Sometimes, people don’t like when you try to help. Imagine you’re babysitting a hungry baby. Would you feed them? Most would say yes. But what if you breastfed them without asking first? That’s what we’re discussing.
OP and their sister-in-law (SIL) have babies born around the same time, but OP’s baby is a month older. During a visit, SIL and OP’s brother leave their baby with OP. When the baby gets hungry, OP nurses her because they ran out of formula. SIL reacts negatively, leaving OP confused and hurt. OP couldn’t leave to buy formula due to caring for both babies and not having a double stroller. SIL didn’t provide formula in the baby essentials bag she gave to OP. Now, SIL won’t respond to OP’s calls, leaving OP wondering if they did something wrong. OP seeks validation if they’re in the wrong for nursing their niece when they ran out of formula and had no other options.
Scroll down below to read the story in OP’s own words.
1. OP wonders if they’re in the wrong for breastfeeding their brother’s 4-month-old niece after running out of formula.
2. OP and SIL had babies around the same time. When SIL’s baby visited, OP nursed her when they ran out of formula.
3. Brother and SIL visited with their 4-month-old. They left the baby with OP to attend an event.
4. While babysitting, OP’s niece got hungry. With no formula available, OP nursed her niece, as she often breastfeeds her own baby.
5. When SIL returned, OP mentioned nursing the hungry niece due to a lack of formula. Surprisingly, SIL scolded OP, leaving her bewildered and hurt by the reaction.
6. OP couldn’t leave the babies alone to buy formula and lacked a double stroller, so she nursed her niece due to circumstances.
7. OP believes SIL should have provided formula in the baby essentials bag. With only diapers and rash cream, nursing the hungry niece seemed necessary.
8. OP feels guilty and wants to apologize to SIL for breastfeeding without permission, but SIL is not responding. OP wonders if they’re in the wrong.
9. OP explains they went to bed after handling tasks and awoke to 400 messages. They express gratitude for the responses and are reading through them.
Now that you have read the story, it’s time for you to see what Redditors had to say about this. Read till the end to see what are other people’s opinions on this. Don’t forget to share your own opinion at the end of this article.
10. You were just being a good caretaker, OP. Your actions were out of kindness and necessity.
11. Absolutely not the AH. You did what any responsible person would do in that situation.
12. Redditor has a valid point!
13. NTA. Your sister-in-law’s reaction seems unwarranted. You were simply caring for a hungry baby.
14. You did what was necessary to care for the baby in the absence of formula.
15. OP did what any reasonable person would do in that situation but she could have come on common grounds with SIL.
16. According to some Redditors, OP should have consulted with your sister-in-law before nursing her child.
17. To me, it seems that the sister-in-law’s expectations were unrealistic given the circumstances.
18. Even in emergencies, it’s best to ask permission before breastfeeding someone else’s child as most people would mind it.
19. OP’s actions were a result of necessity, not negligence. The sister-in-law’s reaction is unwarranted.
What are your thoughts on this story? What would you do, or how would you react if you were in OP’s position? You know that your feedback means a lot to us; therefore, we want you to share your thoughts in the comment section below. For more such articles, keep visiting Defused. Have a nice day!
