Mom breastfeeding in 95°F heat was told to 'cover up' in restaurant — her epic comeback drew cheers from the internet
Moms with newborns and infants already have it hard with the lack of facilities and overbearing concerns when outdoors with their babies. The least we can do on our part is try to ease things for them. Showing a little concern for a breastfeeding mom in public is a humane thing to do. However, when someone asked Melanie Dudley to “cover up” while breastfeeding her infant, she had a spot-on and epic answer, per TODAY. In a post shared by her mother-in-law, Kitty Yannone, the mom made it clear that she had to do her job as a primary parent, but also decided to heed the stranger’s unsolicited advice.
The mom mentioned that she usually tries to breastfeed as carefully as possible, following discretion. She noted that she tries to cover up as much as possible. However, that particular day, it was extremely hot and inconvenient. “I did have the cover on, but it was so hot. It was like, 95 degrees and my little baby was sweating," she recalled. She then thought to herself that since she was on vacation, she could cut herself some slack and decided to take her shirt off. In the picture shared by Yannone, Dudley can be seen with her T-shirt covering most of her body, except one of her breasts from which her infant was feeding. That’s when a stranger approached her and asked her to “cover up.”
Initially, Dudley was stunned. She was unsure how to respond despite the weather and the idea of breastfeeding being so obvious. However, moments later, she had a plan. She asked her husband for the nursing cover and put it over her head as an indication that she was “covering up.” “I just put it over my head. I don't know why. It wasn't like a salacious fight or anything. That was just my response. I had no words so I thought, I'll just cover my head instead,” Dudley explained. The mom went on to share that breastfeeding in public is already an inconvenience for moms due to the lack of infrastructure. Moreover, strangers suggesting the idea of doing so in public restrooms is "unhygienic."
The mother-in-law who shared the picture on Facebook was proud that the mom took a stand. “I love my daughter-in-law so much,” she wrote in the caption. Another woman, Carol Lockwood shared the picture and wrote, “A friend’s daughter-in-law was told to ‘cover up’ while feeding her baby, so she did! I’ve never met her but I think she’s awesome.” “I just can't believe it. It's wild to me,” she said. “If there's a larger message to this, it’s just be supportive.” Dudley urged people to at least be more understanding. “Let's be supportive of women who want to nurse in public, with or without a cover. I mean, just do your thing. It's not hurting anyone,” she remarked. Laura Smith remarked, “Stand up for what is right, how dare they?!” Ilalo Parayno added, “Define cover up, ha!” Nanci Kreidman wrote, “I love a woman with a sense of humor.”