The Fish Pond: The Great Virtual Breast Fest -- Because Breasts Are For Feeding First

I am proud today to step up and participate in the Great Virtual Breast Fest, sponsored by the League of Maternal Justice. I am tired of all the garbage associated with feeding our children the natural way, the way nature intended, just because we happen to be out and about and some people think we should be cloistered away in our bedrooms or, worse, in horrid public bathrooms. Unfortunately, those people seem to be a vocal minority. It's time we nursing mothers, and those who support them, become the Vocal Majority.

Here, in all our nursing glory, are Nemo and me, taken this morning as he had his morning nummies:

Oh, the horror! Oh, the indignity.

Yeah, whatever. I happen to think it's beautiful. I have breastfed all four of my children, for various lengths of time, based on how long they, and I, wanted to nurse. I cannot imagine staying in my house and going nowhere for the better part of the first year of each of their lives - who would have done the grocery shopping? The transport to and from school for the bigger kids? Was I supposed to tell Trout no she couldn't take ballet, tell Little Man he couldn't take lacrosse, tell Sunny she couldn't take gymnastics, because the baby might want to eat then?

It's people like Bill Maher, organizations like Facebook, with their prudish attitudes, that made it so that my sister thinks breastfeeding is icky, that have made some people think we should be relegated to feeding our children in bathrooms, sitting on toilets. If I have to do that, then they are welcome to join me, with their dinner, of course.

Breastfeeding is amazing. It is one of the most rewarding and pleasurable experiences of my life, when Nemo's not biting, that is. I am beyond grateful that I got to experience it, that I stuck it out when things got tough, which they do, because this is hard. It takes guts and determination and, sometimes, lots of support. If you are nursing or want to nurse, you can do it. It is wonderful, and you will love it. If you love someone who is trying to breastfeed, tell them they are doing a fantastic job. Be a cheerleader. If you see someone nursing in public, give them a smile, or a kind word of encouragement.

I support the work of the League of Maternal Justice, and I urge you to do the same. Put up your nursing pictures, or nurse live with a webcam. If you feel uncomfortable doing that, visit their site to get a copy of their Boob Montage, and put that up. Put up a button, like this: