Did you have any negative comments from breastfeeding in public?

[Soontobemummy2019]

Just wondering if anyone had experienced any negative comments or attitudes from BF in public and if so, how did you deal with it?

Not one negative comment ever, and this was back in the 90s. I fed my three anywhere & everywhere without a bother.

None in public. I’ve breastfed my DC for three years now. People have always either not noticed, ignored, or just given me an acknowledging little smile. My MIL goes all prudish about it and sends FIL out of the room, and she also loves to talk about how if I would “just let DC have a bottle, I could look after her”. She wouldn’t be looking after DC even if she did bottle feed!

Actually the only comment I ever had was my husband's aunt. She would always say how lovely it was I was feeding "naturally" but always say "oh, but you must go upstairs if you need to feed". Tbh I wanted to as both babies were very nosey at the time, plus as much as I love dh's family it's not MY family... but I was still a bit miffed.

Once when I was discretely breastfeeding under a restaurant table a woman told me her husband was not comfortable watching me and if I really had to feed him I should use the toilet. I replied that her husband was welcome to eat his dinner in the toilet if he thought that's what a toilet was for, but I was staying put.

This was maybe thirty years ago, so when she threatened to tell the restaurant staff, I wasn't sure what to expect, but that was the last I heard of it.

Why he was even looking when there wasn't anything to see (clothing in the eighties was super baggy and easily hid a little one) I have no idea!

None at all and I fed both DC for 2+ years. The only comment I got was a very elderly lady who came over to say how lovely it was to see, that she had been a health visitor many years ago and it was nice to see more women seemed to bf in public these days.

Also had lots of staff in cafes/restaurants carrying or moving things around to make things easier for me - and one wonderful woman in Costa Coffee who saw me waiting to eat while I bf and insisted on cutting my food up so I could eat one handed and bf at the same time

Not once and in total I fed for nearly 3 years.

Not once! I fed two children for two years. I’d love to say that everyone was lovely and supportive, but they weren’t- I was just left to crack on and everyone minded their own business.

I fed four for maybe five years in total.

I was once feeding DC4 in McDonalds and this guy started ranting at me about doing this ridiculous breastfeeding when I was eating shite and feeding the rest of my kids shite. I was just "Yeah right whatever."

Also had a gaggle of teenage lads whispering and behind a bit silly when I was feeding DC4 in a quiet corner of a mall. I was rattled enough to stop feeding and give them a hard stare until they wandered off.

Interestingly, DC4 is much younger than my other kids so perhaps breast feeding is becoming less acceptable.

I'm a bit jealous of all the people happily feeding older babies in public - it's not that I'm embarrassed or that people have ever been nasty, but 5 month old DS is so distractible that he just doesn't eat in a busy environment, and will just skip the meal (and then make up for it at night...). So now I have fed him in a toilet, which I thought I never ever would - I had thought it would be other people who tried to force me to hide myself away to feed, not the baby!

Nope. I bottle fed one and still breastfeeding the other at 14 months and no-one has ever commented, positively or negatively.

LisaSimpsonsbff they grow out of that stage eventually and then there's little you can do to not feed them!

Not while bfing. I did have my mil tell me that bfing past 3 months was unnecessary and disgusting.
A man did have a go at me for giving 3 month old dd a bottle at a wedding though.

Nope I never did.

None but I did stop feeding in public often after about 1 year old, which was a personal choice.

I had looks of shock, disapproval, awkwardness and discomfort which were worse than comments because then you could say something and someone else might have heard. With looks I always second doubted myself whether I was imagining it. I hated breastfeeding in public and around people other than Dh so much.

No none

It seems to be more acceptable feeding younger babies now but I don't feel comfortable feeding my toddler in public as know I would get funny looks!

The only negative comment I got was in the hospital children’s ward! Took newborn DD in for her routine hip scan (breech baby) and after the appt I sat back in the ward to give her a quick feed. Nurse told me to move to the feeding room (which was essentially an airless, roasting hot cupboard with a chair in it).

Only by my BF's now ex husband. Twat. Oh and FIL but he's also a twat who I ignored.
Publicly nothing but nice comments.

No and I fed for a total of 2.5 years.

@SpeedofaSloth we have far more Costas than any small town needs 5 in 3 square miles and of the 4 I used all were wonderful when bfing my 2. I even sought one out in a massive city because I knew I'd be welcome and I was. Kudos to Costa!

DD is only 3.5 weeks old and so far we have fed at my Slimming World meeting, in a cafe with my NCT group and yesterday in Waitrose cafe.

I was a bit nervous about yesterday, but the Christmas food shop took longer than expected and we ran out of nap (!) so I sent DH home to unpack while we fed. The only comments were lovely supportive ones from older ladies, which really helped.

em Should you really be thinking about Slimming World when your baby is 3.5 weeks old?

None so far. A couple of women at family events said it was nice to see someone breastfeeding (an older relative seemed very impressed with my nursing dress, and chatted to me a bit about her experiences).