"I want you to know, I just love seeing breast feeding mamas in public!" said the stranger as she swam up alongside me at Mt. Scott pool. I was perched on the edge of the kid's leisure pool watching C play with F in the water. X was happily latched on and sucking away. I have no compunction about not covering up, because why? I had asked her about her little boy (a young toddler) and where he learned to swim. She volunteered these encouraging words out of blue as we chatted amiably.
I love that about Portland. It is one of the only places I know where you can just be yourself -whoever that is --and not only will you not take any shit for it, people will give you their thumb's up. C was visiting from her new home in Fort Worth, Texas and God knows she doesn't get a lot of encouragement on the breast feeding front there -or on any front for that matter. She is just lucky F is a tiny 15 months, otherwise she would surely be the subject of scorn and derision whenever she feeds her. Admittedly I have not been out and about all that much, but I have yet to fend off any criticism or field any hostile words or glances. I wish every breast feeding mama had the same good luck.
1 comment:
Glad to hear it. I also received some similar comments. It's helpful to have support, even from strangers.
Post a Comment