You make a good point, Margaret, and my anecdotal experience reflects just that... almost.
   
  When I was a 23 year old new mother and not yet confident (or competent ;-) ) with breastfeeding in public, I had a couple of people make derogatory comments to me.  Fortunately, both times this happened my 6'2", 220 lb husband was with us and acted/spoke as an excellent buffer.  
   
  Fourteen years later, when I was a new mother again at 37 and would have bitten the head off of anyone who dared look askance or speak inappropriately to me, I only had one person ever comment on my breastfeeding in public.  That was a salesperson who very sweetly and gently offered to unlock a fitting room for me.  When I smilingly insisted that I was comfortable right where I was and she persisted in offering the fitting room, I very gently suggested that perhaps she should go lock herself in the fitting room instead and I would come knock on the door to let her know when I was finished feeding my baby in the way in which Nature intended.  She huffed and puffed and walked away as I smiled ever-so-sweetly at her backside.  And this was at a Babies 'R' Us... maybe she was afraid I might influence some other customer to breastfeed instead of buying formula and bottles from them.  ;-)
   
  I really do think it made all the difference when I was breastfeeding in public the second time around that I was confident and looked directly at anyone I felt staring at me with a big, friendly smile on my face.  I chose to assume they were staring because they were curious rather than disapproving, and I wanted anyone who was curious to feel welcome to ask whatever questions they had.  
   
  Cee

"Margaret G. Bickmore" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
  I have always done this while BFIP -- I sit up straight and look 
around and make eye contact with people who look my way. And in over 
9 years of nursing I have never had anyone say anything to me about 
it. There have been a few raised eyebrows but that is all.

I think that appearing comfortable and confident repels criticism. 
When we talk about nursing in public at LLL meetings I try to make 
this point. Sit up, look people in the eye, and smile.

Margaret
Longmont, CO
who did just that today at Denver's National Mile High Breastfeeding 
Celebration where we broke the state record for most mothers nursing 
simultaneously in one place (I was actually chasing down my 
2-year-old at the moment of the mass latch-on -- he had been nursing 
a minute before though!)



>So the thought hit me: maybe this is just what moms need to do on 
>occasion when they are out in public nursing their babies - look 
>directly at the lookers, and smile.
>

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