When Nicolle Blackman was told to “cover up” while breastfeeding her son in a McDonald’s, she ingeniously covered her face instead, highlighting the absurdity of the request. The critic had complained it was “making her husband stare,” despite Nicolle’s discreet nursing. “You could only see the side of my boob so I was like ‘okay’ and covered my face,” she recounted, using her son’s muslin. Annoyed by the implication, Nicolle questioned, “Why would I cover up my son? He holds his breath when he’s covered.”

This incident, a first for Nicolle, aimed to “bring light to the situation,” challenging the unnecessary sexualization and judgement surrounding public breastfeeding. Nicolle’s son had a recent procedure for lip-tie and tongue-tie, making bottle feeding not an option, emphasizing the need to understand before judging. Nicolle hopes her stance encourages other women to “stand up for their children,” advocating for the right to breastfeed in public without shame. “I’m hoping to help other women by speaking out about it,” she stated, aspiring to empower and support breastfeeding mothers everywhere.