Breast feeding in public? Your views?

[meli1981]

i think what im saying is people have said that they feel uncomfortable around a bf mother that is exposing her breasts, not while feeding but before or after(which imo is unneccessary) but the bf mothers are saying they dont care about making people feel uncomfortable because their baby is hungry. but if you are in public you should be respectful of how others feel. you are afterall in public. when im at home i dont care who sees, i want my other kids to experience it as well, but when im out in public i respect others space and rights NOT to see my breasts.

 

[Tasha]

i think what im saying is people have said that they feel uncomfortable around a bf mother that is exposing her breasts, not while feeding but before or after(which imo is unneccessary) but the bf mothers are saying they dont care about making people feel uncomfortable because their baby is hungry. but if you are in public you should be respectful of how others feel. you are afterall in public. when im at home i dont care who sees, i want my other kids to experience it as well, but when im out in public i respect others space and rights NOT to see my breasts.

Aaah okay I understand what you are saying. People have said in this thread that if you know baby is going to unlatching (so during) and dont cover yourself then that is nudity. For some people (myself included) BF discreetly is impossible, I mean I certainly would never sit with it out before and after but then I dont think anyone has said they do that. So my child's right to BF should come before the rights of someone who could chose to look away or whatever.

 

[Dragonfly]

i think what im saying is people have said that they feel uncomfortable around a bf mother that is exposing her breasts, not while feeding but before or after(which imo is unneccessary) but the bf mothers are saying they dont care about making people feel uncomfortable because their baby is hungry. but if you are in public you should be respectful of how others feel. you are afterall in public. when im at home i dont care who sees, i want my other kids to experience it as well, but when im out in public i respect others space and rights NOT to see my breasts.

Aaah okay I understand what you are saying. People have said in this thread that if you know baby is going to unlatching (so during) and dont cover yourself then that is nudity. For some people (myself included) BF discreetly is impossible, I mean I certainly would never sit with it out before and after but then I dont think anyone has said they do that. So my child's right to BF should come before the rights of someone who could chose to look away or whatever.

Everything she just said I agree with.

 

[meli1981]

i was referring to the stories being told about women leaving their breasts out while putting babe away ect. That i think is unneccessary and really attention seeking imo. i myself had babys that pulled off quite abit, and i have larger breasts so i woyld feel uncomfortable nursing without some kind of cover. but thats just me.

 

[Natsku]

I have to admit that I don't really care that much if someone feels uncomfortable from accidently seeing my breast. I know that makes me a bad person but I just wanted to be honest, its just because I think its a stupid thing to feel uncomfortable about and I know its not my place to say what a person should and shouldn't feel uncomfortable about but it does make me angry when some people (like some daily mail readers when you read the comments on breastfeeding articles) rant about how horrible it is to catch even the slightest glimpse of a breast.

 

[meli1981]

and i tend to be one of those people that think of others before myself. so yes i think about what others are feeling while im nursing. if it makes them uncomfortable i have no problem moving into a more private area. as long as my baby gets fed, i dont care where i am.

 

[Dragonfly]

Why wouldnt you move ? why does the breastfeeding mum be expected to cover and move?

 

[Tasha]

I think there were one or two stories of it, but no one actually on here that just gets them out and leaves them out for a bit.

Its great that your baby didnt mind a cover but for some people their baby does.

There isnt always some where more private or as I said, isnt always possible to leave where you are to go and feed like for instance if my children are sitting eating their dinner then I cant just wonder off and go feed my baby.

 

[meli1981]

a newborn doesnt care if its covered. its really the moms preferrence. and i really prefer a more private place. nursing is a private bonding experience for me. something i only really like to do in quiet with just baby and me. and of course my other children and husband!

 

[meli1981]

if you are doi g it in pubic baby is more likely to pull off anyway because of all the excitement and things going on. to me not really condusive to a peaceful or satisfying nursing experience.

 

[Tasha]

We arent just talking about newborns though, and mine did. I tried covering her with a blanket to practise at home and she become really distressed. So no, your newborn didnt mind but other babies do.

Yes, i think a lot of women feel like that they prefer to BF in private, I say each to their own and if that is where you feel most comfortable then do it. Here there isnt always some where private to feed or it might be a toilet that is avaliable.

 

[Pearls18]

a newborn doesnt care if its covered. its really the moms preferrence. and i really prefer a more private place. nursing is a private bonding experience for me. something i only really like to do in quiet with just baby and me. and of course my other children and husband!

But just because this is how you feel doesn't mean this is how everyone should feel, for others it is matter of practicality they are out to dinner and the baby gets hungry, that baby gets fed. I assure you DS did not like a cover, no a newborn might not mind but mine certainly did when he was older, I would too it would be bloody annoying lol. My argument in this is choice, just because you want to BF a certain way doesn't mean everyone should feel the same. As BF mothers I feel we should be supportive of one another and not judgemental. No I'm not going to sit there with my boob hanging out for 10 mins after I have fed, but I would like to know I will not be judged for feeding a baby I know will unlatch and latch again without a cover which was what you said. I don't want anyone dictating to me I should use a cover or stay inside.

 

[xemmax]

a newborn doesnt care if its covered. its really the moms preferrence. and i really prefer a more private place. nursing is a private bonding experience for me. something i only really like to do in quiet with just baby and me. and of course my other children and husband!

I wish someone had told Oli this when he was a newborn and then maybe he wouldn't have screamed his head off every time I put a cover over him.

Covers were most definitely my preference and the reason we couldn't use them was most definitely because Oli hated them.

 

[Tasha]

I wish someone had told Oli this when he was a newborn and then maybe he wouldn't have screamed his head off every time I put a cover over him.

Covers were most definitely my preference and the reason we couldn't use them was most definitely because Oli hated them.

Oli really needs to read the books

 

[Dragonfly]

if you are doi g it in pubic baby is more likely to pull off anyway because of all the excitement and things going on. to me not really condusive to a peaceful or satisfying nursing experience.

Ok thats what you would do . But do you think all mums should do that to ? move to satisfy other people?

 

[xemmax]

I wish someone had told Oli this when he was a newborn and then maybe he wouldn't have screamed his head off every time I put a cover over him.

Covers were most definitely my preference and the reason we couldn't use them was most definitely because Oli hated them.

Oli really needs to read the books

Pesky kids, if only there were a Newborn Chatter section on bnb he could have joined

 

[meli1981]

i cant really answer that because im such a people pleaser. if im doing something that makes someone soooo uncomfortable that they have to move away from me, it makes me feel bad. in all honesty does baby really care where you are to nurse? as long as the food source is there, i really dont think baby cares. its really the moms choice.

 

[Tasha]

Haha, totally suggesting that to Wobbles, Emma

Meli you are right they dont care, but why should a mum have to put up with sitting in a stinking unhygienic toilet that probably doesnt even have a seat to make other people more comfortable?

 

[meli1981]

why are we only sitting on toilets to nurse? you could move to a quiet part of the restaurant, or a family or handicapped bathroom where it cleaner and larger then the average stall. there are often couches or chairs in the bathroom where you can sit. i have no problem nursing in our car either where i live we have several other options. i understand you might not have as many options, but i do believe if you were to talk to a staff member of a restaurant or whatever they could accommodate you with a nice quiet hygenique place to nurse.

 

[Tasha]

why are we only sitting on toilets to nurse? you could move to a quiet part of the restaurant, or a family or handicapped bathroom where it cleaner and larger then the average stall. there are often couches or chairs in the bathroom where you can sit. i have no problem nursing in our car either where i live we have several other options. i understand you might not have as many options, but i do believe if you were to talk to a staff member of a restaurant or whatever they could accommodate you with a nice quiet hygenique place to nurse.

Meli where do you live? There is no such thing as family bathrooms here that I have ever seen. Disabled toilets are deffo not any cleaner here because everyone just uses them regardless. There are no couches or chairs in any toilet I've been in.

And as I said about moving to different parts, most places to eat are open plan, so not one place is more discreet than the rest of it.

ETA I dont think any should feel they have to sit in a toilet to make others less uncomfortable, either.