Breastfeeding in public is a constantly debated topic in society. Most mothers pay attention to this sometimes unavoidable act, but it is all about covering the body while breastfeeding, and this story is proof of that.
No matter what time of day, what the mother is doing or where she is in public, the mother must react quickly when the baby is crying out for breast milk.
Despite the benefits and necessity of breastfeeding for both mother and child, the issue of breastfeeding remains controversial among the public.
For Melanie Libson Dudley, a young mother from Texas, breastfeeding was something she tried to do discreetly. Even when she was breastfeeding her three-month-old son in a corner of the restaurant, she had her back to other diners.
The mother-of-three said she was “stunned” and immediately reacted in an unusual way to the words of the strangers. She asked her husband for a nursing cover and when she got it, she covered her head with it.
Lockwood also revealed that the stranger was male, adding that Dudley was not in a Muslim country and did not follow traditions. After the Facebook user posted her story, it received over 137,000 reactions and was shared 200,000 times. Many users expressed their opinion on the incident in the comments.
One user wrote: “If you want to breastfeed in public, do it. If you don’t like it, don’t do it and don’t watch those who do. I’m sure your senses can endure a few seconds of watching a woman breastfeeding her baby without suffering permanent psychological damage before turning away.
“I think it’s great. If someone feels the need to cover up, try tying a nice scarf around your head to lightly cover the baby’s head. That way it won’t overheat. I think these nursing covers are overkill,” another user wrote.
On the other hand, some netizens condemned Dudley’s public breastfeeding and reaction. “I think breastfeeding is a good thing. But at the same time, I think there should be some modesty. Sorry I’m old fashioned,” one Facebook user replied.
“I think it’s incredibly disrespectful for a woman to bare her breasts and breastfeed her baby in public. It’s a shame so many people have lost the notion that certain things should be kept intimate and private,” admitted a third user.
After the post aired, Ms Dudley said she thought it had gone viral because breastfeeding in public is a topic many women care about and are tired of talking about.
Like Dudley, Blackman also reacted creatively. This was also the case for Avery Lane, who four months earlier had been asked to cover herself with a towel while breastfeeding her baby.