In a world where most mothers are often shamed and humiliated for breastfeeding in public, one mother in Iowa was shocked when her waitress decided to take a different, more comforting route. Instead of giving her dirty looks and confronting her, the waitress paid for part of her meal.
Jackie Johnson Smith, an Iowa mother of three sons, was eating a birthday dinner at Fang’s Restaurant in Des Moines when her one-year-old son started acting up. Smith did what any mother would do and tried to keep her baby occupied with toys. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working.
In a desperate attempt to satisfy her fussy little one, she “decided to nurse him. I grabbed a cover from my diaper bag, threw it on, and started nursing him in the booth,” she explained to ABC News, adding they were in the corner of the restaurant where no one could see them.
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Smith thought she was doing right, but started to stress out when the waitress gave her “this look” – a look mothers can relate to. “I thought, ‘Is she thinking that I shouldn’t be doing this now?’ I was just trying to keep my son happy and calm for others in the restaurant,” she said.
When her son started acting up a second time, Smith decided to take her son back to the car and wait for her husband to pay the check. Considering the ‘look’ she received and wanting to avoid any further humiliation or embarrassment, she felt it was best to leave the restaurant.
What she didn’t realize is that the waitress wasn’t giving her a weird look. In fact, the waitress wanted to applaud her, especially since the waitress was once in her shoes as a breastfeeding mother. When the waitress saw Smith leave, she wanted to find a way to show her appreciation.
The waitress, Bodi Kinney, paid for one of the pizzas and wrote a note on the receipt – which she handed to Smith’s husband. “Without making a big scene or making her uncomfortable, I really wanted to thank her for breastfeeding and tell her I supported her,” said Kinney.
Of course, Smith was delighted to learn of the waitress’ appreciation. “I kept reading the note over and over and over again in shock. I teared up, I was emotional. I have breastfed for five years, on and off, and I never got such positive affirmation for what I was doing,” she said.
Smith Has Sound Advice for All the Breastfeeding Mothers Out There
In her interview with ABC News, Jackie Johnson Smith opened up about the vulnerability and overall hate mothers face when breastfeeding in public. It’s something that many have voiced their concerns about in recent years as mothers share their own personal experiences.
“I’ve been stared at, given dirty looks. People said, ‘There are places for that.’ With my first child, I really felt the pressure and fear. I hid in the car whenever I had to breastfeed,” said Smith, adding that ‘breastfeeding can make you feel so vulnerable.’ She has learned to look past it.
“Now I just do it. I realized I have to be rooted in my convictions. I truly believe breastfeeding is the right thing to do. I’m giving nutrition to my babies, it has no bearing on anyone else. I absolutely encourage it,” she continued, adding that any mother knows what’s best for their kid.
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She urged mothers to trust their judgment when raising their children – even if others can’t accept it. It makes interactions like the one above so special. “I was amazed at her kindness and how she went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable and accepted,” said Smith.
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