Tiffani Thiessen Would Rather Nurse In A Bathroom Stall Than In Public

Tiffani Thiessen explains why she prefers a bathroom stall to nursing in public

In a recent interview, former “Saved by the Bell” actress Tiffani Thiessen explains that she’s not really much for nursing in public. Her comments are surprising considering what we usually see in the news about moms fighting to breastfeed, uncovered, wherever they’re legally allowed to be, but we need to keep in mind that in the quest for fair treatment of nursing moms, that means respecting the ones that prefer privacy too.

Thiessen tells US Weekly that she’s “conservative” when it comes to breastfeeding her 9-month-old son, Holt. Although she feels that moms should be able to nurse “anywhere and everywhere,” she prefers to be unseen. “I do what I need to do, but usually in a restroom … and sadly, sit on a toilet and nurse my child.”

Now hold on, ladies. Let’s put down the torches and pitchforks. Or the coffee and bagels. Whatever.

As much as it would be fantastic to hear all celebrity moms taking up the cause of nursing in public, it’s also totally OK if they’d rather not. And although the idea of feeding my child amid unseen fecal matter particles floating in the air makes me want to throw up, I completely understand that for some women, it’s not acceptable to nurse in front of anyone.

Theissen went on to affirm her support of other moms and their choices when it comes to breastfeeding. “At the same time, I don’t judge women who sit at a dinner table and do it. It’s just not me.”

Breastfeeding in public is certainly a hot topic these days. We see so many stories about nursing moms being asked to cover up, move to a more “private” location or leave altogether. We take up arms for these women, who have the right to nurse wherever their child happens to be hungry, but we also need to support moms who’d rather go somewhere private.

Ideally, most public places would have a quiet spot other than a toilet where a mom could feed her baby. But life is obviously not always ideal and for the mom who feels most comfortable nursing without all eyes on her, the options are typically limited. A bathroom is sometimes the only choice, which isn’t great, but you do what you have to do.

When I first nursed my son, I would go to my car if possible because I felt nervous with anyone watching and my nerves definitely rubbed off on him, making him too anxious to latch. Once I became more comfortable, I’d feed him wherever I had to, but in those first weeks of new mom apprehension, my Honda CR-V was my safe haven.

Sure, I wasn’t doing much for the cause of normalizing breastfeeding in public by nursing my son behind a steering wheel, but we all have to do what we feel best doing. It’s not up to me or Kelly Kapowski (GO BAYSIDE) to put our personal comfort levels on the line for a greater cause. It’s such an intimate choice to make. A choice every mom needs to make for herself.

As much as we’d love to count Thiessen among the celebrity moms breastfeeding wherever they want without a care in the world, we fully support her desire to do it in private. Because at the end of the day, we’re all behind the same cause — fed babies.