Sounding Off: Breastfeeding in Public

So, tonight we went to Applebees for dinner (after seeing Rio - it was cute!).  I thought that the you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me highlight of my night would be seeing a dude wearing more jewelry than this guy.



But then a group of people walked in - two moms with infants and a family of four.  They came to a large table behind us...leading the group to the table was the family of four with the mom actively breastfeeding a child that is probably a few months shy of a year old.  She was wearing a v-necked sleeveless dress that she had pulled down to leave one breast exposed for the child.  She had no blanket covering herself and made no attempt to cover herself even after sitting at the table.

SO many questions popped into my head.  First, how did this happen?  At what point did she begin breastfeeding....to the degree that she had to walk around the resturant doing so.  Second, why would she make the people with her feel so uncomfortable?  Their whole group became the focus of so much attention.  Lastly, what is up with her man?  Troy would never want me to share with the world something so private.

Let me make a confession.  I did not love breastfeeding.  It hurt, and I hated leaking.  In fact, I disliked it so much with Nate that I didn't even try with Ian.  That being said, I don't have a problem with other people doing it.  One of my favorite friends, Bethany, has breastfed each of her boys for a year, which is wonderful.  I am kind of in the to-each-her-own camp on this one. 

Bethany came up when Troy and I talked about this woman later.  We have both been in the room with Bethany breastfeeding (either at her house or the church) but have never seen it because she uses a blanket.  Neither of us have been offended or uncomfortable in anyway.  But this woman offended me.

I think that I am just still shocked that a woman would be so willing to expose herself in such a way...in public...in front of anyone other than her husband, in fact.  Both Troy and I were happy that our children, specifically our boys, did not see her.  Talk about something you don't want to talk about over dinner.  I honestly don't think I would mind seeing a woman breastfeeding in a resturant if she is using a blanket or some other cover-up for modesty.  Yes, breastfeeding is normal and natural, but they are called private parts for a reason.