In light of the recent anti-breastfeeding tweet drama I’ve been talking with others about and also doing quite a bit of thinking about breastfeeding.

I get it, we are an overly sexual culture that has made boobs more of an sexual prop than a life sustaining mechanism. I know the reality is that many people are uncomfortable at the sight of a uncovered boob in public.

Heck, I’ll even admin I was reluctant to go out in public as a new mother for fear of having to deal with the “offended folks” and their reactions to my feeding my child.

Yep, you read that right. I actually did not leave my house for weeks after Everly was born. I just didn’t want to mess with trying to nurse in public especially when I was just getting the hang of parenthood to begin with.

When I finally did get the courage and resolve to go out and have a life while nursing a child I knew I had to cover up since I was teaching young, hormonally driven teens. I knew society’s views on breastfeeding already and was worried that the school district (that I was working for) would share the same views. Rather than chance it I just got a nifty nursing cover and became very good at teaching and nursing a child.

I was surprised that nobody shared concerns over my breastfeeding while in my teaching role. If anything I got lots of positive conversation and even a few young girls asking me about it. I did have a coworker tell me I was useless to him with my kid along at my job. Not because I wasn’t doing my share of work but because he felt like he couldn’t ask me to do things… He didn’t want to ask me to spread my focus beyond caring for my child. That is another issue for another very long post though.

Actually, come to think of it, nobody has ever given me a hard time over nursing my kid in public. We are going on 10 months of breastfeeding now too. I am not sure if it’s because people are cowardish and just choose to air their issues after the nursing mother is gone like so many situations we hear about.

I know that whether or not you’ve dealt with rude remarks, as a breastfeeding mother, you still know the way some tend to view breastfeeding. This alone is enough to discourage a new mother from breastfeeding and it is exactly what kept me from leaving the house in beginning.

Then there are the views on breastfeeding as the child grows older… Everly is still nursing like a champ and her first birthday is approaching. I’ve already begun to brace myself for those potentially negative encounters. I am aware that some people get weirded out when and older child is still breastfeeding. This is even an issue N and I don’t totally agree on.

I am not the kind of person who will give my child formula or put a stop to breastfeeding once she’s past a certain age. While I respect the views and feelings of others I am not willing to break my back doing stuff to make someone else more comfortable.

What about the comfort, needs and feeling of the child I am bringing up? As far as I am concerned her needs are the priority here but I still know I am gonna have to deal with everyone else’s reactions and opinions about it.

It is a sad, sad reality that mothers are judged and harassed over the choices they make regarding breastfeeding. It probably stems from our societal tendency to meddle. Everyone else thinks they know what is best and everyone is a critic. For the shy, scared or unsure mothers this makes or breaks breastfeeding success. For the rest of us it makes us “Radical Lactivtists”.

I am a breastfeeding mother. Hear me roar and don’t dare cross me about my choices, unless you want some drama. Of course if you are up for some civil conversation about why it is best, I am game. Shoot, I’ll even return the favor and discuss the other side of the coin with you. Just don’t forget that your choices, views and opinions are NOT the only ones that are acceptable.