Feeding in front of visitors

[sweetcheeks85]

The closer my due date is approaching the more I am worrying about this. Although I havent breastfed before I have a feeling I am going to be uncomfortable feeding in front of ppl including some family members. And as you all know I would probably be swaped with visitors the first couple of weeks after having my little boy.

So do I just excuse myself and go to another room? This is what my OH thinks I should do but what if im gone for say an hour (ive heard some babies can feed for this long) would this not be really rude especially since ppl have come to visit? I have purchased a nursing shawl but dont know how comfortable I will feel using this in front of ppl either as I know it will make some of my visitors feel uncomfortable too.

Just wondering what eveyone else done Am I being shallow?

Sorry it was long

 

[Louise-B]

Perfectly understandable to feel this way hun....

I wasn't comfortable feeding in front of family and friends initially so I did just excuse myself and took LO into another room for a feed. Your visitors will understand. You could ask them to make themselves useful whilst they wait by helping out with some household chores!! lol

It may be that once you have established breastfeeding you will have no worries whipping them out for a feed in front of people but it may take some time! Just try to relax, enjoy it and take it at your (and your LO's) own pace.

Congrats on your upcoming bundle of joy, too! x

 

[sam's mum]

I was worried about this when Sam was first born - some people I was fine with but there were some people who made me feel really uncomfortable feeding in front of them. He used to feed for ages though so I hated having to go and sit on my own in another room... I soon realised that nobody could actually see anything while I was feeding anyway, and if I was worried I just used to turn sideways with my feet up on the sofa so even if they were looking they wouldn't see!

This time people are just going to have to deal with it and I'll be feeding my baby wherever I want ...if you wear a vest top underneath whatever you're wearing you can pull that down and your other top up and there is nothing to see anyway! x

 

[Samantha675]

Can you maybe ask some people to wait to see the baby, or just to stay for a few minutes at the begining?

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

I was worried to start with, and at first I would go to another room but I kind of ended up feeling left out and isolated. So I started using a muslim cloth or blanket or something to cover myself up.

Now i realise that people can't see anything, and I'm more happy about jsu getting on with it! People tend to avert there gaze anyway until baby is latched on...i found that anyway

but just do what is comfortable for you, people will understand! As you establish feeding you'll probably become more comfortable

 

[mama2b]

I don't like bf in front of visitors either. It was good in one way as when he did want feeding it meant I could get rid of people pretty quick or gave me a breather away from them whilst i went upstairs to feed. I was quite emotional in the first few weeks and was so fed up of visitors I used to will him to wake up so I could get rid of them !

On the other hand if someone had just arrived then it was a bit awkward having to leave them whilst I went and fed him, also some of my family just didn't take the hint to go !

I think you will know when baby is here if you will comfortable or not. I got so sick of visitors taking him off me I really enjoyed retreating to the bedroom just the two of us.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I went to my bedroom at first and I warned them I could be ages. It's not rude! They are guests in YOUR house and your newborn is hungry. If they cant understand that there's something seriously wrong with them.

I booked people in - 1 vistor/couple/family per morning and the same in the afternoon. I also warned them the time might change due to feeding. I much preferred to get visitors just after a feed. Oh and all this didnt happen till I was home a week - I wanted time to adjust without a load of people in my face.

Once I got more confident I would feed in front of people.

 

[mrsholmes]

i fed in front of visitors from day one, felt uneasy tbh but i wanted to get it out of the way as I knew public feeding would be next lol

A few family visitors did leave the room tho

 

[Lu28]

I was the same at the beginning which was difficult as Aisling is one of those babies where the feed takes about an hour. In the end, I found that the hardest bit was getting her latched on, after that no-one could see anything. And I found that most people averted their eyes when I was getting her latched on!

I wold say though, only go into another room if it's making you uncomfortable, I wouldn't care how uncomfortable your guests may be, they're in your house after all!

 

[Shifter]

While I was pregnant I thought I wouldn't want to feed in front of anyone but DH. We declined visitors apart from my parents for the first week or so home as we wanted to get settled and I was incredibly depressed.

I quickly found that I didn't mind feeding in front of my parents. The first few times we had other guests I went into our room to feed but as I grew more confident and we got feeding well established I stopped worrying.

 

[helen1234]

you lot have done so well, my oh stupidly invited people over the nite i came home i got home 7:30pm, there were visitors outside waiting, i just went upstairs and warned them i maybe gone long.

 

[sweetcheeks85]

Its great to know Im not the only one thats had these kind of worries. I ll just need to play it by ear and see how I feel once my little boy arrives.

thanx girls

 

[mrsholmes]

you lot have done so well, my oh stupidly invited people over the nite i came home i got home 7:30pm, there were visitors outside waiting, i just went upstairs and warned them i maybe gone long.

ours just turned up!

 

[XKatX]

I went to my bedroom at first and I warned them I could be ages. It's not rude! They are guests in YOUR house and your newborn is hungry. If they cant understand that there's something seriously wrong with them.

I booked people in - 1 vistor/couple/family per morning and the same in the afternoon. I also warned them the time might change due to feeding. I much preferred to get visitors just after a feed. Oh and all this didnt happen till I was home a week - I wanted time to adjust without a load of people in my face.

Once I got more confident I would feed in front of people.

I did the same as Lisa. To be honest, I didn't have anyone but family round for a good fortnight after. I just told everyone that they could come round once I'd got over the shock of things and felt comfortable with visitors. It's a huge shock when you first come home and you need time to bond with your baby. BF can be hard enough at times, don't put anymore undue pressure on yourself. If they don't understand, then they're not your friends!!!

 

[Cariad_bach]

Its hard the first few times .. but with my first LO i just gritted my teeth and did it, it gets easier,

Now (this is my 4th) i dont think much about it .. i do kind of warn people tho, i say "ooh i think i will feed him" and then i will start to latch him on ... if THEY dont like it THEY can leave the room!!

 

[Shifter]

I went to my bedroom at first and I warned them I could be ages. It's not rude! They are guests in YOUR house and your newborn is hungry. If they cant understand that there's something seriously wrong with them.

I booked people in - 1 vistor/couple/family per morning and the same in the afternoon. I also warned them the time might change due to feeding. I much preferred to get visitors just after a feed. Oh and all this didnt happen till I was home a week - I wanted time to adjust without a load of people in my face.

Once I got more confident I would feed in front of people.

I did the same as Lisa. To be honest, I didn't have anyone but family round for a good fortnight after. I just told everyone that they could come round once I'd got over the shock of things and felt comfortable with visitors. It's a huge shock when you first come home and you need time to bond with your baby. BF can be hard enough at times, don't put anymore undue pressure on yourself. If they don't understand, then they're not your friends!!!

Even had our birth gone according to "plan" and we'd managed to stay home, we had intended to have a couple of days to ourselves apart from immediate family. As it was we needed longer to process everything that had happened. My dad didn't understand and started putting pressure on me to have his dad over to visit, which only upset me more. When Jack was about 10 days old we were about ready to have other visitors but didn't want to be deluged! My mum's cousin turned up unannounced, the only visitor who did this, and said "Is something wrong? Your dad said you didn't want visitors?"

The idea of wanting some personal space was alien to her and I was actually gobsmacked by her question... after all, if she believed what my dad said then wtf did she think she was doing turning up on our doorstep???!

 

[jms895]

I just tell visitors I am gonna feed and usually the men leave the room and women stay or I use a peice of cloth to cover me. I dont care its them who has an issue xxx

 

[Kitten]

I just hide in my bedroom and let hubby entertain. I make sure people only visit when he's around so he can play host.

 

[JayleighAnn]

I dont mind feeding infront of my friends or family, but with OH's I don't feel comfortable with certain members as I don't know them properly (OH's family aren't close) and I just feel a bit weird about it.

I go out the room cause neither me nor Halen like to have a cloth over us, he gets too hot and I can't see what I'm doing