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It was an innocent Tuesday afternoon; I met with a friend at a coffee shop to chat about mommy stuff. After a morning of poopy diapers and screaming tantrums, while trying to organise the house, a little chit-chat and my vanilla iced latte seemed well deserved. Baby was finally asleep in the pram; it only took a 30-minute drive across the pebbles to wiggle her into dream land—and of course halfway into my coffee, she woke up asking for a drink herself. No problem, that’s what mommy is here for!
Standard procedure: gracefully drape a shawl over my shoulder, open two buttons of my blouse, fold down the bra, and pop the baby on. If only! It feels more like a wrestling match with a hungry lion cub, and yes, everyone sees everything. Some look away respectfully, a few want to help (inappropriate!), and others feel satisfied just passing judgmental looks. Of course, there’s the occasional creep that stares a bit too long waiting for the nip-slip. Ugh!
Social standing
People ask me why I even breastfeed in public and why I share photos on social media. I’ll tell you why. I hope that one day (soon) women will be able to get out of their chaotic homes to have a coffee with their friend and feed their baby when needed, without feeling awkward. Simply because it’s the most natural thing to do.
I’m really happy because the response to my posts on social media has been overwhelmingly positive. Women (and men) from all over India are writing comments saying how grateful they are that I’m helping to normalise breastfeeding. Being a mother is a full-time job, and every mom would agree, it’s a tough one. The least we could expect is that people would encourage us rather than judge us for simply wanting to feed baby.
Evelyn Sharma and her husband recently welcomed their first child together, Ava Rania Bhindi
I Say Chaps is an occasional guest column that allows passionate, creative people a platform to have their say.
From HT Brunch, April 9, 2022
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