<p>some of the “older” kids may actually be younger.
I know that physically, I have known several children who had emotional/mental development delay, but were physically quite large</p>
<p>Long-term nurser of 7 kids here–nursed on planes, including long flights many times. I was never comfortable. I always got window seats and prayed to sit next to a woman if I wasn’t traveling with my husband. I can guess why the mother refused the blanket–the baby just squirms and pulls the blanket off and leaves you more exposed in the process. Loose fitting shirts lifted from the bottom are the way to go–the rest of the shirt and the baby keep you covered. I am modest and never exposed myself. (Being a small person helps). I can’t remember more than a moment or two of fussiness–the babies usually nursed, then slept.</p>
<p>In all those years (18–I just weaned my youngest a couple months ago) the only comment I ever heard was when an elderly woman next to me said, “I’m so glad to see you breastfeeding your baby–women don’t seem to do that much anymore. . .” (That was 15 years ago). Once I asked for a place to nurse at a crowded airport (I really tried to avoid nursing in public–but sitting on toilet in a restroom stall is just too uncomfortable–the baby jumps every time someone flushes)–after some discussion, I was sent to a lounge for the handicapped, which was fine. </p>
<p>I just can’t imagine what problem there could have been in this situation if the woman was sitting next to her husband and not on the aisle. OTH, a 20-month-old can be offered a cup or other food–if I had options with a toddler I’d prefer those to nursing on plane. However, nursing during takeoff is usually recommended to avoid ear pain–maybe the mom was getting ready for that? </p>
<p>It was probably not Tylenol, but benadryl that someone was suggesting to make babies sleep. If I remember correctly, it has come out recently that benadryl should not be given to babies–it can actually make some of them hyper. Also, I recall a case a couple years ago where a flight attendant was fired/sued? for putting benadryl with juice in a crying baby’s bottle. Yes, my parents used to drug us before long car trips too, back in the 60s–the age of “better living through chemistry. . .” but this isn’t encouraged anymore. I’ve been on planes with screaming babies, too. It is annoying, but I wish people could just be patient and trust that the parents are doing all they can. We were all crying babies once ourselves! (Of course we were never taken on planes. . .) </p>
<p>For a couple years I lived in Africa–where mothers nurse everywhere all the time. I wish we could accept breasts/breastfeeding like that here, too.
Last week I saw a woman (recent immigrant) nursing her (older) baby on a bench at WalMart–she was a very large woman and she was completely exposed. No one seemed to care, and even if they did, I can’t imagine anyone having the nerve to tell THAT mother to stop/leave/cover herself!</p>
<p>I’ve never been in a “nurse-in myself,” but more power to these mothers–the slogans are clever.</p>
<p>“she is apparently quite free from bizarre sexual perversions (or at least she conceals them effectively, which is another indication of normalcy in a teenager).”</p>
<p>Marian, LOL</p>
<p>You nursed SEVEN kids, atomom?</p>
<p>Wow!</p>
<p>I think you are the reigning expert here.</p>
<p>
See, that’s the thing. Everyone has a different perception and tolerance level with regard to public nursing. That’s why I DID it w/o reservation, any- and everywhere it was required, but made every effort to be discreet (shirt-puller-upper, here, just enough for the baby to latch on, and then everything was covered by shirt or babe). It did not interest me to make it a political thing as it was a personal/functional activity in my life.</p>
<p>Once my babies were on some type of solid food, after 6 or so months, they generally didn’t seek to breastfeed as much, and most of our breastfeeding took place at home.</p>
<p>“I nursed both my kids, and must confess that even I, proponent of breastfeeding that I am, was slightly aghast when I saw a four or five year old boy walk up to his mother, pick up her shirt, and announce, “I need boobie”.”</p>
<p>That’s hilarious!</p>
<p>When my son was a baby, I nursed him anywhere and everywhere - sitting in restaurants (tables, not booths), walking in the grocery store (him in the sling), wherever. NO ONE EVER said a word to me. I honestly think the mom’s attitude has a lot to do with the responses she will get. I had friends who were very uncomfortable and not at all confident about what they were doing, and people would harass them all the time. Not me. Even though I am small - under 5’ - I was so sure of the ‘rightness’ of what I was doing, that I guess I just put out some sort of vibe that said ‘don’t you dare mess with me.’</p>
<p>I wasn’t always like that - the first 5 months I was very self-conscious and would go into bathrooms. But then I went to the beach with some other nursing moms who had toddlers and they pointed to all the girls in bikinis and I realized how silly it was to be self-conscious when after all this is what the boobs were designed for!</p>
<p>I was discreet - always covered. And, when he as about 2, I made a rule that he only got ‘chi chi’ at home - the only time I made an exception was if he was emotionally distraught for some reason. Most of the time, he was ok with it. By 2 years they can understand a simple ‘we do that in private.’ It was only because by that age I was no longer comfortable myself in public. Also, by that age nursing was more of an emotional thing, and still important to the diet but not the total diet.</p>
<p>He nursed til 3 years 9 months. I have a friend who weaned her son on her 5th birthday. I understand from La Leche League that the AVERAGE weaning age worldwide is something like 5 years!!!</p>
<p>What really floored me was when someone would ask, when my baby was 6 months old, ‘Is he still nursing?’</p>
<p>I mean, what do you mean, STILL???</p>
<p>I saw a boy do that…walk up and reach for mommies’ tata…he was in kindergarten…it wasn’t for nourishment, mom just couldn’t stop cause her son would have a temper tantrum</p>
<p>Oh, I can relate!</p>
<p>2 years was my limit. I wasn’t into “tandem nursing” (2 kids of different ages nursing at the same time). When I see kids over 3 nursing, well, it doesn’t appeal to me.</p>
<p>I’d rather be surrounded by nursing moms than crying babies. Especially if I’m trapped on a plane.</p>
<p>atomom, that is 2 years longer than most moms nurse! So congratulate yourself!</p>
<p>I don’t know if I would have nursed that long either if I’d had another baby. I only had 1 so I was not faced with that problem.</p>