Moms Need To Stand Together

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I was feeding Baby Girl at the park this weekend when a little boy (about 5, I would guess) walked by with his mom.

"What's she doing under that blanket, Mom?" he asked.

"She's feeding her baby. Let's give her privacy, okay?"

"Why is she feeding her baby like that?"

"Because she's a good mommy," the mom replied. I smiled at her, grateful that she wasn't going to give me crap for breastfeeding in public.

"Did you feed me like that?" the little boy asked.

"No, honey, I gave you a bottle," the mom said. There was a little bit of sadness as she said it, and she looked away, as if she was afraid I would judge her.

"Why didn't you feed me like that?" the little boy asked, pointing to me. (God, kids are tenacious, aren't they?)

"Well," the mom began, but she was clearly at a loss for what to say. After all, she had just said that I was a good mommy for breastfeeding. The implication, that was not lost on her son, was that she was not.

"Hey, Buddy," I called over to the boy. I didn't care that they would know I was eavesdropping. "Your mommy feed you with a bottle because she is a good mommy too."

"Okay," the boy said and his mom and I shared a smile, both relieved to have our "good mommy-hoods" reaffirmed.

I was just glad I could return the favor to her.