NIP

I feel sorta strongly about NIP - nursing in public. When I had Malachi, I never nursed him in public. I went to a bathroom (in the stall, on the toilet) or my car or, if I was in someone else's home, to a bedroom. If I absolutely HAD to nurse him in front of others, I covered us with a blanket. I loosened up a bit with Graham, and a little more with Caris. Alif & I met with a financial planner when she was just a few weeks old and I was trying to get her to latch on in his office with a receiving blanket over her. We knew this guy, John, and it was just sort of uncomfortable to me, nursing her directly across from him. She was a little squirmy and fussy, and he said in a totally casual, kind way (not like he minded her fussing a bit) "Take the blanket off! She's hot in there! My wife just whips it out wherever we are. When they've gotta eat, they've gotta eat!" I tell you what, for whatever reason, that just freed me right up. LOL There are still times I cover during latch, just so no one gets a big eyeful of my bustiness, but for the most part, I just latch him on discreetly and go about life.

Now the actual point of this post. Today I was sitting at Graham's baseball practice and nursing Canaan. A Dad walked past - a tough-guy, guys'-guy kind of Dad - and said, "That is a beautiful bonding right there." How sweet, isn't that??

I hope that as time goes by, more women will nurse their babies - at home, in the restroom, anywhere they're comfortable - and that it will start to be seen as the norm. I hope some Mom sees me nursing somewhere, chatting with someone or tending to my bigger kids, and thinks, "hey, I could do that!"