Search Results: reality check

As a mother of two who plans on having at least one more child, I'd like to know if you think it's safe to breastfeed in public? I definitely plan on breastfeeding my third child just as I did my other children, but after a negative experience in public, I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable or appropriate breastfeeding in a public area again. I was in the park breastfeeding my son and this man was staring at me and my baby intently. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was staring. When I tried to turn my body away, he gradually repositioned himself at a different angle. I was so uncomfortable that I had to stop my baby's meal and carry my wailing child back to the car and I just kept telling him, "Mommy's sorry but dinner is going to have to wait." When I told my husband about it, he was PISSED. Absolutely livid and enraged. He didn't want me going for walks in that park alone after that and kept talking about how he could have been an "uncaught sex offender or pedophile".

This was a reality check for me that even though breasts were made to feed babies and not be sexualized, a creepy guy who could be a sex offender or rapist for all I know is not going to see things that way and show me respect when I'm breastfeeding in public. I'm on the fence about publicly breastfeeding at all after that and I'm starting to think it's better to just pre-pump milk and keep it refrigerated for public outings or break down and use formula if we're in public and I didn't have time to pump milk. If I'm with my husband, other family, or friends then I'll bring a cover-up but I'm truly starting to feel like breastfeeding in public not knowing who could be watching or maybe even recording me should be a last resort.

What do you think? Mothers, have you had an experience like this where you were breastfeeding in public and someone just gave you really bad, creepy vibes? Is it safe to do such a vulnerable act in public?