A close friend of mine just returned from a trip to Italy with her five-month-old son, husband and his family. All was well under the Tuscan sun until the last day of their vacation when her mother-in-law asked to hold the baby while they were out by the pool.
My friend obliged, but was shocked when she turned to check on them moments later. The granny had one boob out and was attempting to nurse her grandson. She chuckled and said, "Oh that one's not working. Let's try this one!" before switching the infant to the other breast where he suckled her nipple.
To find out how my friend handled the bizarre situation, read more.
Dumbfounded, my friend laughed and snapped a picture with her phone. In disbelief, she asked her husband if he could believe what his mother was doing when he walked outside. He was equally stunned and speechless.
When my friends told the grandfather (husband to the nursing grandma) about his wife's actions, he shrugged it off at first. But then confronted his wife saying, "Honey, did you really try to breastfeed the Bambino?" Abashedly she replied, "I'm not going to talk about it anymore! All I will say is that it was a good bonding experience for both of us!"
There aren't enough words to describe how I would feel if this happened to me. But these emotions come to mind — shock, disgust, anger, betrayal and confusion. I would be most concerned with my son having nipple confusion — what if he had rejected the mother's breast after having been introduced to another woman's bosoms? I'd also be disturbed by my mother–in–law's decision to try to breastfeed him. Obviously she was incapable of producing milk on a first time basis, but engaging in the act itself seems odd.
Does this story leave you feeling disturbed as well?
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So very wrong! The grandma must have really missed the days when her son was newborn, but I think she needs to see a therapist.
How freaky and embarrassing for everyone involved. I'd be glad my MIL lived far away if this happened to me!
With the amount of information given it's hard to tell how harmless this incident was or wasn't. It could hint at some serious instability in the grandma, or it could just be an idiosyncratic blip.
Time will tell.