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Infant feeding

bf in public past 6 months

18 replies

littlepiggie · 09/11/2006 20:30

Ds is 6 1/2 months and i am now worried about feeding in public. Nothing has happend to make me feel this way, but i dont often see young babies been bf while out never mind one that stops to look around (usually taking my nipple with him).

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melsy · 09/11/2006 20:41

Always makes me laugh when they do that , thank gawd my nips are like old leather now!!!

Its true you dont often see older babies being breast fed out. Well were I live I never do.

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TheBlonde · 09/11/2006 20:55

I found the looking round the room passed quite quickly and we then got back to feeling more discreet if you know what I mean

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littlepiggie · 09/11/2006 21:13

any ideas in the mean time?

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Rosieglow · 09/11/2006 21:14

I'm still breast feeding at a year but I rarely feed in cafes etc now. Not so much for people staring as I really don't care - more because dd is so nosey that not much feeding gets done. She just keeps coming off to look at what's going on so it's a waste of time!

Perhaps that's why you don't see so many older babies (still enjoying calling her a baby - will be sad when she starts to walk and I have to call her a toddler)

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CantSleepWontSleep · 09/11/2006 21:18

I still feed my 9 month old whilst out and about. She likes a good look around too, so it normally takes 2 or 3 attempts a few mins apart to get through a feed! You'll prob be surprised at how disinterested most other people are in you doing it.

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Pidge · 09/11/2006 21:25

Fed both my dds out and about till they were 1ish, carried on feeding at home morning and evening till age 2 with dd1 and still feeding dd2 who's 19 months.

The distraction thing is a bit of an issue. But to be honest the feeds just got shorter, and if were out and my dd wasn't interested I would just finish the feed right there. Once they're on solids it's not as if they're dependent on the milk so much. Feeds would always be much longer if we were in the quiet of our own home.

Good luck

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SweetandTenderTatties · 09/11/2006 21:27

My ds is 19mo and I still feed out if he wants to. He is a bit nosey but not as bad as he was when he was a bit younger. If I wanted him to concentrate on his feed I would find a decent parents' room (not always easy though!) or go into the changing rooms in a clothes shop!

I never see anyone feeding an older baby/toddler out either As ds has got older I am starting to wonder whether people are looking at us, but no-one has ever said anything to me.

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terramum · 09/11/2006 21:40

DS is 28 months & I feed him whenever he asks for it (which is usually a fairly loud "Milk, mummy" followed by "That one!" and very obviously pointing )- never had any comments at all, unless you count the lovely pensioner who can up to me when he was very small to congratulate me on bfing! I hardly see anyone else bfing either - little babes or toddlers alike, so I see it a little as my duty to keep feeding him everywhere - kind of like Im educating everyone . I think seeing a confident woman happily bfing her child does a lot to normalise it. Thats partly where our society has gone wrong with bfing - weve got into this viscious cycle of not seeing it everywhere so its not seen as something normal so new mums dont feel happy doing it...so its not seen everywhere etc etc .

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littlepiggie · 09/11/2006 21:47

it is a horrible world we live in, if you bf past 6 weeks you are made to feel like you have 2 heads.

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QuootieHamsterInMyPie · 09/11/2006 21:59

DS is 7 1/2 months now, but "luckily" hes small, but, I think stuff everyone else... I would never stare at someone BFing an older baby and dont understand those who do.

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tootsieroll · 09/11/2006 22:00

LOL to terramum's comment! My DS is almost 7months and turning into a right nosey parker. Had to wait for the nursing room in Mothercare to be devoid of people today before he could have a proper feed.

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Paddlechick666 · 09/11/2006 22:02

my dd just turned 1 and i still bf whenever required and wherever!

she's just started tottering but not really speaking much so i am approaching "toddler feeding weirdo" status lol.

she does have a really cute way of pulling my top down and staring inside then looking up with an expression of joy on her face - i think it's hilarious!

she is an old hand at coming off for a good sticky beak tho - i've become very adept at tugging my shirt quickly over my nipple and back up again in time with her swinging her head back and forth.

little monkey!

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foundintranslation · 09/11/2006 22:06

ds is 18 months and I do and will feed him wherever he wants. He too pulls at my top, pulls off my nipple at inopportune moments, etc., but tbh I feel that if people stare (which they very rarely do, but I am in Germany, which is a little less hung up than the UK), that is their problem. I'm proud of ds and I'm proud of bf him - especially because establishing bf was an almighty and MN-documented struggle .

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hamstermunker · 09/11/2006 22:10

DS2 is 9mo and I still feed him in public. He's better now at feeding rather than looking about the place.

I saw a woman bfeeding a toddler the other day at a soft play place and gave her a big friendly smile - and she looked so happy - she'd been looking nervous beforehand before I caught her eye!

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Macdog · 09/11/2006 22:10

My dd is 9months and I still bf in public.
I don't even think about it now
Mind you in Scotland we have law on our side, gives me a bit of reassurance.
Little darling loves to hang her head back and give a gummy grin to whoever is behind her before getting on with feeding!!

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pipo · 09/11/2006 22:17

I b/f DS until he was 18 mnths old but rarely outside after 6 months as he was just too nosy. After 2 embarrassing episodes in M& s mother and baby room where DS screamed and screamed as I struggled to feed him and he struggled to look at nappy changers I always took a bottle of EBM or formula when we went out.

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littlepiggie · 09/11/2006 22:23

lol, ds is so nosey, evey little sound and he throws himself round, have got good at the pulling top down very quick thing though over the last few week, also feed him just before i go out and hope that i can get a few hours.

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littlepiggie · 09/11/2006 22:26

i do think we need a law like that here macdog.
QP, where do you get these names,hehe

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