Man asks breastfeeding mom to 'cover up' at restaurant - and her response goes viral

Ashley May | The Daily Advertiser

A breastfeeding mom who was allegedly asked to "cover up" inside a restaurant reacted by tossing a cover over her head, according to a friend who posted the comical sight on her Facebook page.

Carol Lockwood said she's never met her friend's daughter-in-law, but felt compelled to share a photo she saw of the mother feeding her baby after she said a man in the restaurant asked her to cover her chest while dining outside in 90-degree weather.

"I’m SO over people shaming women for nursing," Lockwood said.

The mom in the photo is Melanie Dudley of Austin, Texas, Yahoo Lifestyle reports, who was nursing her 4-month-old while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with her baby, 4-year-old twins and husband.

This isn't the first time a breastfeeding mom has responded to a request like this with humor. Last year, a mother also covered her head after a customer at McDonald's reportedly asked her to "cover up." Breastfeeding advocacy groups have also shared similar images.

Breastfeeding in public without a cover is legal in all 50 states, despite what some people (including this Oregon doctor) feel they have a right to say to a nursing mother.