1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 897 [Interest Areas] Concerned Citizen Health Care Provider [Comment] One of my biggest challenges as a mother who wanted to exclusively breastfeed was the isolation I felt as I tried to achieve that goal. My daughter did not accept a bottle or a pacifier. I also breastfed on demand to ensure a healthy supply and to meet my daughter's needs, which meant in the first several months I was often breastfeeding every hour. Furthermore, I never saw why I should have to put my daughter and myself (already sleep deprived and stressed) through pumping, preparing bottles, carrying around bottles and trying not to spoil them, forcing my daughter to accept a bottle or get on a schedule when babies are meant to breastfeed and I was being encouraged to do this! For all these reasons not breastfeeding in public seemed next to impossible to me - unless I went outside for 30 minutes at a time (and you try grocery shopping or running any errand with a baby in thirty minutes having gotten two to four hours of sleep- ha!) At the same time I found that others did not understand any of this and were often downright rude (staring, making nasty comments, suggesting I might want to go 'somewhere else'). I often felt as though I was trapped in my house and completely alone. I thought during these times about giving up and it made an otherwise enjoyable activity for myself and my daughter feel like a burden. I found myself going to Babies R Us alot because they had a nursing station in their store. I didn't need anything there, I just needed to be out in the world with other people. I can't express how difficult it is and depressing to feel trapped, alone, with a small baby and feel the choice is between your sanity and giving her what you believe is best and want for her! I eventually was able to let go of my hangups and others and did what was best for my daughter and I. This took alot of courage and at times was scary. I am fortunate that it is against the law where I live to harass or cite a woman for breastfeeding in public. That doesn't mean people don't but I could at least repeat that to myself again and again (as well as my husband) as I braved the public. I wished during that time that there were special rooms and signs even in public places everywhere that welcomed women to breastfeed. Something like that would truely have sent a message to others, legitimized what I was doing was a natural and the right thing for my baby, reduced my feeling of isolation, and made it one less hassle I had to deal with during those trying early days of first-time parenting. I believe if such a thing were to happen you would have many, many more women breastfeeding sucessfully. [Topic] 
Support for Breastfeeding in Public Settings
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic