No Privacy

Having a child is a humbling experience. Labor and Delivery is unlike anything you can possibly imagine, it's painful, messy, hectic, and basically "out there" for everyone to see.

There has been one issue though that has bothered me throughout my whole pregnancy as well as now that my baby has arrived. Breastfeeding.

I'm sorry, but I don't think my breasts or what I do with them for that matter are anyone else's business but mine. It's amazing how many people ask "Are you breastfeeding" or when I was pregnant, " Are you going to breastfeed?" It's one thing to have that sort of conversation with my mother, but when people I barely know ask me that question, it makes my skin crawl.

Why is it that pregnancy and new babies seem to make people forget manners and etiquette?? The breastfeeding question is the most annoying, but there are other instances where my privacy has been thrown out the door. After delivery for example, people feel like they can come visit you in the hospital and just stay there for as long as they want. Hello? When you have a baby, things are still messy, getting up and going to the bathroom takes a lot of work, and having to do it while someone is sitting there watching you is so annoying. Not to mention your hormones are crazy, and if you are trying to nurse, you have to feed your baby every 2 hours, and some people don't even have the sense to offer to step outside when it's time for your baby to eat, they wait for YOU to tell them to leave.

My ultimate peeve though, is people who just show up without calling. When your still in the hospital that's one thing, you have to accept that people are going to be dropping in, and thats fine, but when you get home and you are trying to adjust to life with a new baby and someone has the nerve to show up at your house and lay on the doorbell without even calling to see if it would be okay to stop by (which they probably didn't call because they KNEW it wasn't okay to stop by but wanted to anyway) that is TOTALLY uncool!

AND when it comes to breastfeeding, don't make someone feel guilty about not doing it. In my case, I tried to nurse, and then I pumped. Whether I nursed or pumped I still had to supplement with formula every now and then because my body just couldn't keep up with the ounces my little one was taking in...so now, she is strictly on formula, and yes I felt guilty when I made the switch. Oddly enough, I can't even say why I felt so guilty, I think as a woman it is drilled into us that breastfeeding is so good for your baby, and I know the lactation consultants at the hospital where crazy about coming in and lecturing me about nursing, and staying patient (because believe it or not, nursing is hard work). The fact that everyone and their brother felt the need to ask me the breastfeeding question, and then give me "the look" when I answered with "No, not anymore" didn't help either.

Oh well, my baby is thriving and that is all that matters. But honestly, the ridiculousness of some people can just drive you crazy!