Public breastfeeding is a topic that is frequently discussed in society. Many moms partake in this behaviour since it is occasionally inevitable, but the topic of concealing their bodies while doing so has many tongues wagging, as this story demonstrates.
Breastfeeding is one of the many magical aspects of parenthood. Mothers are well aware that newborns cannot be placed in a corner, particularly when they are hungry.
When a baby needs its breast milk, no matter what time it is, what a mother is doing, or how public a place is, the mother must be fast to respond.
Given the advantages and need of nursing for both mom and baby, the question of breastfeeding in public has caused several debates to date.
Since it is growing more popular, it appears to draw a lot more attention than bottle feeding — and not necessarily the “aww, adorable” sort.
The situation described above was that of a nursing mom whose tale went viral in 2018. A stranger approached her as she was nursing her child in public and ordered her to “cover up.” But the mom’s reaction to the stranger’s statements added to the fun of her narrative.
Melanie Libson Dudley, a native of Texas and a new mother, sought to conceal her nursing. Even while nursing her three-month-old kid in a restaurant nook, she had her back to the other customers.
Dudley was also wearing a nursing cover, but the heat forced her to remove it. Remembering the experience, the mother of three told that she was on holiday with her entire family in Cabo San Lucas when a man urged her to cover herself. She was normally quiet, but they sat in the rear of the restaurant.
She was wearing a cover, but it was so hot. Her small son was sweating profusely because it was close to 95 degrees outside. She said to herself, ‘I’m on vacation, so I’m taking this off.’ After removing the nursing cover, a stranger approached Dudley and requested her to “cover up.”
The mother of three stated that she was “shocked,” and she instantly had an unexpected reaction to the stranger’s statements. Dudley asked her husband for the nursing cover, which she then used to cover her head.
The woman added that she simply placed it over her head. She is not sure why. It wasn’t like a raunchy brawl or anything. That was simply her reaction. She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just covered her head.
After covering her head, Dudley’s husband snapped a photo of the amusing scene, which was then posted on Facebook by his mother’s friend, Carol Lockwood, on July 30, 2018. The photo was captioned by Lockwood:
“When a friend’s daughter-in-law was advised to ‘cover up’ while nursing her infant, she did so.” I’ve never met her, but she’s AMAZING!!! (Please spread the word! I’ve made this article public with permission – I’m SO sick of people condemning women for breastfeeding!!!”
A friend’s daughter-in-law was told to “cover up” while feeding her baby, so she did!🤣 I’ve never met her, but I think…
Posted by Carol Lockwood on Monday, July 30, 2018
Lockwood also disclosed that the stranger was a male and that Dudley was not in a Muslim nation, which was disrespectful to customs. The post received over 137 thousand replies and 200 thousand shares after the Facebook user shared it. Many others flocked to the comments area to express their feelings on the occurrence.
“If you want to nurse in public, do it,” one person remarked. If you don’t like it, don’t do it, and don’t judge those who do. I’m confident your senses can survive a brief peek at a lady nursing her child without causing severe psychological harm before turning away.”
“I believe she is clever. If you must cover, use a lovely handkerchief attached to your top to delicately cover the baby’s head. You won’t get too heated this way. “Those nursing coverings are ridiculous,” another person said.
“OMG, I FREAKING LOVE that gal!” said a third respondent. No mother should be stigmatised for breastfeeding her child! I’ve seen mothers do it in public and never felt it was sexual or embarrassing. I believe this is the most magnificent and loving interaction between a mother and her son/daughter. “GOOD FOR HER!!!”
Some comments, on the other hand, denounced Dudley’s public nursing and her response. “I think nursing is a lovely thing.” However, I feel there should be some modesty. “Sorry, I’m old school,” a Facebook user responded.
“I really don’t see why her full breast has to be on view,” another netizen explained. “Feeding your infant does not excuse decency or respect for other people.”
“I think it’s quite insulting for a lady to open her breast and nurse her infant in public.” What’s unfortunate is that so many individuals have lost sight of the fact that some things should be kept private and intimate,” a third user said.
After the post went viral, Dudley stated that she felt it did so because public nursing was an issue that many women identified with, and they were weary of hearing about it.
Dudley anticipated that because the next month was National Breastfeeding Month, moms would emphasize on what was best for them and their kids. The greater lesson, according to the mom of three, was to encourage nursing women, whether they decided to cover or not.
Dudley is only one of several women who have faced criticism for public nursing. Nicole Blackman found herself in a similar position in 2017 when a female stranger urged her to cover up while breastfeeding her son.
Blackman, like Dudley, responded creatively. The same thing happened four months ago to Avery Lane, who was requested to cover up with a towel while breastfeeding her infant.
