This Nursing Mom's Husband Says She's an 'Exhibitionist' For Breastfeeding in Public, And Reddit Has THOUGHTS
Nothing riles me up faster than a woman being shamed for breastfeeding her child. Seriously, it’s 2022 and we’re still defending a woman’s right to nurse her baby without covering up? Apparently, this husband on Reddit didn’t get the memo, as he called his wife an “exhibitionist” for breastfeeding in public.
In Reddit’s Am I The A–hole? forum, a nursing mom posted about her husband asking her to use formula instead of breastfeeding her baby in public.
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“I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding,” she wrote. “My hubby took his paternity leave the last few weeks while I’ve been working, and we had talked about having some powder formula on hand. Mostly so that if he was running errands or out on a long walk, he’d have something he could mix for the baby to eat and not have to worry about breast milk expiring and being left empty handed.” So far, it makes sense. She wants her husband to be able to feed the baby easily while she’s working — nothing weird about that. But, then, he had to open his mouth and tell her what to do with her body.
“He said something tonight like, ‘oh you could use it too if you didn’t want to whip out a boob in the park’ to which I was like…no I would just feed him,” she wrote. “What’s wrong with feeding him in the park? And he starts going on about how he thinks I’m an ‘exhibitionist’ about it.” Excuse me, sir? There are no words for this kind of ignorance. What husband — and father — thinks his wife is trying to be an exhibitionist for nursing her baby in the park or anywhere else?
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The husband later tried to tell her that he didn’t like that she breastfed their baby in front of his brother, who was staying at their one-bedroom apartment. She said her brother-in-law is a nurse, “so I figured he sees body parts all the time.” Even if not, she added, “I’m not going to spend a couple hours every day hiding away like I’m ashamed to feed my child. I’m so disappointed with my husband’s attitude toward this.”
The wife said her husband’s negativity surrounding breastfeeding is making her “really irritable and bitter.” I completely understand! She then wanted to know, “Was it out of line to breastfeed without a cover in my own home in front of a family member? And the comment about the park — is that what he thinks when other women breastfeed? Why does it have to be sexualized?? I guess I’m just looking to rant and like, what next? I feel like it’s incredibly controlling and immature to be so concerned about breastfeeding in public.”
Reddit has THOUGHTS about this immature and controlling husband. One commenter wrote, “My jaw is on the floor reading your post. You do you!” Another said, “Unless he is whipping a tit out to feed your baby, tell him to stfu and mind his business and his tongue. An exhibitionist? For feeding your baby?”
Someone else said, “Not his boobs, not his problem. The sexualization of breasts/breastfeeding and the commodification of female bodies is the problem here. You do what you feel comfortable with; do not let anyone push or shame you into anything else.”
One commenter summed it up perfectly by writing, “I have always been very self-conscious about my body but I will whip my titty out in a second for my baby girl. Sorry but fuck him and his 1950s oppression.”
After all the commenters supporting her, the nursing mom added an update to say: “Thank you everyone for the responses! It feels great to have my feelings validated and get that encouragement to keep feeding my child as I see fit.” Keep doing you, mama!
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