Lactivism Alive in Austin

Today we went to the Breastfeeding Challenge at Republic Square Park. The goal was to get as many women as possible breastfeeding their children at the same time. It was amazing to be in such great company! I saw little babies, big babies, young babies and older babies. One thing was sure. None of these babies wanted to eat at 11am.

It didn't help that the Einstein that was organizing this event decided an air horn would be a good instrument to alert everyone to the "latch start time". Sadly, 103 women lost nipples that day. Oh well. It was the thought that counts, and I was proud to be a part of such a great event. And it worked at getting the word out! A man asked me later what we were all doing there and I proudly (and perhaps too loudly) explained to him that we were staging a breastfeeding nurse in. He sputtered once, stammered twice and quickly stumbled away.

Not all the men in the park were so uncomfortable though! There were several proud papas standing guard over their broods, just waiting for someone to look cross-eyed at their hungry allbeit distracted nurslings. I know, my husband was one of these.

The only uncomfortable thing that happened (aside from the airhorn caused head turn) was that a woman from CT's office was at the event. Nothing aids office politics like flashing a nipple.