Reddit Is Siding With This Woman Who Stood Up For A Breastfeeding Mom In A Restaurant

Sometimes, a mom just really needs another mom in her corner. Perhaps especially when she’s trying to breastfeed her baby in public and not getting any support from the people around her. And that’s why Reddit is rallying around one woman who stepped up to defend a breastfeeding mom in a restaurant.

Reddit user u/Dazzling-Ruin6979 recently took to the popular subgroup “Am I The A**hole” for guidance on her reaction to a difficult situation. While out for dinner with her boyfriend and two other couples, she shared in her post that she was distracted by a woman at another table who was eating with her partner and what looked to be his parents.

“Baby’s crying for about 15 min now all while the father or no one else for that matter is offering her any help or a break so she can have at least a bite of her food that’s been sitting there cold for about 30 min,” the Redditor wrote. “I really just wanted to run to her grab the baby for a bit and tell her to eat.”

It all came to a head when the mother decided to breastfeed her crying baby at the table and was met with protests. “Baby father says what are you doing? That’s disgusting go to a stall in the bathroom! At this point I lost it,” she wrote, adding that, as a mom herself, she remembered how difficult it was when she was trying to breastfeed without family support, and it got her so upset she approached the table.

“I got up from my table walked over and told him if he found it so disgusting why doesn’t he go eat his sandwich on the the toilet. I said she has been struggling, hasn’t had a bite to eat all while the 3 of you sit there enjoying yourselves and letting her drown,” she wrote on Reddit.

The original poster noted that, while the breastfeeding mom didn’t say anything, she did continue to nurse at the table. As the two women left the restaurant, she also noted the young mom did “give me a smile as we were saying our goodbyes in the parking lot.” But after the Redditor’s boyfriend called her out for butting into someone else’s business, the woman asked the Reddit sub-group if she was in the wrong. And got loads of support.

“You waited, assessed the situation and responded accordingly. I think if anything, the fact that she continued to feed her child proved just how thankful she was for you blowing up on them,” one Reddit user commented.

Another said, “That mom needs more people like OP. Matter of fact, it takes a village, and a village full of women helping each other would make the world a much better place.”

This person added, “I'm sure she was glad of the support even if she was unable to say so at that time. I'm also certain the other restaurant patrons were happy the baby stopped crying. So in that sense, you stopped a scene from being made. Good job!”

As far as the suggestion to breastfeed in the washroom went, this social media user was not a fan. “Not to mention that a bathroom stall is just about the most unsanitary and loathsome place to suggest to your spouse to go breastfeed your child!” they wrote. “What era did she pull these people out from? I'm absolutely gobsmacked with the rudeness and temerity of her spouse, and the indifference of his parents!”

Breastfeeding in public continues it’s slow uphill battle towards being normalized in the U.S., and perhaps one of the best ways to make moms feel comfortable is to stand up for them as this woman did. Although maybe with a bit more finesse, as she acknowledged herself when she wrote. “Next time I feel the urge to say something I’m going to take a breath and find a better way to communicate that doesn’t put anyone in danger or interrupt other people,” she added.

The incident left a lasting impression on the poster, particularly after her boyfriend broke up with her because, among other reasons, “one of the things he liked about me was how I kept my ‘mom life’ separate from my relationship with him.” She explained that her boyfriend had not been a part of her life when she was taking care of her 5-year-old daughter (she and her ex-partner split custody, allowing her to date without involving her child), and her reaction at the restaurant brought that into his life.

Moms supporting other moms, even when it’s tricky and uncomfortable. That’s what this is all about. Especially when a mom looks to be struggling.