Don't worry-I'm not planning on posting any breastfeeding photos here (I imagine gabster is even more nipple adverse than Facebook.)  And I'm not going to whip out a boob while sitting at your dinner table.  (well maybe Yes Forever's table-but only if I'm really drunk.)  But I've come along way from the sore nipple mommy that was hiding out in the guest bedroom too.  

It's strange because I went from it being fairly painful with me practically crying every time he latched on-too just being routine.  It's almost like I can just put him on my lap and he'll latch on without me having to do anything. (except for the times when he misses and latches on to my belly fat.)

I had this apron-like coverup which I would use when I was nursing anywhere besides home.  I'm sure you all would've gotten a chuckle to see me trying to nurse the biscuit outside of the Anoka Halloween parade on a particularly windy day.

I'd probably still be using it if it weren't for my sister-in-law's mother-in-law. We were out visiting for Thanksgiving.  As soon as I put on my baby feeding bib-my two nieces would be right next to me trying to figure out what was going on behind the curtain.  I'd explain that I was feeding the baby-and they'd look confused and then their mother would come and tell them to leave me alone.  

I was feeding the baby with my pillow and apron-when my sister-in-law's mother in law-whom I've met once before comes walking in, "Oh my gawd-I've got to see this baby she says and she walks right over and just lifts up the nursing cover.  Hello world of in-laws-meet my nursing breasts.  After that, every time my youngest niece would walk by she would want to see the baby eating.  And after being all bare chested in front of thirty people-well, why not, right?  (After all the fuss about baby eating was over-she was trying to decide if I might have another baby.  She took a big breath in and puffed out her tummy and told me that "your belly looks like this, Aunt Kelly."  This came only a week after one of my patients at work, had touched my belly excitedly and asked if had a "brother" in there.-Kids, huh?)  I've shared this one before-but another little girl I work with was trying to figure out how I fed my baby.  When it's not your kid, it's hard to know how much information to give-so I just told her that I give him milk.  She then pointed to her own chest-and said, "my mom fed me from these *pause while thinking of the word* brains." 

When I came back to Minnesota-I found that the nursing cover was more of a pain-it's easier to pop him on when I don't have to worry about cloth getting in the way.  So I decided that the backseat of my car is invisible land and I can do whatever I want without people seeing me.  (I realize this isn't true-but it's not like you're going to see any nipplage-just a baby head surrounded by some flabby peach flesh.)  Today I was out seeing clients all over the metro-and needed to pump-I suppose I could've used a cover up-but it just seemed easier to do it without.  Everything was fine-until I turned around to find a surprised looking family in the car next to mine.  Ooops.

I do still use the cover when I'm at a shopping mall or other clearly public place-more for other's comfort than my own.  And in front of my dad.  I think it's too weird for me to feed the baby in front of my own father-even if he did use to snap my bras back in junior high.