Some of the views expressed on this thread are leaving me totally baffled (and cross). I BFed DS until about 12 weeks. I stopped for a few reasons, one of them was that he was a tricky feeder; threw himself around, hit me, pulled at me, popped on and off all the time and, every time without fail, threw up about 5 seconds after being fed. Feeding him in public was a nightmare because I had to wrestle him on to the boob, wrestle to keep him there, and when he was finished I had to get him sat up, with a muslin under his chin, pointed away from everyone (so as to avoid the projectile-vomit-on-your-lap incidents) and burp him. All in about 5 seconds. Oh, and I had to put my breast back in my bra. A lot of times, this last bit kind of had to be forgotten because he was puking and I was trying to avoid getting covered in it. Some of the looks I got when doing this made me feel like I must have inadvertently taken a shit on someone's dinner plate when I wasn't paying attention.
Now I admit, not everyone has a pukey baby, so those problems don't occur with every feed. But still. How was I meant to do that discreetly? The pp saying that she managed to do it and she has DD boobs, so there, can, IMO, piss off. I take your DDs and raise you a 32HH. If you can breast feed a wriggling, fussy baby discreetly when your boobs are nearly as big as your head, then you get a medal. And a cookie.
And why do you want women to try and be discreet? Think about it. You want them to be discreet because of what? You feel that breastfeeding is a private thing? Why? What is it about it that bothers you so much that you want it to be done in private or discreetly, so that you don't have to see what? An infant feeding? Can't be that, because no one is made to bottle feed in private. So it must be the breast that is offensive. Why do you find it offensive? They aren't gross looking (aside from the BFing veinyness), they aren't disgusting or stomach turning. So it must be the sex thing, then? So you want women to be discreet about breastfeeding because you are unable to differentiate between breasts as sexy play things, and breasts as a source of food for babies. And the whole 'BF nazis are the first to tell other women to cover up when they aren't using breasts for feeding' is stupid. Because, again, it's you who can't differentiate between the two circumstance, and can't see how one can be appropriate and the other not so much.
And another thing. All this talk of being discreet, and doing things gracefully with a bit of dignity. HA! Maybe it's because my baby is still only 6 months (nearly), but what the everloving fuck about motherhood is dignified? Is it the nappies, or the knowledge that you will have at least a tiny splash of sick/mashed banana/crumbled rice cake stuck to your top/jeans/in your hair at all times? Was it the whole team of Drs, nurses and midwives that saw you screaming at your husband when you were in labour, and then had a good look/rummage when you were up in stirrups (oh, fun memories)? Or is it even the horrendous levels of judgement from other women that you didn't even know existed: The other mothers who are so spitefull and judgey and snooty because you breastfeed/use a bottle/use a dummy/use disposable nappies/use reins etc etc etc (to infinity)? Because none of that is dignified, or done gracefully. So piss off with your breastfeeding should be done with dignity and self respect. Because judging other mothers who are just trying to do what we all are trying to do; raise our babies the best way we know how, is not fucking graceful or dignified.
End of essay. If you read it all, you can also have a cookie.