Thanks for hopping over from Runjumpscrap and welcome to my post for the Keep Britain //Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt Day 2 Positive Public Feeding we have over £700 worth of breastfeeding and baby goodies up for grabs including prizes from Snoob with a breastfeeding scarf, a goodie bag from Forever Patricia and a breastfeeding necklace from Booby and the Bead. Full details of the Grand Prize can be found here and all entries to be completed via the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
Have you ever had a lady come and tell you you're doing an awesome job? I have and its the strangest experience ever! I thought I was feeding really secretly (but obviously not!) and when she congruent end me, the whole room seamed to notice me!
We often talk about the negative side of breastfeeding, the side where people stare, give you funny looks, say snarky comments or even worse try to remove you from their premises.
But thinking about it logically... I have an appoligy to make... So here is my letter.
Dear breastfeeding mum,
I'm sorry for staring at you feeding in Costa today and I'm sorry to your friend who I gazed open mouthed at while pushing my daughter in the swing at the park yesterday. You see, I'm a breastfeeding mum too and I just love it when I see other mums breastfeeding (especially in public!).
There I am sitting in Costa with my friend and I tell her you feeding, she gets excited and asked where you are, so I try to secretly point you out, but you spot me! So now I'm trying to not stare so I look at my friend while changing the conversation, but she keeps looking at you. (She's so excited your feeding!) Then... I realised, It's me! All these stories about crazy people who stare at breastfeeding mums, who point about them and talk about them behind their back!
What I'm really saying with my eyes (that have probably been watching you far too long) is YES, WHAT AN AMAZING LADY, GO MUM, YAY SHES BREASTFEEDING, AWW HER BABY IS SO CUTE, SHE DESERVES AN AWARD... However I don't say these things, I just stare, because I don't want to be the local crazy lady who goes up and talks to random strangers and congratulates them on their feeding.
So I'm sorry for staring and making you feel uncomfortable, I'm sorry it looked so different to what it actually was. We think you're awesome! Keep up the amazing work (and maybe just remember, sometimes a staring lady is a mother congratulating you and sometimes a staring man, is usually her husband who is also very pro breastfeeding and thinks you're amazing too!)
Love
Jade - 1 crazy mum!
So how about you, have you ever congratulated anyone or been congratulated?
For more positive feeding in public experiences please hop on over to Monkeyandmouse where you can gain further entries into the grand prize draw. Full terms and conditions can be found on the Keeping Britain Breastfeeding website. UK residents only.