncomfortable. In my experience, babies hate being covered. I live in Southern California. It's warm. Bodies produce heat. Heat is warm. All right... imagine you're going to eat lunch, but while doing so, you have to cuddle up with your best friend. Oh, and don't forget! You have to eat under a blanket, albeit a lightweight one, but a blanket nonetheless. Bon appetit!

I think it's pretty obvious why my little ladies found covers uncomfortable. I mean, wouldn't you?

2. It can become a game... and you will probably lose. Of course, some days the weather was never an issue. Those were the days that we had our ultimate peek-a-boo tournaments. I imagine this dialogue was running through my hungry babies' heads every time I used a cover: Hey mom, I know you're trying to feed me under this thing and all... but I would much rather yank it off and try to have a staring contest with every single person, puppy or leaf that goes by. Nah, don't bother putting it back on. I'm just going to do it again... I can even use my feet. Watch! Hmm... you don't seem to understand. Maybe if I suddenly forget how to latch... better? Oh... well, here. Let me scream my head off until you get the gist.

I can scream louder than you, Mom.

For some people, this may never be an issue. For me, it was a major one. Using a cover was more of a hurdle than it was a helpful tool. 

3. It's not like I'm giving everyone a peep show. Honestly, most of the time I'm nursing, people probably have no idea what is going on. We were at Disneyland recently and stopped in the babycenter to let Lilly use their kiddie-sized toilets. (Baby toilet, Mommy!) Just as we were leaving, I started nursing Addie. As we walked out, the attendant said goodbye and also told us that they have purified water for formula in case our baby doesn't breastfeed. She said this while Addie was latched on! Right in front of her! Nursing! In public! Obviously, I'm not letting my goods hang out. This helpful woman had no clue that I was nursing and she was standing directly in front of me. We were having a conversation. If she didn't notice, then surely some stranger passing by wouldn't notice either.

4. It's nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people have very little exposure to breastfeeding. Their mom never breastfed them. Their sisters never breastfed their kids. They've never seen a baby being breastfed. The only thing they know about breastfeeding, is that it involves boobs and babies and surely that combination is something that should never be seen in public. I know it's not my job to introduce people to breastfeeding, but if I'm going to be nursing in public anyway, why not let people see that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. There's nothing to hide. It's easy. It is the best way to feed your baby. It can be done anywhere. It's a great way to bond with your little bundle. No need to hide any of that under a cover.

Yeah... There you have it. The main reasons I choose to forgo nursing covers. Now, I'm not saying you have to nurse uncovered and if you don't, you're a wuss and you've failed as a mother. Do whatever you want! Use a cover. Don't use a cover. Nurse in your car. Pump a bottle and bring it with you. Never nurse in public. Always nurse in public. For goodness sake, wear a disguise if that's what makes you comfortable! Nurse anywhere and everywhere. Whatever makes you and your baby happy. The best part of this whole thing (and also the reason why this whole blog post is pretty much unnecessary) is that you're breastfeeding! That's wonderful. All of these little extras are seriously just nonsense. You're giving your baby the best start and that is ultimately what matters. We should never judge other moms, let alone judge them on whether or not they want to cover up while feeding their baby. It makes me extremely happy to see other women breastfeeding, covered or not. I don't judge them for their choices and I certainly hope no one judges me for mine. Breastfeeding is awesome and hopefully one day, more people will understand that.