pretty much my whole life, up until i was around 8 months pregnant, i was steadfast in my stance of not breastfeeding our baby. yes, it’s true. i didn’t like the idea. i didn’t like the thought. i didn’t care to do such a thing…it seemed weird to me. uh huh. yes, i said weird. it kinda freaked me out.

i wanted to bottle feed and didn’t feel like taxing out the boobies. oddly enough, i didn’t feel like it was natural to breastfeed. it’s truly how i felt…yes, mother nature intended us to breastfeed but that didn’t mean i should or would or wanted to.

then lo and behold, as i was nearing the end of my pregnancy, something clicked. i literally woke up one day and thought…i’m gonna do it. i did debate it in my head for awhile before the enlightenment and it came down to this: i didn’t really have a legit reason or argument on why i shouldn’t nurse my little one.

i knew it was beneficial. breastfed babies are linked to having higher iq’s. breast milk helps fight diseases. breast milk provides the perfect nutrients for your baby’s growing needs. breast feeding decreases the chance of illness. the milk is easier to digest for your baby. it’s free. it’s an amazing bond you have with your child. there are no bottles to clean up constantly. i also feel fortunate that i am able to nurse, some women who want to breastfeed struggle with it or can’t. i feel blessed i can.

what i love most about it…spending one on one time with my little olive. it’s just me and her. yes, giving her a bottle is spending time with her but breastfeeding her is so different. it’s intimate. it’s quality time together. it’s quiet time. it’s skin to skin contact which is very comforting for her. our connection is stronger. i feel satisfied she is receiving the best food for her growing little body.

[the most natural thing…but people see this & get offended]

so, with that, whenever i’m out with olive, i do nurse her when she gets hungry. for me, it seems so natural and normal to do so. i have never really thought twice about what i was doing nor did i care. if we were out at a restaurant, i’d feed her. if we were shopping, i would stop at a store, use their fitting room or just sit in their chair and feed her. no biggie in my mind.

then one day, grace, olive, and i were at the zoo. in the middle of us being there, olive needed a feeding. we found a bench, plopped down and i started to feed olive. grace ran up and down the area to check out all the animals, while olive ate.

in the middle of the feeding, a women walked up to me and handed me a card. she was smiling and said, “i never get to use these…thank you!”. i read the card and was quite touched. it really made me think about nursing in public. it never occurred to me it could be so faux pas. i’ve heard stories about people not allowing it or people posting pictures of themselves nursing and it has caused an uproar, but i never really thought about it.

this made me really think about how people are uncomfortable with it. it is truly the most natural thing a women could do and in some places and in people’s mind, it is frowned upon. not accepted. that is appalling. it should be acceptable and celebrated. it’s a joyous act. feeding your baby is nonnegotiable and someone shouldn’t dictate whether you can or cannot, nor where you should be able to feed her.

i was really touched by her act as she was affected by mine. it made me feel proud and it really makes me think how important it is to do this publicly. there is no question on when or where to feed olive. i would not allow anyone to tell me i couldn’t, or tell me where. this stranger felt that my act should be applauded, i feel great knowing that i will continue to feed olive publicly, proudly, and without hesitation.

xoxo