Bf in public - what can I expect?

[berolina]

I live in Germany and have bf ds (4mo) in all sorts of likely and unlikely locations with never a nasty comment. Will be spending a week in England in Oct and will be out and about a lot and fully intend to bf wherever and whenever. I've read so much on MN about people getting bad reactions to bf in public and was wondering - am I really going to be tutted at and asked to sit in shop changing rooms?? And what will happen if I don't?

[aloha]

I think you only hear the horror stories Berolina. I have breastfed two children (ds for a year and dd for seven months) and only once had any kind of reaction - a silly middle aged woman and her mother moved tables so they couldn't see me. Didn't bother me really. Otherwise all fine!

[roosmum]

berolina - i was really nervous abt bf ds in public, & it took a while to get the confidence up to do it, but i was definitely worrying abt nothing i think. no neg reactions here, & i don't think i'd care by now if i did have one!
i'm sure people will hardly notice, let alone say anything...

[tarantula]

Ive never had a problem bfing anywhere and Ive done it all kinds a places from Newgrange burial mound (in Ireland) to the back room of one of the grottiest of grotty pubs in London (couldnt find ANYWHERE else to go and it was freezing so couldnt stay outside HONEST ) and noone has ever blinked an eyelid.

(Actually ahve to say the people in the pub were really friendly and nice too)

[frogs]

Berolina, I think journalists make these stories up, tbh. I've fed all three of mine (not simultaneously, obviously!) wherever I happened to be and the only obvious reaction has been occasional benevolent smiles from little old ladies. Nor have I ever heard of a RL acquaintance getting a bad reaction.

Assuming you're not stripping to the waist and letting it all hang out (unlikely in England in October!) I can't see why you'd have a problem.

[scotlou]

I had no problems anywhere - the only time I even got a bad look was when we visited someone in hospital and a visitor at the next bed was obviously not happy.

[harpsichordcarrier]

really really don't worry... I have bf every possible place and I have never experienced a negative reaction. be confident, adopt the most serene expression you possibly can...
enjoy

[aloha]

Frogs - journalists??? - Berolina was talking about posts on MUMSNET!

[sweetkitty]

Had a few odd looks but no one has said anything, fed her in a Beefeater type restaurant one day and the kids at the next table asked their mum what I was doing to the baby!!! mum replied she's only feeding her. Will be feeding DB anywhere and everywhere this time too.

[SoupDragon]

I never received a bad comment when bf-ing either. I always fed discretely (for my own benefit really - I'm not an exhibitionist!)

[aloha]

Just realise what you meant Frogs - about links to stories in the papers. They aren't made up but of course they do give a lot of prominence to - hopefully - quite rare events. However, plenty of Mumsnetters have posted their own experiences of being tutted at and worse. Still think that is far from being the norm though.

[berolina]

Thanks everyone. Feel better now!
Just remembered I have a nice bf-in-public type story. On Sat I fed on a bench in a little back street in a spa town and a 6yo lad on a roller kept coming up to talk to me. After asking whether the baby was real he asked me what I was doing and I said I was feeding him. His reply: 'Have you put sausage in there?'!!! aw bless

[WigWamBam]

I only had one negative comment; I was feeding dd in the back seat of the car in a car park, and some crabby old man came up and told me that I was disgusting, it was a disgrace, and what did I think bottles were for?

My dh said "bottles are for putting wine in", and the chap went away.

I didn't feed in public a lot because the combination of short arms and large boobs made it difficult to be discreet, but on the whole people were generally OK about it. Most people didn't bat an eyelid, and I also did get some positive comments - I had a couple of women walk up to me and tell me what a wonderful thing I was doing for my dd, and how proud I should be.

[Nightynight]

berolina and wigwam

[suedonim]

I've bfed three children while out and about and have never been on the receiving end of a nasty remark. In fact, I've received very few reamrks of any kind, just the occasional old lady who commented on how nice it was to see a bf baby and how it took them back to when their children were babies.

[welshmum]

Bero - you'll be fine missus - I don't recommend the terrace cafe at the Royal Opera House particularly but know one actually said anything to me Anywhere else in London/Wales has been better than fine.

[beansprout]

Never had any problems apart from my own self-consciousness!!

[Bozza]

I really didn't have any negative comments at all, maybe some people trying to studiously ignore me, lots of people not even realising and a few of the smiling, positive types. Personally I am of the opinion that if you are in a pub or cafe and you breastfeed the baby rather than leaving him/her to scream you are doing the rest of the clientele a service.

[berolina]

HF

[Roxswood]

I've never had any problems, only once in 15 months did another Mum comment that I should have been doing it in the feeding room, I just ignored her and continued. I'm still feeding my 15 month old in public wherever I happen to be.

[moondog]

No problems whatsoever in three and a half years of doing it all over UK and in many other countries.

(Nothing like b/feeding to get you over your teenage paranoia that everyone is looking at you! They aren't!




So glad everything worked out for you berolina!

[JiminyCricket]

I was feeding dd while having a picnic lunch perching on the plinth of a statue in Bristol Centre the other day and a lovely lady came over with her grandaughter 'sorry to interrupt you' and asked me for directions. Then the little girl asked me a few questions about bfing and her grandma told her that's how she used to be fed and the lady's parting comment was 'lovely picture'.