Internet reassures distressed new mom that her husband's aunt wanting to breastfeed her baby is 'highly unacceptable'
Even though everyone wants their family to have a close bond with their baby, they can set some boundaries as parents for the child's well-being. Similarly, a 27-year-old mom, u/MenuFit4296, had to firmly put her foot down when her husband's aunt, Pam, wanted to breastfeed her daughter. At first, the new mom thought she was joking. But when she realized that the aunt was serious, the mom was beyond stunned and decided to stand her ground, per a story shared by her on Reddit.
The woman thought the entire incident was weird and wanted the internet's opinions on the same. "I gave birth to my daughter about two months ago. She's happy, healthy and nursing well," the mom wrote. Her husband comes from a tight-knit Southern family. Even though some of them can be a little overbearing, they are mostly sweet. "But his aunt, Pam (yes, real name changed), is on another level." The aunt is in her 40s, has two grown kids and is weirdly "obsessed" with babies. "We visited his family for the first time with the baby last weekend." Everyone was excited to meet the baby. Pam held the baby and rocked her, and then made a weird request.
"[She] casually asked, 'Do you mind if I try to breastfeed her? It helps with bonding.'" The mom thought that she was just joking and laughed it off. But soon enough, she realized that the woman was being "totally serious." She told the mom, "I did it with my niece when she was a baby. It calmed her right down. I've always had a strong maternal instinct. It's completely natural." The mom firmly refused to do that, but Pam kept on insisting on doing that, saying that the mom was being "uptight" and women have "shared breastfeeding for centuries." The mom added, "I don't care if this was normal in like ancient tribes—it's not happening with my baby." She firmly refused to let Pam do that. The aunt was really offended and walked off.
"Now I’m getting messages from other relatives saying I overreacted, that Pam was just being 'nurturing' and I should’ve let her 'try' because the baby was crying at the time." The woman's husband supported her at first, but later said that it wouldn't have been a big deal. "No. I’m not letting someone else’s boob near my child. Full stop," the mom expressed. However, she wondered if she was really out of line because wet nursing used to be a thing. The mom wasn't struggling with milk supply and hadn't asked for help. "Am I wrong for shutting it down hard and refusing to let her near my daughter again?" People supported the mom in the comment section.
u/Resolutionsafe9868 wrote, "Sure, wet nursing is a thing, but I’m pretty sure your husband’s aunt isn’t lactating. What she was doing was offering her boob as a pacifier. Weird and creepy at best." u/HeyPesky commented, "Even if she were lactating, there's so much that can be transmitted through breast milk. It's a huge trust ask and an ask that should be initiated by the parents not a random family member." u/skinnnyowl remarked, "Also, don't leave her alone with baby (or with husband's family given their reaction), as you may come back to her 'feeding' with a list of reasons why it's fine."