Yet despite these challenges, life in Senegal offers a multitude of benefits. Our “fast food-ethnic-take out” is deliciously prepared Lebanese food which is never fast, but well worth the wait; the beach is always close by and we can visit it on Christmas day; and most importantly for me, breastfeeding in public is easy. So, it was with a bit of anxiety that I thought about breastfeeding my infant during our summer vacation in the US.

I can’t help but compare how difficult it is to breastfeed in the US versus Dakar. At “home” I can breastfeed my son in front of the plumber explaining that he can’t fix my toilet until he gets a spare part from the warehouse in two days time. I can breastfeed at the local beach restaurant on a busy Sunday morning with the local teens eyeing each other. I can even breastfeed at our local pool surrounded by expatriates. Breastfeeding has never been a problem. Never. In fact, people don’t notice, they just keep talking to you or go about their business because they see mothers breastfeeding their babies every day. It is perfectly normal, and dare I say, natural.

Here in the US I see pregnant women and babies everywhere, but in one month of holiday I have yet to see a mother breastfeeding. Where are they? There are plenty of bottles but no breasts; it is sad and intimidating. I am programmed to look for a “safe place” where I can discreetly breastfeed my son if he so desires, much the same way a smoker looks for their smoking section.

This homecoming has been a mixed one, full of re-acculturation on a variety of levels. Oddly enough, breastfeeding in public is one subject where “developed America” could learn a lesson from “impoverished Africa.”

It is estimated that over 10 million women and children die each year mostly from preventable causes. The majority of these deaths can be avoided by implementing low-cost preventive measures such as: exclusive and continuous breastfeeding; vaccination; nutrition; and the proper use of long lasting insecticide-treated bed nets for children in Africa.

Deliver Now will use a two-pronged approach: 1) create political awareness and commitment among leaders and 2) scale up those health programs proven to be effective. It will be coordinated by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and will target Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5 – ensuring all women, newborns, and children survive and thrive.

All professional athletes have coaches. Even amateur athletes have them. Mothers-to-be have labor coaches who are there by their side for the pregnancy, labor, and birth. So why wouldn't mothers keep those they deemed worthy enough to be with them for these special moments by their side for breastfeeding? Many think it's supposed to be simple or natural and don't expect complications to arise, and then when they do it is not easy to face the challenge alone. Mothers may think that the inner circle is just them and their child but fathers also need to be included in achieving the goal of breastfeeding. Here are a few ways that the father/partner/coach can do just that.

Know the benefits of breastfeeding. Supporting the new mother means you are convinced that the breast is best for your baby. Read books, browse the web, talk to friends who have helped other moms breastfeed successfully. Especially in those first sleepless days after the birth, you can't rely on just one person to remember everything, so you need to know what you are talking about in order to be a helpful resource.

1. Reassure and encourage. Mothers will feel more confident in their feeding decision if they feel supported. It's not just about telling her how important this is; it's about creating a positive environment so she can thrive. Talk and share feelings about what she's going through. Be the buffer between her and others who make unsupportive or inappropriate comments about breastfeeding.
2. Help with the household chores. This might sound obvious but it is important enough to mention. Laundry piles up, groceries need to be bought, meals prepared and dishes washed, not to mention errands to pick up last minute items of whatever you realize the baby needs and you don't have. The warm meals and folded clothes mean mom isn't anxious about everything that needs to get done and can focus on the baby. If you can't get it all done, find someone else to help fill the gaps.
3. Help with the actual breastfeeding. Breastfeeding means mothers need to be comfortable. Grab her an extra pillow, pull down the shades, put on some soothing music or get her some water (nursing moms get thirsty!) and you will find a more relaxed mom. You can also check the baby's latch and positioning since mom may not be able to see it from her angle. Suggest an alternate position if she looks too uncomfortable. If the baby is breastfeeding well and 4 to 6 weeks have passed, give mom time to pump milk so you can give the baby a bottle allowing her some much needed free time.

Coaches build on strengths in order to help achieve goals. Not only will mothers feel more confident in their ability to breastfeed, they will also feel validated that they are on the right path; fathers will reap the rewards of a solid team through enhanced family dynamics which will last a life time.

It wasn't until I had my own son that I realized how little we see breastfeeding moms and kids here in the US. And for some reason when we do it causes strong reactions in people. Many women feel the need to cover up. I've read articles by angry mothers who don't breastfeed calling those who do so in public the “nipple brigades”. Really, is it that horrible to see a child getting his food or comfort in the way Mother Nature intended?

Now there seems to be a solution available which puzzles me. One breastfeeding mom brought a nursing cover to our play group recently. All of us were curious, so she directed us to hooter hiders for the latest-must-have for breastfeeding mothers. The fact that anyone breastfeeding needs to hide her hooters is more than bizarre to me, especially if she is with a group of other breastfeeding mothers.

First of all it is a visible barrier which I know is the intention, but it makes breastfeeding seem like something sexual or deviant. A natural process need not be hidden just because others may be offended. Secondly, it is an extra thing to tote around with the diapers, wipes, spit up cloths, extra change of clothes, toys and other paraphernalia that abound in a diaper bag. Where's the practicality in the nursing cover then? Thirdly, I am surprised that any child would tolerate being underneath that hood. On airplanes, my own son played peek-a-boo each time I tried to cover him up with a cotton blanket. I covered up mostly to keep him focused on the breastfeeding and not on all the people walking down the aisles to their seats—he's an avid people-watcher—but it never worked and I ended up having to turn my back away from the aisle to get him to breastfeed.

Yet when I saw another mom with a nursing cover at the next play group, I asked why she had gotten it. She said that it allowed her to breastfeed without giving up her modesty, that it made the balancing act easier. I hadn't thought of that. I saw the issue from a social perspective: breastfeeding is natural whether in public or in private. She highlighted the personal one: she preferred to breastfeed modestly and in private even if it was in public.

The main objective of the cover-up is to breastfeed a child and that shouldn't be lost in the confusion of the nursing-in-public debate. All children are entitled to enjoy that special bond with their mother. However, wouldn't it be grand if the women's movement of the 21^st century helped us burn our nursing covers? It might be more liberating than burning our (nursing) bras.