attitudes to breastfeeding in public

[maky72]

i am at college and hopeing to go to uni in september to do midwifery.
i am doing a project at college at the mo and wonder if anyone can help me.
i breastfed all 4 of my children, where ever and when ever they needed a feed, including in public places. when pregnant having close family and friends who breastfed, i never thought of doing otherwise. however i do understand others are put off breastfeeding for various reasons. so to my question;
does the attitude of others affect a mothers choice to breastfeed?
i'd greatly appreciate any thoughts and experiance anyone has had.
thank you.

 

[Wobbles]

Hiya

Research question etc I'm a bit hmmm over!

I am happy for this question to stay on the forum - we're usually quite protective over anything that may be vunerable or appear vunerable. I would apprieciate you keeping this question/topic on the forum & not via PMs or requesting further contact means like email addresses - maybe you don't intend to but just incase .... thanks

 

[maky72]

ok thanks.
not sure how this site works, so if i have anything in my settings which i shouldn't, let me know and i'll change them, but may need 2 ask 4 help to do it.
thanks again.

 

[Wobbles]

No thats fine - Its just you have came on for research purposes only as long as its a general question & you not asking people to take part in surveys and so on off the forum theres no worry

Good luck with your project & future plans

 

[leeanne]

Hiya

Research question etc I'm a bit hmmm over!

I am happy for this question to stay on the forum - we're usually quite protective over anything that may be vunerable or appear vunerable. I would apprieciate you keeping this question/topic on the forum & not via PMs or requesting further contact means like email addresses - maybe you don't intend to but just incase .... thanks

Quite truthfully, I am very modest and found myself uncomfortable breastfeeding in public and never really did so unless it was absolutely necessary.

At the same time, I do admire those that don't have a problem doing so in public, but discreetly.

 

[Angel]

I do breastfeed in public,but I do put a muslin wrap over me and the baby not because I am embarassed but because I don't want to offend anyone (you never know how people are going to react).

 

[Madwolf3]

I've never personally breastfed in public, but I think that's because I don't have the skill to keep it well covered LOL! But I have NO problems with women that do!!! And my personal decisions on it (and opinions) are my OWN- I'm not affected by how my family/friends or other people feel about it!

 

[marley2580]

I have BF in public in both Scotland and England, and I have to say that I feel a lot more comfortable BF in Scotland as there is a law giving me the right to do so.

 

[Lucy]

People's reactions to me bfing in public wouldn't put me off breastfeeding my baby , no that's ridiculous to be honest - it's one thing if you feel uncomfortable doing it public but to not breastfeed because of what other people (strangers) might think is bizarre

 

[maky72]

thanks for all ur replys. i agree nobody would have put me off from feeding in public, but then i am a vocal person when it comes to things like that.

 

[mummyoffive]

i didnt breastfeed any of mine - i expressed for the first. I felt that i would have been embarassed at the time to do it in public and also in front of OH parents/ family etc... the midwifes actually advised me against breastfeeding my last 2 and i really wanted to. hope that helps .. any more info needed jus ask .xx

 

[Newt]

My bubba hasn't come yet. I do want to breast feed, but I am worried about feeding in public. I know I shouldn't be, I am normally quite vocal too and would argue the toss. But I also know I am a G cup and being discrete is going to be difficult.
I suppose having my breasts commented over most of my life (and still are) hasn't helped. I feel self conscious about them anyway and wont dress to show them unless OH is with me and since them getting bigger I have been wearing a lot of scarves.
If I knew it to be illegal, as in Scotland, to be asked to stop, I may feel a little better about it.

 

[Lucy]

There's a link somewhere on the net to a petition going to be sent to the English and Welsh MPs to rally them into putting the same law inplace, I do think it makes a difference knowing I cannot be asked to stop feeding. In saying that though, no matter what people's opinions are of breastfeeding surely they wouldn't ask you to stop feeding your child? I mean it's the most basic form of survival for a newborn!

Newt - you'll be surprised how discreet breastfeeding is once you get the hang of it. I suppose the first few weeks when the baby is also learning how to latch on and coping with the let down of milk (that's when it squirts out really fast and often a new baby will come off if it's too fast until they learn how to gulp it all down!) you might need to pay more attention but now my wee one is 6.5wks old and I just manoevre my top and away he goes! It just looks like he's have a cuddle

 

[Sarah88]

I think breast feeding in public is great. Theres no scrutiny when you feed a baby a bottle in public so why the uproar about breastfeeding in public.
My opinion, however is that the breast feeding mothers should respect the public and put something over her breast so then she doesn't get stared at by rude teenage boys etc.

I know i'll be breastfeeding and after the initial embarassment of it, i'll be doing it wherever I have to. Of course if theres a mothers room, I would be utilising it, but for my own privacy.

 

[marley2580]

Lucy, the Scottish law came in after a woman was told to stop breastfeeding by a police officer under the public decency act! Last year a woman was asked to not feed in Tesco in Dundee

 

[cparks1]

I have never breast fed before, but plan to. I don't have anything against mothers breast feeding in public as long as they are covered where no one can see their breast flopped out. If your going to do it in public, but curtious to the people around you and cover yourself. I'm a modest person myself and will be utilizing any private room I can to breast feed, besides, I'm not very coordinated so I'm sure I will have a hard time doing two things at once.

 

[Helen]

I've always fed in public though not both at the same time. There's no way you can do that discretely! I don't cover myself, I don't think you need to. By the time the baby's head is in front of your boob no-one can see anything, it's only if they break off and start looking all over.

TBH I feel more self conscious now that Tom is older and still BFing. He's a lot more wriggly and distracted by things around him. I think it's because I don't want to be BFing him anymore and think he's too old for it so its embarrassment I'm causing myself rather than anyone else's opinion.

I thought that the law was in place in England as I've had it at the back of my mind to argue with someone if they ever objected. They never have so thankfully I haven't had to look like a dummy!

 

[Kina]

Other people's opinions of breastfeeding in public don't really bother me, I've fed both of mine whenever they've wanted it. Rather a quiet baby breastfeeding contentedly than a bawling frustrated baby who's being forced to wait for a feed. Ooooh it tears my heart out hearing a newborn baby crying for a feed, I just feel like telling the mother to flop it out and feed the poor mite!!

 

[Caroline]

Ooooh it tears my heart out hearing a newborn baby crying for a feed, I just feel like telling the mother to flop it out and feed the poor mite!!

I'm similar to you Kina if lo needs a feed they need a fed & stuff anyone else.

I actually sat infront of houses of parliment this summer feeding lo when we were watching cycling. Don't think anyone was really aware.

I always think its pretty easy to do it discretely.

 

[babyblessed]

I want to be more confident this time, with my first I fed in public toilets if out which I wished I could have the confidence to feed in public.

I think knowing you look discreet helps but until other peoples opinions change it will still be hard for self conscious girls to do