I am one of those mothers who sits there breastfeeding, not necessarily in defiance, but in an air of total entitlement. I am entitled to BFed in public, and if you've got something nasty to say about it, honestly you need to take a good long hard look at yourself. That you're that narrow-minded and bitter affects me not one iota.
I have BFed in church, on park benches, while walking down the Hay Street Mall, sitting on an armchair in Myer, at the swiming pool, in people's homes, in front of strangers and will not feel the need to hide it and explain it. I've never fed on the floor at woolies before but I have BFed in Big W once.
If anyone ever commented (and tbh it's only ever happened a few times in my 40 odd months in total of BFing) I just smile serenely at them as if to say 'so what?'
I figure people have a choice - they can watch me breastfeed, or they can listen to Oliver cry. Personally, I'd rather see a baby being breastfed any day than listen to it screaming. I get quite disressed when other people's babies are upset, and I did so even before getting pregnant and having my own. I'm yet to have been challenged by strangers but I have had some comments from friends. Not negative comments mind you, just curious ones. I'm the first in our circle to have a baby so I'm taking it as my role to teach everyone else that breastfeeding is normal.
I must be very lucky because in my area both shopping centres have nice clean parents rooms. Both have seperate cubicles for feeding but when I use them I ususally don't bother to shut the door/curtain, because I want to watch the telly! I had a lovely chat the other day with a little boy who must have been about 5 or 6, all about his dog and my cats, while I was feeding Oliver and his mum was taking his sister to the loo. I've fed in cafe's and restaurants too, and I usually will drape a muslin over then. I only really do it because I prefer to pull my boob out over my top rather than expose my belly and I don't really want to give a bunch of strangers and eyefull. If its friends or family I just whip it out and figure they will get over it.
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