Your opinion on public breastfeeding...

[lilmonkey86]

I'm all for public breastfeeding, but as others have said will go for the more modest approach for my own comfort. my SIL feeds at all family functions and I got the biggest laugh at DH the first time he realized what was going on, it was probably the 3rd time that day that she had fed sitting right next to him but all of a sudden he gets this deer in headlights look on his face and whispers to me, "is my sister breastfeeding right next to me?" I just burst out laughing. If you didn't know any better you would have no idea that she was feeding and she doesn't cover her babies head, just tucks a scarf over her shoulder for when her LO is done eating. this is the approach i'm going for.
https://diaryofamadcrafter.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/diy-breastfeeding-infinity-scarf/

 

[Kiwiberry]

Honestly, I think it is up the individual on whether or not they feel comfortable bf'ing in public. I also think that mothers should be respectful to the people around them, and if they can go somewhere private. There are a lot of people who bf in public just because they know it makes people uncomfortable and they enjoy the attention they get from it. The street can go both ways. While there are mothers who don't want to be denied their right to bf in public, there are also people who don't want to be disrespected and feel uncomfortable (meaning the public). I think people should remember that we are all human and we all have different comfort levels. The feelings of people in public should not be shoved to the side just because we as mothers think the world revolves around us and our baby.

As for me, I am a really sensitive person. So bf'ing in public is like me having sex in public. Just one of those things I find really personal and would rather do it in private.

 

[Bex84]

I publicly breast fed my daughter and will do same this time. I didn't use a cover as she was born in July and didn't want to over heat the poor love, no one ever realised I was breast feeding as I wore breast feeding top. I had comments from dhs family and a few friends but they were just anti breast feeding they never actually noticed when I was feeding lo. I was always just discrete. I actually had family member ask if lo was asleep and he had the shock of his life when I said no I am bf as he had no idea lol, he went rather red. I wouldn't bf on the toilet, I wouldn't eat in there so why should a baby. I don't see why people make a fuss of doing something totally naturally, someone wearing a vest top on bikini top showed more than I ever did when bf. It makes me laugh people make such a fuss when in the UK you see more in the sun newspaper and the magazines which are quite clearly visible on the magazine stands. I don't get why people sexualise feeding a baby personally. I never had any one say anything in public because no one even noticed what I was doing

 

[BigAl]

There are a lot of people who bf in public just because they know it makes people uncomfortable and they enjoy the attention they get .

Sorry but lots of people bfing in public for the attention????

I don't buy it, most people are either worried about being judged by people like you, and using covers, or just worrying about getting their babies fed.

I will be (hopefully) bfing in public, without a cover. In the 12m I fed my lo in public, only twice did people even notice. I didn't sit there with my boob hanging out! And I certainly would not have welcomed any attention.

Like pp says, there is plenty more flesh on display down the beach or on an advertisement.

 

[KatyKat]

I have honestly yet to see any one in public breastfeeding with everything' hanging out' as the gutter press seem to keen for us all to believe. As other people have said, for the most part it's difficult to tell if a baby is feeding or simply being cuddled, and it exposes far less flesh than a lot of clothing that I've seen other girls wear.

I can't believe that in 2014 we still require a debate over something that is a perfectly normal human function. Breasts were designed to feed babies, it's not like women just whip their tops off and flash everything around for people to see?!?

As for those who claim to feel 'embarrassed' by women feeding, no-one forces them to look, and I suspect most of them would be unable to tell the difference between a woman feeding and a woman cuddling a baby unless it was pointed out anyway.

I personally think that there are far more offensive examples of public behaviour (excessive swearing, loutish behaviour and offensive sexual comments made openly to men/women to name a few) than a mother feeding her child.

Grrrr, rant over!

 

[Bex84]

I agree I don't think people do it for shock value and attention. When I breast fed my daughter in public it was due to my daughter was hungry, I was not going to leave her to cry due to a lack of places to breast feed in and I know not one person who breast fed with breast hanging out, even the people I knew not wearing breast feeding top you never saw anything, and to be honest I find it more rude that people would be staring. Would people rather a baby goes hungry and is screaming.

 

[Bex84]

surely the drunken behaviour on Friday night with girls dressed in barely anything is more offensive lol. I am sure when I was at university you wondered why some people bothered getting dressed they were showing more skin. I am a shy person but I wasn't showing anything inappropriate while breast feeding. I hate to think how many times I would have been stuck in toilet breast feeding when out with lo especially when she was little she breast fed every 20 minutes to an hour

 

[newlywedtzh]

I have not had a child yet so my opinion may change as I do plan on BFing but in my own personal opinion ... I feel that if you can be discreet, then why not? My SIL feels very strongly about BFing in public and will do so at family functions.. it doesn't bother me, but I can tell it makes DH and the other men uncomfortable. I think BFing is natural and yes - the way women have been feeding their babies since the beginning of time- but I feel, if there is a private room available - why not just BF there to avoid making anyone else feel uncomfortable? For my DH to see his SIL BFing makes him feel uncomfortable bc well, it's his brother's wife and BFing is considered an intimate act in American culture imo- if that makes any sense. I plan on being discreet whenever possible to respect others around me, but of course if baby is hungry - my baby will be fed regardless of what is going on. At family parties, I offer my SIL the guest room or my own bedroom to nurse but I feel she is proud of her ability to BF in public, and while I don't think it is "gross" or "tacky" I do feel differently.

 

[BigAl]

I must have missed the memo on all these wonderful private feeding rooms that are available.

Seriously if more than 2 mums wanted to bf in a private room in my town centre, then there would be a queue!

 

[Dragonfly]

This is a topic people concern themselves too much about if they dont like it. Dont look. I dont have a problem with breastfeeding full stop. You can sit with no top on I dont give a crap I wont add conditions to suit me to another mother and baby, same as I dont tell people not to be waving around formula bottles in front of me. Its just a baby feeding! it was ok for longer than it suddenly wasnt. In short, get over it. Worse things going on to complain about.

further more I never actually seen any one breastfeed where I am. I seen loads of bottles. Really no reason to complain about such a rare thing.

 

[newlywedtzh]

Big Al- I was referring more to... house parties/family functions where bedrooms are available, etc. I wouldn't expect mothers to cram into a tiny dirty bathroom stall at a park.

 

[xolynn]

I didnt BF my LO but honestly would probably be uncomfortable trying to do it in public, regardless if I was covered...but if other moms are doing it i'm not gonna stare/make a big deal out of it they should be able to feed their baby where they please. I'm just very shy/modest and couldnt see myself having the courage to do it...

 

[RaspberryK]

If my teenage brother can cope with turning up at my house whilst all I'm wearing on my top half is a breastfeeding bra, and a tiny baby attached to one completely bare breast... Then I think other grown men and women can deal with a little public breastfeeding.
Even if you can see breast, and maybe nipple, it's no more obscene than a tommee tippee bottle.

I'd like to show you this link

https://www.buzzfeed.com/southerndi...es-that-normalize-breastfeeding-jlw6?s=mobile

Xx

 

[Bex84]

to be honest if I had breast fed separately at family functions they wouldn't have seen us how often my lo fed when she was tiny lol, I don't really get what's uncomfortable about it, but then my husband wouldn't batter an eye lid at someone breast feeding. I think its society which makes people feel its not acceptable and is uncomfortable. My grandma was my biggest cheerleader with bf and it was very normalised when she had babies

 

[Unexpected212]

Also I wonder sometimes how people even notice??

My friend literally had her whole boob out feeding infront of me and friends and my husband came in and when I asked him if he'd noticed he was like 'huh what?!'

Whenever people come over with babies they ask if im comfortable with them feeding infront of me. Of course I am! It's the most natural thing ever.

I'm determined to breast feed this time and I'm going to do it in public but will probably have a muslin or lil blanket over my shoulder but thats for my comfort levels not others.

Whenever I have seen a woman breast feeding you can't see anything the baby covers it/

 

[Yo_Yo]

It annoys me boobs are seen as just for guys to ogle at. Some don't seem to like it when they are used for what nature intended.

Why should anyone have to breastfeed in a public toilet for example?

 

[Bex84]

I know, my dad suggested I should bf in public toilets and I just though eugh, I don't even like using them for what they are intended half the time, and it would be a very uncomfortable bf position.

 

[RaspberryK]

Bex I went away with my parents when ds was 6 months ish. My dad said aren't you going to wait til you get back to the car to feed him? I just said no and he was like er oh right and left the cafe so my brother and I stayed and had extra coffee.
He was fine with me feeding at home so I guess he was just more concerned about what others though which is ridiculous.
Xx

 

[NotNic]

I find that this topic needs a voting option a bit strange. In my country its not an illegal act, and therefore if you feel comfortable doing it then there's no issue! I did feed in feeding rooms until I mastered it and my nipples healed, and then afterwards I happily fed in public but I had to feed where I was able to sit for 30mins minimum as I had a slow feeder who would unlatch easily. I didn't ever feel comfortable feeding in front of my inlaws, but did feed in front of my family, and very often in front of friends. My NCT group were pro-bfs and one of them was a 'whip the boob out' type which took a bit of getting used to, but that's my issue not hers. I find most people very encouraging where I live. My church would encourage me to feed if I wanted to and if its appropriate there, then where wouldn't it be? (At least in my culture / country)

 

[cookette]

I support the "do whatever the hell you want" approach, lol. My baby is not yet here, so dont know what I will do....For me, I cant see myself comfortable without a cover up of some sort. But then Mesa may have no time for that, and by that point I will probably be beyond caring; who's to say!