Being asked to cover up while breastfeeding is a pretty common occurrence for nursing moms. Sometimes it seems like a mild-mannered suggestion (“Would you like something to cover up?”) and other times it’s a bit more confrontational (“Ugh, no one wants to see that!”).
Using a nursing cover or not is a personal preference, of course, and often times dictated by baby’s preference. Eating with a blanket over your head probably isn’t very comfortable, after all, and many babies refuse to eat once their faces are covered.
And that’s exactly what Brock Smith was looking to point out when he posted a video on Facebook on July 3 showing himself eating dinner with a blanket covering his head.
The video takes place at a public restaurant and Smith is heard saying things like, “I can’t see anything.” The clip was then posted on Breastfeeding Mama Talk and has since been shared more than 2,200 times.
“We are just so passionate about breastfeeding moms and the selflessness that the act calls for,” Smith told Breastfeeding Mama Talk. “For people to be ignorant enough to harass a mother trying to have a normal life while breastfeeding a child just infuriates us. We have never been harassed ourselves but we hear all the horror stories from friends and social media … just something we thought to do!”
We have to give this dad credit for getting involved and advocating for the rights of nursing moms. Despite growing awareness about the importance of breastfeeding, the issue of whether moms should have to cover up while nursing is somehow still hotly debated.
In April, a mother in North Carolina was breastfeeding in court when a judge told her to cover up. A nursing mom in Ohio was asked to leave a Pizza Hut in March for not covering herself and a California mom was in the news in February after being asked to cover up while breastfeeding during a flight.
If these news stories are any indication, many people still don’t understand that women should be allowed to feed their babies however they feel is best without fear of criticism or being asked to leave an establishment. We hope more dads start speaking out like Smith did – and the video he made is priceless.
Do you think Smith’s video will help raise awareness about why breastfeeding moms shouldn’t have to cover up while nursing? Tell us in the comments!
